Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin Brought The Kingdom To Washington, D.C.
If you’re due for a spiritual blessing, then we’ve got just what the Master Doctor ordered!
The “Kingdom” Tour between Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin should be billed as THE Praise Fest of all of 2022, as the tour is in support of the album of the same name, which is officially out for consumption RIGHT NOW. Anyone who knows a thing or two about the religious sector of music would know and understand that although Mav City are one of the newest kids on the Christian music block, that their impact and levels of worship is undeniable, and then you have THEE Kirk Franklin, who needs no explanation, as he’s an iconic legend in the industry that almost singlehandedly redefined and reshaped our thoughts on gospel music.
My commute to the show was utterly horrible and had me a bit thrown off kilter, as traffic was gridlocked with normal D.C. rush hour “fanfare”, but upon arriving at the Capital One Arena on Thursday, June 16, I felt such a peaceful and calming energy while walking into the venue, one that you could only assume was the presence of the Holy Spirit. This concert was modeled after a Sunday morning at church, where praise and worship started with Kirk Franklin’s new group, Housefires. A group of musicians from Atlanta, GA with the intent to pursue the authentic worship of God, did just that, and aided in opening up the doors to the church. During their sermonic selection “Good Good Father“, they proclaimed that “you’re perfect in all of your ways to us”, which couldn’t be a truer statement and resonated with everyone who was in the pit because their hands stretched towards the sky.
One of gospel music’s leading gentleman Jonathan McReynolds was set to take the stage next, and he did so in his typical chilled out, laid back fashion. Intentionally making powerful strides through inspirational music seasoned just right to hit the soul, Jonny went through selections from his back catalog of songs to touch every mood. Jumping from piano, to acoustic guitar, he breathed new life into “Moving On“, “Cycles” and “Grace” that ultimately exposed him to a possible new audience. While McReynolds typically swirls around in the more traditional “gospel music” arena, this tour has opened up a new door for him, giving him exposure to those who are fans more so of Christian music that may previously have been unfamiliar with him or his work.
After a brief intermission that included some old school gospel jams being played over the house speakers that took me back to my childhood, we were all about to be in for a treat that no one really was ready for. When the house lights went down, the words “Welcome To The Kingdom” flashed across the huge video wall as the massive choir sounding like an angelic voice from Heaven pierced our hearts. There stood Naomi Raine, Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, Lizzie Morgan, Ryan Ofei, & Kirk Franklin standing in a straight line, not only receiving all of the love that was being given to them, but simultaneously giving all of the glory to God when the opening chords of “I Thank God” began. Before we could fully get into the Mav City favorite, kicked in the hip-hop inspired “Revolution“, and this would be entire playbook of the night. A slickly intertwined setlist that meshed both acts songs together and made the setlist flow like water.
Kirk quickly stopped the show to make the disclaimer that “tonight is not about Kirk, nor is it about Mav, but it’s about Jesus and the Kingdom” as they slid into a version of “Brighter Days” with a Go-Go beat. Jesus was definitely in the building, as whichever way you turned and looked, the sold out crowd was fully lifted up in the spirit. To experience a service that was derived on a “non-denominational” landscape, but with almost every denomination being included in the numbers was a moment to revel in. The two young ladies sitting next to me stated that this concert was one of their first major events outside since the pandemic, and didn’t regret one minute of attending because they left feeling so full.
Performing for over 1.5hrs, they left no stone unturned as far as inclusions of songs, with such gems as “My Life Is In Your Hands”, “Most Beautiful/So In Love”, “Hosanna”, “Jireh”, “Man of your Word”, “Love Theory”, and “Promises” being delivered. One thing was for certain, that there was a mutual love for one another on stage that helped create a balance. Mav City served as background on many of Kirk’s hits and retained a religious type feel to the show, while Kirk played the keys during their songs and brought more of a pop star vibe just with his showmanship alone. During the middle of the show, everyone gathered around in a circle on church pews to surround “Uncle Kirk” to run through a string of his hits that we ALL grew up to, “Silver and Gold”, “Now Behold The Lamb”, “Something About the Name Jesus”, and “Why We Sing”.
As the stars had aligned for perfect timing, the release of their joint project “Kingdom Book 1” was literally happening as we were about to walk about of the building, so you know that they couldn’t leave without bestowing us with some newness, lifting the lid off of “Bless Me”, with a cadence that was tailor fit for your best usher march! Just when you thought the show couldn’t get any better, things erupted into a Jesus party with an electric performance of “Stomp” to close out the night.
