My travels in Southern Gospel Music have taken me to many places across the nation.  Every now and then, I get to go somewhere new!  That’s exactly where I went for this next concert review – somewhere new…

On the road again...

Yep!  For the very first time in my life I went to the state of Nebraska to attend a concert hosted by the McClellan Singing Sisters and their special guests, Tribute Quartet.  My destination was the Capital State Christian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, home church of the McClellan Singing Sisters (MSS).  Tiffany, Kimberly, Jewel and TaMara range between the ages of 10 to 20 and base their ministry out of Adams, Nebraska.  I have their current project Dream and couldn’t wait to see them sing these songs live!  Tribute Quartet hails from Nashville, TN and this year, they were nominated nine times in the Top Ten for the Singing News Fan Awards!  (Way to go guys!)  As the time drew near for the concert to begin, I looked back over the sanctuary of the church from my seat on the second row – the church was full and hundreds of fans awaited for the evening to start…soon it did!

The McClellan Singing Sisters

“This is very awkward because we are the first group,” Tiffany McClellan joked with the crowd after welcoming everyone to the Sing. “Would you welcome my sisters…the McClellan Singing Sisters.”  MSS

Jewel

kicked off the concert with a fast song called Do You Ever Feel Like Flying, which features the oldest of the sisters, Tiffany, on the second verse.  The stages lights faded to a yellow as Tiffany, Jewel and TaMara pulled back their microphone stands to feature Kimberly on another upbeat song, Everything Is Starting To Change.  One of the first things that I noticed about MSS is their energy.  They use their stage presence to interact with each other and connect with the crowd. These girls pull you into their music.  The group’s fearless leader and MC, Tiffany, thanked the audience for allowing them to be there and took a moment to introduce her sisters.  She began with Jewel, who sings lead and then introduced the youngest, TaMara.  TaMara is 10 years old and has taken up a new instrument – the Ukulele!  Kimberly is the group’s soprano at age 16 and is also the newest driver.  Speaking of driving, Kimberly jumped in and told a story about her older sister.  When Kimberly started driving Tiffany began giving her tips and advice that she has learned with her six years of driving experience. “She told me that you are always supposed to wear your seat belt,” said Kimberly.  Tiffany has a nice car with really dark tinted windows. One time she was

TaMara

pulled over by an officer who gave her a warning that she needed to wear her seatbelt.  Tiffany asked the policeman, “My windows are tinted, how could you see?”  The officer replied, “It was hanging out the bottom of the door.”  LOL  After that little joke Kimberly introduced her older sister Tiffany and then they sang their radio single, Millionaire.  The Banjo intro led into an upbeat song that basically says that you don’t need to be rich to be a light for Jesus Christ.  The last chorus was sung acappella –  just Beautiful!  The song that followed is the title of their CD, I Can’t Dream Big Enough.  Tiffany sings the first verse and Jewel gets the chorus all to herself, while Kimberly is featured on the second verse.  In a way,  they performed this song as a trio.  “TaMara is going to sing this song,” Tiffany said introducing her baby sister’s solo, “and it is definitely one that she picked out…she doesn’t sing a song that she doesn’t want to sing, and this song is the one she wanted to sing.”  The name of it was All You Need Is A Need.  It was so sweet to see Jewel, Kimberly and Tiffany step back and sing around one mic, letting TaMara have center stage for her solo.  Pretending to be out of breath, Kimberly spoke to the crowd and said, “That song tires me out…we’re going to sing one more song, then we’re going to bring Tribute up and they’re really good,” after a pause, she added, “I’m waiting for Tiff to hit play.”  LOL.  The McClellan Singing Sisters closed their first set with God’s Bigger Than That.

Tribute Quartet

Kimberly introduced Tribute Quartet, who took the stage and sang He Is Leading The Way as their first quartet number.  Following, was a song that was a little slower, but had the same great message – More

