Tonight I had the opportunity to see Andrew Peterson in concert.  This is a pretty cool thing for me.  I usually don’t make it to Tennessee for Christmas until after Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God tour is over.  In fact, finding anyone doing a concert so close to Christmas would be a rare gift.  An even rarer gift? having one of your favorite musicians end up in Kailua, Hawaii (about 14 minutes from where I live).

The concert was held at Trinity Presbyterian Church; Trinity Christian School sponsored Peterson’s visit (he was also able to bring his wife and kids).  He took the stage for thirteen songs that spanned a good bit of his career (nothing from Carried Along, Clear to Venus, or [alas] Light for the Lost Boy).  Still, the rundown was great.  It was good to get some exposure to songs I have overlooked.

The Set List:

1. After the Last Tear Falls (the closest thing to an Andrew Osenga song live for me in forever)
2. Lay Me Down
3. I’ve Got News (the first overlooked gem)
4. a song I thought it was going to be Everybody’s Got a Song but turned out being Let There Be Light (he gave a nice nod to Tolkien here; another overlooked gem for me)
5. Dancing in the Mine Fields
6. Fool With a Fancy Guitar (overlooked gem)
7. I Want to Say I’m Sorry
8. Be Kind to Yourself (this song featured his daughter and youngest son; at this point, he moved to the piano)
9. My Love Has Gone Across the Sea (lead vocals by his daughter)
10. Invisible God (which was wonderfully rendered but then made a million times better by segueing into I See You by Rich Mullins)
11. The Good Confession (final song on the piano)
12. The Dark Before the Dawn (perhaps my favorite song from 2015)
13. The Reckoning (after a great story evoking Tennessee weather)

The moment Peterson segued into “I See You” was a good one, a reminder of what really is a deep reserve of faith and music.  It’s also the kind of moment you’ll only get at a live performance.

I must say, seeing AP in concert has been on my bucket list for a long while, so it was cool to get to shake his hand and thank him for his music and for his ability to wed biblical truth and faithful practice so well.