When the temperature outside is in the lower 30’s there’s nothing like some good ole’ Southern Gospel Music to warm you up!  Legacy Five did just that in Mountain Home, Arkansas at the East Side Baptist Church.  This quartet, made up of Gus Gashes (tenor), Scott Fowler (lead), Scott Howard (baritone), Glenn Dustin (bass) and Trey Ivey (pianist), is one of my favorites.  They don’t make it around to my area a whole lot, so when they do, it makes the night even more special.  Even the church recognized this and mentioned at the beginning of the concert, “I did not realize this,” Pastor Joe began, “But, it’s been four years since we’ve had Legacy Five here.”  Well, they were determined to have them back, and so they did!

New Day

Before Legacy Five came on stage, a local group called New Day, opened the concert.  “We’re glad to be here with you tonight,” they said, welcoming us from on stage.  “Ya’ know, as long as I got King Jesus, I don’t need anyone else.”  As you probably guessed, BFA’s hit was their first song on the set – Long As I Got King Jesus.  (It was different to hear a trio sing that one!)  A soothing ballad, For Such A Time As This, followed.  It was a song about helping others through their trials by using your own experiences for His glory, and featured the only male vocalist for the group.  A quick “thank you” ushered us into the next song, He Saw It All, and the trio stepped off the stage.

Legacy Five

“This next group…” began the pastor, then paused to ask, “How many are seeing Legacy Five for the first time ever?” – Maybe five hands went up while someone said, “Oh no.”   Continuing, the Pastor addressed the group, “Well, you guys only have a few to work on then.   Welcome – Legacy Five.”  L5’s first song was A Wonderful Life.  Lead singer Scott Fowler was the featured vocalist on the verses.  Next, Scott, Howie and Glenn sang the first stanza of God Cares For Me as a trio, Gus joining them on the chorus, and Scott delivering the second verse with the guys backing him up.  I loved watching Glenn on this one!  He had so many motions to go with the lyrics.  Setting the mic stands back, the next track played leading into an oldie but goodie, I’m Feeling Fine.  Immediately, everyone started clapping along with the beat!  “Thanks guys!  It’s great to be back in Mountain Home, did you know that Marty Stuart was in town tonight?” Scott asked.  (I guess Marty was singing down at the big arena.)  “Alright, you guys are my buddies!” Scott exclaimed of the fan’s loyalty.  Going right into introductions, Scott mentioned that since 99% of the audience had seen them before, the crowd already knew that Glenn Dustin, bass singer for the quartet, has been a charter member of the group, been there since day one.  Glenn added, “Can’t get rid of me.”  After a little story about what Glenn would do with the last hour of his life, he was featured on a good up-beat number called, Somebody Sing.  Everyone whistled on his low note…and as you could expect, Howie and Scott lifted up his pant legs (as always)!  Only, poor Glenn had some trouble getting them back down!  Scott exclaimed, “Those are some hairy socks!”  The audience exploded with laughter, and L5 really held a long, powerful note on the end.  “I love to sing this song because it’s my testimony,” Glenn explained, “One day Jesus Christ changed my life and I’ve never been the same.”  This ballad also featured Glenn, and once again, the emotion he put into his performance was moving.  On the line that says…  “But with one drop of mercy…” – he pretended to hold that mercy within his fingers like a drop of water.  He was on fire!  After a whisper to Trey, another quartet song began.  When I first heard the music I didn’t believe my ears – I haven’t heard L5 sing this one in a long while!!!  It was Heavenly Signs!  (This was my fav off of their God’s Been Good project, so you could imagine my intense delight in seeing it in concert again!)  I especially like the second verse where each guy gets a line to sing.  Well, before the last song or so, they were doing intros, and Trey was up next to meet the crowd.  Scott had Trey turn toward the audience.  “I just want them to see that face.”  Scott spoke to the audience, “I know what you’re thinking…”  Howie answered for him, “Yeah, ‘don’t they have the nursery open tonight?”  LOL  “Seriously,” began Howie, “ya’ll have been twenty-two once in your life, and no one clapped for you…these shoes are 22.”  Scott just had to get in on the fun and added, “I don’t know about those shoes, but those socks are definitely 22!  Why do you keep wearing those things? Why don’t you get some new socks?”  Well, Howie kept teasing Trey, so Scott spoke up again and said, “You be nice…just because you can’t remember being 22 doesn’t mean you can pick on him.”

