Alive Festival in Mineral City, Ohio at Atwood Lake Park has been a mainstay of the Christian Music Festival scene since 1988. Every year, tens-of-thousands of people from all 50 states and multiple countries flock to the picturesque Ohio park for a weekend full of uplifting music. With the weather always being a question of whether it was going to be rainy, blisteringly hot, or perfect, people were waiting for the final verdict, and the verdict for the weekend was that Alive 2024 was blessed with some of the best weather of recent memory.
The festival kicked off on Thursday, with the headliner this evening being the ever energetic For King & Country. First on the Main Stage was Caleb Gordon. A rapper from Orlando, Florida was gracing the Alive stage for the first time. He amped the audience up for what was to come later in the evening.
Even though it was his first time on the stage, many of the audience knew his songs from “Rewrite History,” to “Fruits of Your Labor,” and “First Class (Remix).” “First Class (Remix)” was an interesting track because it remixed the Fergie version that is so well-known to his style and Christian lyrics. The most popular track he ended with was titled “War” which became popular from trending on TikTok.
Next to take the stage at about 5:30 PM was Stryper. Stryper were the pioneers of Christian Rock, paving the way for many that would be seen later on in this festival. They filled their set with well-known classics like “Sing Along” and “Calling on You.” They even slowed it down with power ballads like “Always There For You” and “Honestly.” Stryper ended on a powerful note with fan favorite, “To Hell With the Devil.”
Lead singer, Michael Sweet was ever the consummate performer and powerful vocalist. His ability to weave intricate guitar solos, with pristine falsetto, and high energy crowd engagement was next to none. Bassist and background vocalist, Perry Richardson was just as energetic and played off Sweet’s vocals well.
Stryper:
Michael Sweet– Lead Singer/Guitar
Perry Richardson– Bass/BGV
Robert Sweet– Drums
Will Doughty- Keys
Setlist:
1.) Sing Along
2.) You Know What To Do
3.) Calling On You
4.) No More Hell To Pay
5.) Sorry
6.) All For One
7.) Honestly
8.) Soldiers
9.) To Hell With The Devil
Anne Wilson stepped onto the stage at about 7:40. Switching gears from classic rock to country. Anne Wilson was an audience favorite, with the crowd enthusiastically singing along to every song. She blended her set with her well-known hits as well as tracks that are gaining traction off her new album in both the Christian and Country world.
She started her set with a new song titled, “God and Country” off her new album Rebel. Then she kept the energy high with “Out of That Church,” “Hey Girl,” and the title track of her new album, “Rebel.” The audience couldn’t help but sing along with a smile on their faces, and she engaged with them up and down the catwalk. Even going as far to bring a girl onstage who was celebrating a birthday.
Anne slowed things down with the song “7th of June” about her brother who died, and “Rain in the Rearview,” which she released to Country Radio. Afterwards, she sang a song about what she wanted in relationships, and what she didn’t want titled “Red Flags” and then a song titled “Songs About Whiskey,” which isn’t really about drinking and whiskey, but rather she’d rather sing about Jesus than whiskey. Lastly, she ended her set with her most popular hit, “My Jesus,” which the crowd was loudly singing along with.
Anne Wilson:
Anne Wilson– Lead Vocals
Chris Wrate– Guitar
Andy Davis– Guitar
Avery Wright– Drummer
Aaron Lagrone– Bassist
Setlist:
1.) God & Country
2.) Out of that Church
3.) Hey Girl
4.) Rebel
5.) Strong
6.) 7th of June
7.) Rain in the Rearview
8.) Red flag
9.) Songs about Whiskey
10.) Sinner’s Prayer
11.) Cross
12.) Devil Thought Wrong
13.) My Jesus
The sun has set, the air has a chill of fall in the middle of July, and people are anxiously awaiting the final act. The lights dimmed and the countdown was on, growing the anticipation of the crowd as they watched the timer countdown from six minutes. In usual For King & Country style they started off with energetic numbers, “Relate” and “Fix My Eyes” which had a moment of confetti streamers coating the crowd.
While a festival set has fewer songs than a regular show, For King & Country managed to fill their set with as many as possible during their slightly over an hour set. Keeping the set high energy for the most part but also including some poignant moments. No matter the song, the audience was fully engaged and singing along. Joel and Luke even came into the audience for “Fine Fine Life,” which made a reappearance in the setlist after a break.
Afterwards, they slowed things down with emotional and powerful songs like “Priceless,” “Unsung Hero,” which is about their mom, and “Burn the Ships.” Much to the audience’s delight, they ventured back out to a B-Stage area for a stripped-down version of “It’s Not Over Yet” and “Shoulders,” which had the whole field lit with cell phone lights. Before the encore, they ended with the high-energy and confetti filled, “Joy,” which always gets the crowd jumping and moving. In a moment they always title, “Christmas in July” during these summer shows, and they ended with “Little Drummer Boy” as their encore, which is always a song that is an audience favorite.
For King & Country:
Joel Smallbone: Lead Vocals
Luke Smallbone: Lead Vocals
Vince Dicarlo– Multi-Instrumentalist
Garret P. Tyler– Drums
Hannah Sorrells Tyler– Violin
Daniel Lopez- Multi-Instrumentalist
Daniel Waterbury– Guitar
Gabe Baker– Multi-Instrumentalist
Chris Karebelas– Percussion Instruments
Setlist:
1.) Relate
2.) Fix My Eyes
3.) Fight on Fighter
4.) Run Wild Live Free
5.) Fine Fine Life
6.) Love Me Like I am
7.) Priceless
8.) Amen
9.) Unsung Hero
10.) Burn the Ships
11.) Together
12.) It’s Not Over Yet
13.) Shoulders
14.) God Only Knows
15.) Joy
Encore:
16.) Little Drummer Boy
The crowd filed out of the field, uplifted and ready for Day 2 full of music. The chatter lilted among the trees and teens sang the songs of the day heading back to their campsites and people made the walks to their cars. This ending a successful Day 1 of Alive Festival.
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Music and the appreciation of coverts and live music was introduced to me at an early age. I love the shared experience of live music. Christian Rock was a mainstay in my from early in my childhood to present day. My parents introduced me to the pioneers of Christian Rock, like Petra and White Heart. This only progressed me in my love of music and concerts. My musical preferences are a wide range of genres and artists.
While in college, I received my bachelor’s in communication. While in college, I had my own Christian Rock show on the college radio station. I also interned with two different radio stations. I always have had a passion for sharing music and musicians’ passion and artistry. That has since progressed into some concert photography and being able to capture that passion from bands on stage. I have be able to photograph many artists across the Midwest region.
