By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
Flowing pink silk chiffon skirts, green ruffled tops and denim jeans adorned the attendees flowing into Foster Pavilion for the Lauren Daigle concert. Here, Daigle shared the spotlight with her band to lead symphonic worship and bring a message of praise and hope to Family Weekend — in the form of song.
The concert began at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Foster Pavilion, and doors opened at 6:30 p.m. to welcome in fans, who traveled near and far to see Daigle on stage.
Clarksville, Tenn., freshman Melody Shapman said she listened to Daigle’s music all throughout middle school, and is still a fervent fan. The first concert she ever went to was “Behold: A Christmas Tour,” which she was able to get VIP tickets to. Shapman said that they were close enough to the stage that Daigle even took a moment and prayed over her mid-concert.
“I had some health issues,” Shapman said. “I just kind of bore my testimony to her, and she was very thoughtful.”
Angel, Melody’s mother, said that the first concert commemorated a time that was both tough and meaningful for her family.
“I bought those tickets for her special because it was right before we went for a surgery in Boston, and we were pretty emotional,” she said. “But it was just such a strong, heartfelt prayer, and we’ve never forgotten.”
Belting Daigle’s music while in the car with her family is a memory that is precious to Angel, she said.
“[Daigle] sings from the heart,” Angel said. “It’s such a joy to listen to her. It brought us together, it brings us to God and I think that’s just the beauty of her music.”
Angel said that as Melody’s health improved, they made sure to keep Daigle and her team updated by sending them progress emails.
“We never thought we’d be at this point where she could be 14 hours away from home in college, but we wouldn’t miss a concert,” Angel said. “We’re so happy to be here.”
Melody said Daigle’s ability to make worship relatable and fun has been a huge draw for her fans. She described Daigle as her “go-to artist,” especially when driving to church.
“She very much just brings me in [and] helps ground me right before hearing God’s Word,” she said.
As the stage lit up to signal the start of the concert, Daigle danced onstage in a blue pinstripe matching set and a wide-brimmed hat. Her set started with “These Are The Days,” “Waiting” and “New,” each of her band members, clad in blue jumpsuits and red bandanas, jumping and jiving along with her as they played.
The setlist gave each of the brass band members their own time to shine. The on-stage rendition of “New” featured a melodic trombone solo, a George Michael-esque saxophone solo, roused with applause before leading into “Your Wings” and a haunting, wistful solo by the trumpeter, cast in blue, foggy light.
Attendees stood with arms raised in worship as Daigle sang hits throughout the night, such as “Look Up Child,” “Trust In You,” “Rescue” and her new single, “Let It Be a Hallelujah.” In between songs, she interacted with the crowd by signing a poster, shouting out a fan who brought her Super Bowl jersey and listening to the worship as she let the voices in the crowd cry out during choruses. Toward the end of the show, she shared a brief message with the crowd.
“I remember — I was sitting at home and thinking the thing that I longed for the most, the thing that left the largest void in my heart, was that — was unified sound, lifting up one voice to the Lord,” Daigle said. “It is so contagious, it gets so deep inside my veins. I don’t want to live a day without it.”
As she spoke, Daigle emphasized the importance of valuing the time spent with loved ones and telling them how loved they are.
“Time is quick,” Daigle said. “It is like the blink of an eye, and it evaporates. … But letting them know how much value and worth they have in your life is so vital. It is so important. And I know it is a crazy time we are living in. But I do believe we are all here for a special hour.”
Twinkling chimes and thumping percussion introduced a drawn-out, gospel-y version of “You Say,” Daigle’s most-streamed song, which brought the night to a close. Throughout the song which lasted over five minutes, the colored spotlights caused the band to glow in rainbow light, matching the theme of Daigle’s “Kaleidoscope” tour. Hands reached out toward the stage in worship, and voices rang out until the final note, when the stage cut to black.
