Concert Review: Amy Grant

Last night my wife and I went to see Amy Grant at the Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, WA. This was a polite show, a conservative show; the crowd was mostly young, female, and capital-C Christian; none of the liquored-up hooliganism you might have seen in your younger days at a Def Leppard or Guns ‘n Roses concert.

First, about the venue: HOLY SHIT. This was my first time in a so-called megachurch, and I can not believe how big the auditorium is. You could fit a small city in there, with room left over. I felt like I was in a hockey arena. Pretty impressive, but as someone who is used to the old-school architecture of St. Mark’s Cathedral, OCC felt a little sterile.

Amy performed from her selection of older hits – this was the “Lead Me On” tour – and did well, if not spectacularly. The funny thing about Amy Grant is that she’s not a terribly great vocalist, but despite that, she has a vocal presence that is compelling and attractive.

She was accompanied by eight musicians that she has toured with for many years; they were steady and predictable, with no (apparent) mistakes. The only gaffe of the whole evening came during a rendition of a new, unrecorded song that Amy is working on, when she had a hiccup on a guitar chord.

Funniest thing: Amy Grant can not dance. You might imagine that a popular performer with 25+ years of stage experience might have discovered some shake and bake somewhere out on tour; but no, she dances like a white person – i.e., poorly. She’s not as bad as Elaine from Seinfeld, but she’s definitely no Grace Kelly either. It doesn’t matter, though – my wife and I both enjoyed the show, and that’s what counts.