Gospel Music Stars Wow Philadelphia Crowd During 2014 McDonald's Gospel Tour Kick Off (PHOTOS)
Gospel music fans flocked to Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia last night for the eighth annual McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour. There, the crème de la crème of Gospel music performed for a spectacular 3-and-a-half hour night of praise and worship.
First to grace the stage was the Mississippi Mass Choir, which stood proudly under a large church banner that read "Kingdom Life in The Holy Spirit."
Dressed in their trademark red, white and blue church choir robes, the acclaimed singing group opened with a spirited live version of "Where I Stand" followed by other uplifting hymns like their latest single "God's On Your Side" from their "Declaration of Dependence" album.
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While collectively the choir delivered a stellar performance, it was the glowing presence of 86-year-old lead chorister Mama Burks whose spine-tingling vocals captivated the entire audience.
The 600-plus strong crowd, which was a blend of youth and grown folks, then gave a warm welcome to the event co-host Erica Campbell, from the Grammy award-winning duo Mary Mary - who was joined on stage by three background singers.
The gospel music powerhouse began by sharing an encouraging story about a friend in need which added intensity to her perfectly executed performance of "Help," her current number one single.
By now the presence of the holy spirit was strongly felt and the crowd rose to their feet for "A Little More Jesus," which had many clapping their hands and tapping their feet while giving praise.
An energetic Campbell darted across the stage while showcasing her impressive vocal range before acclaimed organist Moses Tyson Jr., took over for his own breathtaking performance.
Tyson, a Stellar award-winner, had the crowd on their feet in anticipation almost as soon as his nimble fingers hit the keyboard.
As always, the remarkably talented Tyson played the organ with gusto and the effortlessly dulcet sounds earned him a standing ovation.
The next act, Uncle Reece, told the crowd he had come "to beat the devil up" before lighting up the stage with his up-tempo hit song "Til I Pass Out." His vigorous dance moves and powerful lyrics about honoring Christ had even the most reserved audience members dancing away in the aisles to the hip-hop-infused track.
He also belted out "I Can't Help Myself" followed by "He Died and He Rose," which featured a moving and creative reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus.
The show broke briefly for a "love offering" and Campbell, along with her hilarious co-host Jonathan Slocumb, took the stage to remind the crowd about the purpose of the tour.
The McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour 2014 is a free 12-city summer concert series which fosters the notion of giving back by raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).
Last year the tour raised a record more than $83,000 and this year the crowd at Mount Airy Church gave generously in support of the cause. RMHC provide resources like housing to millions of families of sick children around the world to help eliminate the financial strain that often comes with caring for a sick child.
For the final portion of the show Anthony Brown and Group Therapy invigorated the crowd with a number of crowd-pleasers including their hit single "Testimony," which was named Billboard's most popular song of 2013.
Brown's excitement about spreading the word of God was prevalent throughout his magnetic performance, which had folks raising their heads and lifting their hands shouting "Hallelujahs" and "Amens!"
Group Therapy, which consists of eight background singers, showcased their impressive vocals and one particular singer's angelic and opera-like voice left many in awe.
In closing Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers took the stage dressed in vibrant colors including yellow, orange and green hues and the group belted out a select number of familiar hits like "God Blocked It" and "For Every Mountain."
Carr boosted the crowd with some touching words in between sets, and his seven singers took turns demonstrating their exceptional vocal skills. In closing each artist returned to the stage for some united song and dance which ended the all-in-all seamless show with a bang.
FOR MORE INFO ON THE MCDONALD'S INSPIRATION CELEBRATION GOSPEL TOUR CLICK HERE
Tour dates and locations:
May 22 – Philadelphia, Mount Airy COGIC
May 23 – Washington, D.C., Ebenezer AME Church
June 5 – Charlotte, The Park Church*
June 6 – Raleigh, Wake Chapel Church
June 7 – Greensboro, Mount Zion Baptist Church*
June 19 – Jackson, Greater Bethlehem Temple Church
June 20 – Memphis, New Salem Baptist Church
June 27 – Detroit, Greater Grace Temple
June 28 – Chicago, Chicago Gospel Music Festival – Ellis Park
July 9 – Atlanta, Full Gospel Baptist Conference – Georgia World Congress Center
July 24 – Los Angeles, City of Refuge Church
July 25 – Oakland, Craneway Pavilion
*Only Erica Campbell and Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy will perform.