Tribute's tenor - Riley

Than Able.  Josh and Anthony sang the verses on this one and when the music stopped, Gary asked, “How many know that God is more than able?”  Continuing on a lighter side, Gary said, “Today was my first time ever eating a Runza (a restaurant) – ohhh!  Ya’ll have got something to be excited about!  Is there anyone here who hasn’t had a Runza?  Only one?”  Gary pointed to her, “Ma’am?  Are you from here?…Ma’am?  We will pray after the service.”  LOL  Gary introduced the guys real quick and then motioned for the crowd to clap along with the beat of the next song, Look For Me Around The Throne/When We Sing Around The Throne Eternal.  Afterwards, Gary told a little story about being on the Singing At Sea cruise and parasailing when a wind storm blew him 500 feet in the air…upside down.  He said, “All I could think of was, Lord, look for me around the throne cause’ I’m coming Your way!”  “Hey!  How many would like to hear Josh play something on the piano?  Since we’ve been here last he’s got a new medley put together, it simply says, I’ll Fly Away!”  Without seeing Josh play this live or on video, it’s hard to describe his antics, but I think maybe a “shaky robot” might be a good description.  LOL  (What do ya’ think, Josh?)  Half way through the solo the audience applauded his skill on the keys and when he finished Gary asked, “How bout’ it?”  The audience clapped even louder.  A nice rhythm guitar announced the next track, one that features Gary, God Likes To Work When Nothing Else Will.  At the end of the song Gary came off stage and shared these words with the crowd…

Tribute's lead - Gary

“I’m sure many of you don’t need a bunch of guys from Tennessee to come and tell ya’ that God likes to work when nothing else will.  But friend, there are many of us sitting here today that have been praying that God would move in our life.  Can I tell ya’ from life experience, this boy’s been through it,… times when I felt like I couldn’t go another mile.  I’ve had a lot of health issues over the last 27 years, there’ve been times when I felt like I needed to stay home, but God always came on the scene.  Let me ask you a question tonight:  how many of us are praying and hoping that God is going to move in our life?  You see, I’m hoping and praying for a miracle still…  Are you hoping and praying for a miracle still?  You see friend, God likes to work when nothing else will!”

That song, God Likes To Work, has a very powerful message!  So does the ballad that followed it,

TQ's baritone singer- Josh

Homecoming Day.  Riley sings this one and that night only one word could sum it up: passion.  The Spirit was filling the room all night, but when Tribute sang that ballad, it was extra special.  “Somebody praise the Lord tonight!” one of the guys exclaimed.  The guys encored it and Riley came down off the steps of the stage a bit on the first line.  (It was hard to sit still on that song, I couldn’t imagine standing still either!)  “Let me ask you a question tonight,” Gary asked at the close of Homecoming Day, “Am I in a crowd of believers here?”  Then, Gary sang that very song, I’m In A Crowd Of Believers and that song closed their first set … but not before an encore and standing ovation of which Gary exclaimed, “I want you to look at your neighbor and say, ‘I’m a believer!  We’re not done yet!’”

Coming back onstage for a few announcements, Kimberly stated, “I am out of breath just watching them!”  While an offering was taken, Tiffany played a solo on her keyboard as the plates were being passed.  She played a cool Bluesy/Jazz sounding chord progression.  Without a break, we jumped right into the second set.

The McClellan Singing Sisters

The McClellan Singing Sisters came back on stage and featured Kimberly on a ballad called Heal the

Wound (but leave the scar).  When Kimberly completed her solo, she began sharing a testimony that I must retell and share with you!

