Bobby with Point of Grace...
May 1, 1997
4 HIM AND POINT OF GRACE: THE MESSAGE ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND OTHER MYSTERIES IS SOMETHING TO BE HEARD
When you take 3,500 rabid 4 Him and Point of Grace fans, fill them into blue line and goal areas and into the locker room entrance of the Buffalo Sabres' ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, on the night between Game 5 of the South Carolina-Pensacola ECHL Semifinals and Game 1 of the South Carolina-Louisiana Kelly Cup Final, you get one concert not full of fans as in filling up the entire open section of the four-year old arena, but one concert full of Christians enjoying the serving of the Lord's Message, even though most of the 212-230 sections open were not occupied by choice.
The four-dollar parking charge was inconvenient for the fans, as were the $15.50 and $19.50 ticket prices for the show, as was the Thursday date. But fans of all ages and both sexes attended the three hour and 15 minute program, as slowly but surely, the public address system was announcing the time before the show was to begin, from 30 minutes to 15 minutes to ten minutes to five and two and down to the final minute of the show, which featured a 60-minute Point of Grace session, a 1:15 4 Him segment, and then a 15-minute double-dip.
As soon as the ladies were given the call and the curtain came up, the Venetian blinds surrounded the 4 Him band, as the 1975 Earth, Wind, and Fire classic "Sing a Song" (not one of my favorite POG songs -- it is generally the least favorite because it's not "pure Point of Grace") began to be sung by the "Fab Four", with their bright jackets on as the cold arena (remember, this is a hockey arena, and ice is under the stage and Artist's Circle seats), warmed up for the three hours and 15 minutes ahead.
After the short warm-up was over, then the "real" Point of Grace action began. "Life, Love, and Other Mysteries" began to be sung by the ladies, and after the opening lines were sung, and the 4 Him band began to play, Shelley Breen informed the North Charleston crowd to be prepared for what turned out to be the night ahead in the home of the Stingrays.
After the first two songs had been played, the first of a few breaks began, and in this one, the girls pull out their first trick. As was said in the book, Shelley is known most as the joker in the pack, and the "lady in black" was surprised by the blue-blood Jones girls and Heather in red, as the other three ladies all sang "Happy Birthday" to Shelley on her 28th birthday! Fans even took photos (but weren't caught by Coliseum management!), a violation of the no-camera policy at the arena.
Following the birthday surprise, the ladies then introduced each other, and the ladies announced the facts this date was the return of Point of Grace to concert performance stage after over ten days of break time (unlike 4 Him, who performed at Paramount's Carowinds a week earlier), and the announcement of Denise's pregnancy was made to the crowd, with an October 14 due date for the first child of Dr. Stuart and Denise Jones.
The birthday girl also noticed, "Jesus Christ has changed each of us" during the monologue, and following the first monologue segment, the 28-year old Mrs. Breen ordered the crowd to stand, as the classic hit "I'll Be Believing" began to play with the four ladies singing, with the instigation of the fans into singing the classic, followed then by a single chair for Terry as part of the live performance of "You Are the Answer," which resulted in another monologue.
Heather this time took the monologue, describing the singleness of herself and the virginity of the last unmarried member of Point of Grace. She made a plug for Mercy Ministries of America, and said how abstinence before marriage was important, and how the three married ladies liked it. She then told us how Jesus could forgive us for all our wrongdoings, and it segued into the Scott Krippayne-written "Jesus Doesn't Care."
All right, all right. By the time the show was halfway home, Shelley pulled out the "History of Point of Grace" speech, and she reminded us again of their Ouachita Baptist University days (in fact, I found out through a competitor in a contest on-line Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee too is a Ouachitonian), and how they yearned to get back to the old "Tiger Tunes" and the "Ouachitones" days. That was the trigger for the "Point of Grace on Broadway" parody routine on the story of Noah!
The first parody struck through the 1940's, as the ladies all donned military caps for an Andrews Sisters parody! Quickly, the Frankie Avalon / 1950's era flashed quickly through, as the caps were tossed out, and sunglasses on for Denise and Shelley, and even varsity leather letter-jackets (black and red for Denise, green and yellow for Shelley) were handed out!
But by the time the 1960's came along, remember the photo of Shelley doing the Patsy Cline parody, complete with the hat? Yes, yes. She was running through that parody, as the Noah / parody machine came into the 1970's, complete with the Supremes, and those little black things hanging around the ladies! Whoa! Then a Sister Sledge "We are Family" parody in regards to the animals flew by before Heather finished the parody with a Mariah Carey parody. Note how Heather worked her way through the parody, acting like Mariah, and the ladies dancing like crazy! Fortunately, nothing explicit was there!.
By the time the parody ended, Terry noted, "Mariah Carey has nothing on Heather Floyd!" I agree. Mariah has NOTHING compared to Heather!
That segued into the introduction of the 4 Him band, the live band which appears on tour with 4 Him, and was Point of Grace's first foray into traveling with a live touring band, instead of accompaniment tapes or the local, "house", or arena bands.
