Matt Maher at the Adler Theatre -- April 5.
Tuesday, April 5, 7:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
One of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music brings his North American tour to Davenport's Adler Theatre in the April 5 performance with Matt Maher, the Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter and pianist who presently boasts three recordings that have landed on the top 25 of Billboard's Christian Albums chart.
A current resident of Tennessee, Maher was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada, and after his parents recognized their son's musical talent, he grew up taking piano lessons and immersing himself in a broad variety of music – playing in concert and jazz ensembles, singing in a choir, and playing in a garage rock band. The burgeoning artist started his post-secondary studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland and continued his education in the Jazz Department at Arizona State University, studying jazz piano and earning a music degree. Maher paid for his first three years of college by playing piano in a hotel, and his first label was the Spirit and Song, a division of OCP Publications, where he released his first three collections. Early in 2007, Maher signed to Essential Records, releasing his first big-label album (and his fourth album overall) Empty & Beautiful in April of 2008. His second album with Essential, Alive Again, was released the following September and eventually peaked at number six on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart, and in late 2009, Maher toured with Michael W. Smith, Meredith Andrews, and Phil Stacey on the "New Hallelujah Tour."
Over the years, three of Maher's nine albums have reached the top 25 on Billboard's Christian Albums chart and four of his singles made the top 25 on the Christian Songs chart. His notable writing credits include "Your Grace Is Enough," "I Will Rise," "Christ Is Risen," and "Lord I Need You," with "Because He Lives (Amen)," "Glory (Let There Be Peace)," and 2019's "Alive & Breathing" all topping the charts. In June of 2020, "Alive & Breathing" even started to chart on mainstream lists, reaching the number-three spot on Rolling Stone's “trending 25” as well as number 25 on Billboard's "singles of the week." To date, the artist has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards, having been nominated for more than 20 Doves throughout his career in categories including Song of the Year, Worship Song of the Year, Pop Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year, and Pop Contemporary Song of the Year.
Maher's area performance is being hosted by Project 15:12 Love One Another, a Quad Cities non-profit organization, as the fifth fundraising event in its “No Greater Love” series. “Our goal for these events is to raise funds for Project 15:12," said Project 15:12 co-director Karly Driscoll, "but also to provide our community with a solid Christian message. We also want our community to know about Project 15:12 and the work we are doing, so if they know someone in need, or if they are in need, they will reach out to us.”
Matt Maher plays his Davenport engagement on April 5 at 7:30 p.m., admission is $28-53, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