“About a year ago, our grandfather was hospitalized, and the doctors looked him over and said, ‘You know what, we don’t know what’s wrong.’  When they found out, they said, ‘There’s really nothing we can do.’  In that same time frame, my closest friend outside of my family, his parents decided that they didn’t want to be married anymore – they got a divorce.  My heart broke for him.  Adding to the anxiety and worry of not knowing whether my un-saved grandfather was going to live another day, I became very, very depressed.  I didn’t want to go on, I didn’t want to sing anymore, I didn’t want to keep acting like I was happy…because I wasn’t.  I was hurting.  Then, I found in the book of Psalms where David wasn’t having such a good time either.  He says, ‘I cry to the Lord of mercy, I pour out my complaints before Him and I tell Him my troubles.  When my spirit grows faint within me, You know the way I should turn.  Wherever I walk, men have hidden traps for me, I look to my right and to my left and no one gives me a passing thought.  No one will help me because no one cares what happens to me.’  And that’s what I felt like.  I figured it wouldn’t make any difference to anyone whether I was alive the next day or not.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I knew my family was there for me…but I didn’t feel like it.  I knew that Jesus Christ was there for me…but I didn’t feel like it.  But, you see, David – he doesn’t stop where he’s depressed, or discouraged or where he doesn’t want to move on.  No, he goes on to say, ‘Then, I cry to You, oh God.  You are my refuge.  You’re all I really want in life.  Hear my cry – for I am in desperate need.  Rescue me from my persecutors for they are too strong for me.  Bring me out of this prison and I can thank You.  Let the godly crowd around me and say that You are good.’  God is good.  You know, sometimes we don’t feel like God is good – sometimes we don’t feel like going on – sometimes we don’t feel like putting a smile on our face – but you can’t go by feelings.  Feelings can be deceptive.  You see, you have to trust in what Jesus Christ said He’d do, what He promised.  He promised that He would never leave me or turn His back on me, and He hasn’t.  He promised that if I cast all my cares, all my troubles, all my worries, upon Him.  He will take care of me and He has.  The beginning of my emotional healing began last July.  We went to Steve Hurst School of Music.  We go there and learn about singing and vocal technique and all this good stuff, but we also have church.  Boy, do we have church.  Every morning and every evening we have a church service.  The second day of the evening service, I don’t remember what the speaker was talking about, don’t know what his five points were, but I do remember, at the end of his message he said, ‘If you have a burden that you’ve been trying to carry on your own – stop.  Surrender – that means, give completely over.  TO JESUS… and He will take care of it and you will never have to take care of it again.  I’ll be honest;  I’m one of those people who don’t like to admit that I don’t have it all together.  I’m very independent – I want to do it on my own.  But at that moment I was so desperate I realized I couldn’t do it without God.  So I went down to the altar, and that’s where they prayed for me, and while they were praying, I felt something I hadn’t felt for months – peace, relief, Christ’s presence.  It felt as if He had taken the weight of the world off my shoulders.  It was the most wonderful thing I ever felt – you know, sometimes you can’t go by feelings, but sometimes you can!  Jesus Christ said, ‘I come to give you life…and life more abundantly!’  More than what you could ever possibly use.  You see, I tell you this story not make myself look good, not to make us look good, not to have a good story even.  I tell you this because I want you to know:  if you have a burden that you’ve been trying to carry on your own – don’t.  Give that burden over to Jesus Christ and He will take it from you.  I don’t know if it’s spiritual, physical, or emotional,… give it to Him.  I guess what I’m saying is, you don’t have to leave this building the same way you came in – you can walk away free.”

MSS’s last song was Walk Away Free – a great up-beat song that reinforces everything that Kimberly

had just shared with us.  What a way to end their set!!!

“Please welcome back to the stage, Tribute Quartet!” Tiffany announced.  From on stage Gary looked at the girls and said to the audience, “I am so proud of them, they did a wonderful job!  This is a wonderful crowd tonight.  How many people have been blessed by the Lord this week, just wave at me.”  Many swaying hands answered and Tribute sang I’ve Been Blessed.  Towards the end, Josh had the crowd sing chorus with them.  Gary shared that a few months ago, while they were on their West Coast Tour, one of their promoters was tragically killed in a car accident.  The guy in the other car was drunk, driving 100 mph on a two lane road and hit them head on.  Tribute turned their concert that night into a memorial singing and learned a new song, the promoter’s favorite – Leaving On My Mind.   Gary had Anthony sing that same song for us that night, and then Gary asked the crowd to sing the chorus along with them and fed the words to the audience.  After applause, Riley closed the set with Who Am I?

Before the concert dismissed the guys gave their CD pitch.  Gary announced that he would be selling their special for only $20 that night, then joked, “You eat a Runza and they’ll make you do things you wouldn’t normally do!”  Before dispersing, they conducted the drawing.  Two CD’s:  Hit Replay and Dream.  Josh was having too much fun pulling out those entry cards!

Conclusion:  What a wonderful concert!  It has been some time since I’ve attended a sing with only two artists (mostly, concerts feature only one group or three to four groups at a time) and I was refreshed by the change.  As “Goldie Locks” would say, “It was just right!”  I want to thank the McClellan Singing Sisters for hosting such a successful and enjoyable event.  The house was packed and from the response I heard that night, everyone had a good time.  I also appreciated that both groups took the time to encourage the audience spiritually.  I was blown away by the maturity in Kimberly’s testimony – what wisdom!  (…and I loved hearing their new songs live!  They did an excellent job!)  Tribute Quartet was tremendous also.  They always sing with such energy and enthusiasm!  On Twitter, Tribute has announced that they are working on a new CD, though I love new music, I don’t think that I’ve had my fill of the songs that they are sing now!  LOL  They do such a great job!  Thank you girls and guys for such a great night – and reminding us that we “can dream – but we can’t dream big enough” with God!!!

Me and the girls!