Take a little gospel, jazz, blues, brass band music, and a mind-blowing vivid production; mix it all together, and you have the two-time Grammy-winning singer Lauren Daigle, dropping a little piece of heaven New Orleans style into Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia March 16th with supporting artist, Blessing Offor. It was a perfect spring night, and the endless line at venue doors included girls dressed in a rainbow of colors in anticipation of Lauren’s colorful Kaleidoscope Tour. This tour, which continues through June 8th, is in support of her new self-titled album released on September 8, 2023.
Opening the night with undeniable talent was Blessing Offor. Despite losing his sight at a young age, he pressed on undaunted and eventually honed his skills as a musician and more. Now this amazing singer, songwriter, producer, and gifted multi-instrumentalist graced the keys in Norfolk, Virginia alongside his guitarist and drummer, performing tracks from his newest album “My Tribe.” He performed songs that addressed hardships of humanity like “Rollin,” “Believe,” and “Brighter Days” with his incredible soulful style. See the approximate setlist after the slideshow below.
Blessing Offor Setlist:
(1) Rollin’
(2) Believe
(3) Tin Roof
(4) Don’t We All
(5) My Tribe
(6) Brighter Days
Before Lauren Daigle’s grand entrance, the lights went out, and ominous clouds with flashes of lightning rolled across the curtains in the background. As “the storm” cleared and a sun appeared, the trombone player took center stage announcing the arrival of a new day. Lauren and her entourage then danced onto the stage without a care in the world, waving white handkerchiefs in celebration, a sight you’d see in a New Orleans second-line parade. Once she reached the end of the catwalk, the lights went out again, and “These Are the Days” began. It was a celebratory song about being happy and thankful, enjoying the simple things, good friends, and all the great moments in life. It got the crowd in a good mood and on their feet.
For the next song, “Waiting,” a huge curtain moved aside to reveal the rest of her band up on a platform: A drummer, a percussionist/utility man, a guitarist, a bassist, and a keyboardist. Those on the main floor included musicians playing trumpet, sax, trombone, and keys, along with her 3 background singers/dancers.
Fan favorites “Look Up Child” and “Trust In You” garnered screams of excitement from girls in the audience, and fans sang along with every word. The mood mellowed out a bit with “He’s Never Gonna Change/Be Okay,” which had a spectacular blue starry background.
She sang nine songs from her new album out of the 20-song setlist. Towards the end of the night, Lauren and a few band members sat in the circle on B Stage for “Saint Ferdinand” and “Everything.” Lauren then took us to church with a medley of “Do It Again,” “Good Good Father,” and “Thank God I Do,” leading a time of worship. The tempo then picked up with “O’ Lord,” “Turbulent Skies,” and “Still Rolling Stones.”
For the finale, Lauren Daigle’s massive hit “You Say” was the crown jewel of the night. The audience sang every word. This song is certified six times platinum in the U.S. It spent 132 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart breaking the record for the most weeks at No. 1 by a song on any chart. It’s not surprising with “You Say,” Lauren won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song, and a GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year along with others.
Lauren Daigle 2019. Photo © Annette Holloway
Her voice has often been compared to that of Adele, and it was clear by the crowd’s response that they absolutely loved her. Her faith-infused music transcends religious and cultural boundaries offering hope to those from all walks of life. The audience loved Lauren’s positive message, incredible talent, and infectious energy along with the stunning stage production that was a feast for the eyes. Get a taste of the show from the images below.
Lauren Daigle Setlist:
(1) These Are the Days
(2) Waiting
(3) New
(4) Look Up Child
(5) Trust In You
(6) He’s Never Gonna Change/Be Okay
(7) Valuable
(8) Hold on To Me
(9) Kaleidoscope Jesus
[Child Fund Talk]
(10) Rescue
(11) Salvation Mountain
(12) Thank God I Do
(13) St Ferdinand
(14) Everything / (Worship Medley)
(15) Love Me Still
(16) How Can It Be
(17) O’ Lord
(18) Turbulent Skies
(19) Still Rolling Stones
(20) You Say
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
