Friday, April 19, 7 p.m.
TaxSlayer Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline IL
Appearing together for the first time in their national “Surrounded & United Tour,” the contemporary-Christian artists of Newsboys United and singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith take the stage at Moline's TaxSlayer Center on April 19, sharing the talents that have resulted in chart-topping success and a collective 18 Grammy Award nominations.
Composed of current Newsboys members Jody Davis on guitar, Duncan Phillips on percussion, Jeff Frankenstein on keyboards and bass, and frontman Michael Tait performing lead locals, and joined by former drummer/lead vocalist Pete Furler and bassist Phil Joel, Newsboys United kicked off its reunion tour in 2018, thrilling amphitheater crowds with their renditions of such number-one smashes as “I'm Not Ashamed,” “You Are My King (Amazing Love),” “Spirit Thing,” “Truth and Consequences,” and “We Believe.” To date, the Christian rockers' discography includes 16 studio albums, two live albums, 10 compilations, and 91 singles, 34 of which topped in charts, and they've become popular screen presences through the three entries in the God's Not Dead film series. Billboard Music Award winners for 1999's “Entertaining Angels,” the Newsboys have also received a pair of Nashville Music Awards, two International Angel Awards, four Grammy nods, and four Dove Award wins among 20 nominations, including for “Rock Album of the Year” for Going Public and “Rock Recorded Song of the Year” for their 1995 hit “Shine.”
One of contemporary-Christian music's most esteemed and celebrated talents, Michael W. Smith has sold more than 18 million records worldwide, with his discography including 23 studio albums, five live albums, four compilation albums, and 75 singles, his chart-topping hits including “Pray for Me,” “Emily,” “Place in This World,” “I Will Be Here for You,” and “Healing Rain.” Smith is also a three-time Grammy winner, an American Music Award recipient, and has earned an astounding 45 Dove Awards. In 1999, ASCAP cited him the winner of the “Golden Note Award” for lifetime achievement in songwriting, and in 2014, the organization honored him as the “cornerstone of Christian music” for his significant influence on the genre. With 14 of his albums reaching gold albums and five of them boasting platinum sales, Smith has also appeared in such feature films as 90 Minutes in Heaven and Saving Faith, and he has published 14 books including The Price of Freedom, Friends Are Friends Forever, and last year's Nighty Night & Good Night.
Newsboys United and Michael W. Smith bring their “Surrounded & United Tour” to Moline on April 19, admission to the 7 p.m. show is $29.75-59.75, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting TaxSlayerCenter.com.