Trey plays a solo

Somehow, from there the guy’s rabbit trailed onto the subject of Howie’s apparel.  To which Howie proudly said, “Listen, I put some thought into my wardrobe…I don’t just walk in here with…well, they’re my golf socks.”  Acting a little confused, Scott said, “I guess I don’t know what golf socks are so you’re just going to have to explain it to me.”  Howie answered, “Well, there is a hole in one…hey, I got an 18 hole pair out in the bus!”  Scott, not really caring for where the conversation just turned, walked back over to Trey and tried to introduce him without laughing.  When Scott finally introduced Trey, we’re all pretty familiar with what happens: Scott tells Trey to play something SGM, Trey plays something Classical – and Scott’s expression is priceless.  After transitioning into Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, and receiving a standing ovation, Howie walked over to Trey to give him a few words of encouragement.  “See, there’s what happens when you take the advice of your elders.  You have to listen!  As Scott said, they know the finer things of life, but that’s not what they came for…they came to hear us.”  (Giggles from the audience.)  “I’ll tell you another thing,” Howie continued, “and it blessed my heart – I don’t mind saying that – even through that first minute or so, where you were a fumbling and flailing all over trying to find the melody for Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.  (Here Howie faces the audience and says…)  Friend, he never gave up…God doesn’t like a quitter; God wants a feller to have some stick-to-able-ness.”  Glenn says, “That can’t even be a real word.”  Howie says, “Stick-to-able-ness is a real word, it’s out of the Old Testament, that’s why you’re unfamiliar with it.”  After some laughter, Howie said to Trey, “I’m teasing, I’m teasing…I know you meant to play that just like you played it.  I wouldn’t have a clue as to why you would, but I know you did.”  (More laughter from the audience.)  Howie finished with, “I was just glad I didn’t have to sing along with it, because I didn’t know that one!”

“Well, are you glad to see our funny man, Scott Howard?” Fowler asked and Howie’s solo, Destination Known, came next on the program. (How he could actually sing after all that goofing around is beyond me!  LOL!)  “Are you glad to see our tenor singer Gus Gushes?  Say hi to Gus!”  Scott introduced Gus before his solo For What Earthly Reason.  This ballad always sends chills down my spine and Gus’s voice fits the song perfectly!  “Isn’t that beautiful?”  Scott asked, “listen to a great story song…” then he began singing Ask Me Why.  “Thank you Lord for loving us,” whispered Scott at the end of the first chorus, and ended the ballad with, “Amen.”  Another ballad followed, There’s Something About That Name.  In the middle, Scott stopped and encouraged the audience, “If you know that old song, sing it with us…”  Howie directed the singing as Scott picked up his Bible and searched its pages.  “Luke says this… ‘Behold, thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name JESUS.’  Now you couldn’t be ordinary and have a kingdom with no end… in case you weren’t in church on Easter Sunday, let me remind you what happened that morning.”  Scott read the resurrection account out of Matthew.  And as many times as I’ve heard him read it – I never tire of hearing the excitement in his voice as he reads each word.  When he came to the words “He is risen,” Scott had us all say those words together.  We Shall See Jesus closed the first half.  Everyone rose to their feet in ovation.  “That is the good news of the gospel that the world needs to hear…” Scott proclaimed at the close.

