Happy Valentine's Day - "2 Friends" Tour

Sherry and I spent Valentine's Day weekend up in St. Paul. The primary reason for this was the special Valentine's Day Eve concert we attended. The "2 Friends Tour" passed through Minneapolis on Sunday, and when I first heard about the tour, through the Amy Grant Facebook page, I knew we had to go.

Amy Grant has been a favorite of Sherry's since high school. Sherry introduced me to her music as soon as we started dating, and it is some of the most inspired, honest Christian music ever. Most of the American public was introduced to her with her duet with Peter Cetera, "The Next Time I Fall in Love" and then her first primarily pop album, "Heart in Motion." A few years later, we also started listening to Michael W. Smith, who started his performing career playing keyboards in Amy's band, but was soon recognized by Amy and those around her as a great talent, so Amy & her associated started Reunion Records, signed Michael and Kathy Troccoli, and ever since, Michael has been creating wonderful music, both pop and Christian. Both of them remained strong forces in Contemporary Christian Music, and I've been listening to Amy Grant for over 30 years now, and MWS for at least 25.

We've seen Amy in concert three times before. This was the first time we had gotten to see MWS (though I kick myself that he was on tour with either his "Worship" or "Worship Again" tour a few years back and I didn't realize how close he was.) And we got to see them together!

I was blown away.

The concert started, on time, at 7:30, and for the next three hours, minus one 15-minute intermission, the headliners played. For about half of the concert, they were on stage together, either rocking out with a talented set of musicians behind them, or just the two of them together on the stage performing songs they had either written together, written separately, or just loved. For the rest of the concert, one or the other of them was on stage performing, sometimes solo, and sometimes with their band.

We got treated to some of their very best music. Being such a follower of Amy's music, I knew everything she sang, and nothing disappointed. "Baby, Baby" and "El Shaddai" and the new "Better than a Hallelujah" were certain to be in the show, but she added a few others that were from lesser-known albums, and they were so sincerely sung, the inspired the crowd.



Michael W Smith pulled from the decades as well, doing "Rockettown" and "Secret Ambition" but also pulling a couple of songs from his "Worship" and "Worship Again" albums to lead the audience in praise. And then he gave us some of his new music, and convinced me I don't own enough of his material.

Especially poignant was a duet session with Amy when they almost seemed to take a few requests from those closest to the audience (Michael took a few bars to remember the chords and accompaniment for one as Amy started the song and just kept leading until he caught up) and then did a song that the two of them wrote (Michael the music, Amy the lyrics) to express the feelings Michael had when sending one of his children to a college far away. Amy teared up a bit while singing this, since she is now almost to that same point in her life.

And, yes, they also did "Agnus Dei." Women's voices filled the Orpheum as they joined Amy on the opening "Alleluias."



It was an awesome night of music. We were inspired, entertained, and blessed with great music from wonderful people.