Michael Hodge came down, as the guitarist jumped into the traditional middle seat of the five stools, as a few acoustic guitar numbers (which also meant since the other instruments weren't used, there was no need now for the earplugs -- but after this number, the plugs went back on!) were handed out -- disappointing (to me because it was only a half) renditions of "Dying to Reach You" because it was only the chorus and bridge (and no verses), and "More than Anything" were performed. One more hymn was sung, "We Exalt Thee," and during the singing, the ladies invited the fans to sing along with them again.
With just two numbers left before they had to leave, Point of Grace finished off their numbers with an emotional rendition of the week's national #1 adult contemporary single, "Circle of Friends", complete with the video screen (which didn't come down as it did at Fort Mill in October or on many stops, but stayed scoreboard-level) and those great historical pictures of Point of Grace, their fathers, their families, their husbands, and many friends.
As they announced, "Thank You Charleston", and said a good night, they ran through one more song! It turned out to crank a "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!" and fire up the ignition and drive fast type! The live rendition of the first hit from Life, Love, and Other Mysteries, "Keep the Candle Burning", finished up the show. Keep your earplugs on!
The intermission was an emotional plea about the troubles of young women, and the stories of a few ladies helped by Point of Grace's official charity, Mercy Ministries of America. After that, Heather and Denise spoke on the stage about MMA, and Nancy Alcorn (bless her heart) was speaking to the North Charleston crowd about MMA and its policies, and programs.
After the short break (and a re-acquaintance with Nancy Alcorn, whom I had last met at the previous 4 Him and Point of Grace show in Fort Mill in October), the earplugs went back on for sure as 4 Him began, without the blinds and the sequenced lighting related with the blinds Point of Grace had. "Land of Mercy", a much better opener than "Sing a Song," opened up the second segment of this doubleheader.
4 Him gave the crowd everything they wanted with "Lay It All on the Line", and then ran through two great songs of the earlier era, "Real Thing" and "Wings", before enduring their version of "Point of Grace on Broadway," an intended six-song medley of 4 Him classics, but poor Marty Mageehee interrupts a few of the numbers by breaking stride and playing non-4 Him material!
This is the North Charleston Coliseum, and the stage is set up in a manner that the penalty box is visible to stage left and the road team bench is visible to the stage right (the Stingrays' bench was removed to add seating for the configuration). That should have put Marty into the penalty box -- but after "When It's Time to Go", he commits a second foul! Before the medley is over, he should have been given a third two-minute interference call before they give Marty the chance to lead 4 Him into "Shelter in the Rain."
At this part of the show, Marty becomes choked up in regards to the debilitating arthritis he suffers from and the miracle he is today because he overcame the severe crippling injury, which doctors predicted a 1 in 4 chance he would be able to walk again. But the man would fight back, and win that battle, leading him into writing the current 4 Him hit, "Sacred Hideaway." Believe me, it is different when you hear the song live, even with your earplugs on!
That then leads to four songs from different styles. The fall hit "The Measure of a Man" is then segued into an a capella version of "The Solid Rock," their response to Point's "I Exalt Thee," and then segues into "The Message," and finally to "Center of the Mark."
That leads to the gentlemen's "Bible Time," as they preach the Gospel and tell people about the world of Christ, especially when you consider they are supported by the American Bible Society, and Point of Grace comes into view again, as the chorus of the Andrae Crouch classic "Jesus Is the Answer" is sung by both supergroups.
The ladies left for the exciting finale of the 4 Him segment, as the rolling and the rocking action of "The Ride of Life" ended the segment, complete with sounds of roller-coasters and the cheering riders too added for excitement.
But some spectators left the arena, not knowing 4 Him and Point of Grace would both return for a final four-song number. When the ladies came back on, the fans cheered, and those who left returned, as Denise began "The Great Divide," while they cheered as the ladies brought the men back for "For Future Generations." That ended the singles, as both 4 Him and Point of Grace joined in together for the John Mandeville-penned "Jesus Will Still Be There." Finally, an excellent rendition of the 1992 classic by 4 Him, "The Basics of Life," was performed by both Fab Fours."
The major complaints were of some songs being shortened when we are familiar with the 4 Him and Point of Grace classics, the excessive decibel level pounded when 4 Him came to the arena (deafened a bit by earplugs for me), and maybe one or two silly incidents during the show.
But the pluses exceed the minuses. The exciting choreography of 4 Him, the superb singing of Point of Grace, the parodies by both 4 Him and Point of Grace, and also the emotional stories which lead many to Christ all give 4 Him and Point of Grace a place in concerts which is like no other. Both sang well (when full songs were sung) and delivered exactly why both supergroups have been known as the best two in music.
At the end of the show, after I informed Point of Grace that the greeting cards had been sent by me (one for Denise's expectation of being a mother, one to Terry for opening May 17, her birthday, one to Heather for friendship, and one to Shelley on her birthday that night), they even posed for a picture with me!