In times past, I’ve mentioned that sometimes the Cd pitches can be just as entertaining as points in the concert itself.  This night was no exception.  The guys were … um, can I say … in a sappy mood? – and you never knew what was going to happen next!  During the Cd pitch, Scott mentioned that Trey has his own solo Cd, and Howie jumped right in and said, “Now I’ve been picking on Trey and I don’t want anyone to think that there’s a riff between us, so I’ll be the first to say that, yes, it’s his first, but it’s his best.”  Fowler, catching the implications, played into the joke in his own way and said, “That’s very kind of you to say…”  As Scott was telling about their special and the product they had available, he also made special mention of what they had on DVD and what they had on CD, so no one would get confused.  The only problem was…he acted like he confused himself!  So Howie, always the helper, decided to “help” him out with the following little, eh, I guess you would call it a “poem” about their Oak Tree recording.  Howie recited these words of instruction to Scott, “DVD and CD, at the Oak Tree, with you and me, and it’s not for free!”  Continuing with product, Scott told about a DVD they had with a collection of road stories from various artists, “Howie is on that DVD telling stories about L5”, and Howie told a little story for us right then and there.  He also told us about his famous “Cajun Dust,” by saying, “We are in Arkansas tonight, so I’m not sure how you fix your opossum, but in lower Alabama, we season our food with…”

After a give-a-way, the next half began with New Day singing an accapella version of Holy, Holy, Holy.  They sped up the hymn a little and gave it a Praise & Worship effect, then a beautiful ballad called I Would Be Lost Without The Cross came next.

Scott came up on stage and asked if anyone knows of the show on National Geographic called, How the Universe Works?  Scott shared how his two boys love watching the show, but the only problem with it is all the theories they teach on how the earth was made.  “We can open up to Genesis 1:1 and see that, ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’  Period!”  Scott said.  They found this song that in Scott’s words was, “Very politically incorrect!”  And they love it!  The number was a new song entitled, God Had A Hand In It!  Howie, pretending to play the guitar on the out-tro was just hilarious! This was a great number! New Born Feeling was next followed by Strike Up The Band.  Both of which had a lot of energy and fun! Fast songs were going good for the moment, so they tossed in another one! – I’m Thankful For The Change.  Howie got the crowd clapping during the chorus.  On the front row there were two little girls – Scott mentioned them and how he was getting a kick out of them.  Coming off the stage he asked them their names and ages and let them answer in his mic.  Then he asked, “Do you take pretty pills?”  The older girl shook her head yes!  Howie said, “Would you share one with him?”  LOL!  Scott told a story about his two boys when they were that age.

“Our very breath is loaned to us by God,” Scott continued, “we really are a blessed people…I think it would be good to do as the old hymn says and, ‘Count your blessings one by one.’”  Their next song was centered on that theme – We Are So Blessed.  Scott took a moment and prayed after that song, he ended his prayer with these words: “We leave this place forever changed because you are the Champion of Love.”  As the intro for that song began, Scott pointed to a Down’s Syndrome boy on the third row and said, “Matt, we’re singing this one for you, buddy.”  The teen jumped up from the pew and walked up on stage and as he gave Scott a hug (How sweet!), he also grasped onto Scott’s mic!   Matt stayed up on the stage and proceeded to sing the verses with Scott!  By the second verse, Scott had Trey give his mic to Matt, who took the stage and performed the song like a true pro.  It was very touching to see a Down’s Syndrome teen sing those lyrics.  Everyone gave him a standing ovation.  After the song, Scott said, “I’m pretty sure in saying that was God’s favorite thing that happened this evening.”

Conclusion:  Legacy Five was truly a powerhouse that night!  The music engulfed you, the jokes made you laugh and the stories and Scriptures read constantly pointed you to the Lord Jesus Christ.  You can’t get better than that, can you? Glenn had a motion for every line they sang, Howie made everyone laugh, Scott found endless ways to talk about the Lord in each and every song and Gus poured out his heart into everything he did.  If you didn’t feel the presence of God that night, there was something wrong with you!  The atmosphere in the sanctuary commanded it.  L5’s ministry is about the Lord, His Word and His work.  And letting Matt sing at the end…that was just precious!  What hearts these guys have for allowing him to do that with them!  This was I night that I won’t easily forget! Thanks guys for doing everything you do through the ministry of Legacy Five!  You certainly reminded us all that it’s a wonderful life we’re living because Jesus is our best friend! …

The local group, New Day was good.  I do wish they would have introduced their singers though – it would have been nice to include their individual names in the review!