Monday, June 18, 2012

Sweet Spirit - Jeff & Sheri Easter Concert Recap

Morgan, Sheri and Jeff Easter
Friday night I went to see Jeff & Sheri Easter in El Dorado at the Municipal Auditorium. It was such a great night, and one of the best concerts I've been to! There was such a sweet Spirit from start to finish!

The evening started with a tribute to Harold Grimmett. He organized many gospel sings in South Arkansas, and was an on-air personality in Southern Gospel radio for decades. The entire night was a memorial for him.

Jeff and Sheri took the stage with "Roses Will Bloom Again" as a tribute to Harold. This is one of their most beloved songs, and one that I don't get to hear them sing very often.

They picked up the tempo with "Life Is Great and Gettin' Better." Jeff talked about how they had been there last July, and that night after the concert is when they were hit by a drunk driver. He joked that when he comes to Arkansas he doesn't need an interpreter for us to understand him. When the highway patrol officer came to their bus after the accident to get the report, Maura said that he sounded like Mater from Cars 2. Jeff went on to say that the next day he had the song "Lord I Hope This Day Is Good" on his mind. At last year's concert Jeff was asked to sing the song for the first time, so they sang it again this year. 

Morgan then sang "I Need You More Today." She has become an incredible vocalist, and keeps getting better each time I see them. When she sings she is very much like Sheri in that you can tell they feel and think about every word they sing. Jeff introduced her to the audience, and she then sang "God Knows What He's Doing." This was my favorite song from her solo CD, and I was really glad to get to hear her sing it live. It's such a great song with a great message that fits her perfectly!

Madison joins his parents on stage for "Workin' on a Road."
They brought Madison to the front next. He sang "I'm Workin' on a Road" with them while playing the mandolin. They then introduced Maura, their 6-year-old daughter. She told a few jokes, sang a little bit and then played the drums.

Their kids left the stage, and Sheri shared about her fight with breast cancer in July 2008. She talked about how thankful she was that God hears our prayers even when we can't form a sentence. She then sang "Hear My Heart." I could hear several people in the audience sniffling and see them wiping their eyes. This song touches so many people in different situation in life. It was a great moment, and Sheri sings it beautifully and so heartfelt every time.

Before intermission, they all came back to the stage for "I Get To." Jeff did a great job on this song as always, it's one of my favorites that features him. I always enjoy seeing the interactions between Jeff, Sheri and Morgan as a family on stage during this song. You can tell how genuine and sincere they are in what they sing. It's just another example of a song where you can tell that they understand and feel everything they are singing about.

After intermission, Jeff pulled up a boy from the audience who had requested "John Saw" to sing the song with them. Sheri then sang "Praise His Name." Another person had requested for them to sing a love song, so they sang "You're My Best Friend." 

At this point, it was joke time with the Easters, which was a hilarious portion of the concert. Jeff told a joke that a man in the audience had told him at intermission and then a few from his uncle Ed. Even Morgan joined in on the joke telling after Jeff told one that they didn't think was very good!

They sang another request, "Going Away Party."

Morgan looks on as Sheri sings.
Sheri then asked if they could sing one from their new project that will be released later this year. She explained that it was a song her mom sang and recorded with the Lewis Family. She sang a portion of the song, "Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go." It was incredible, my favorite moment of the concert. If this song was any indication, I cannot wait to hear the new album. Sheri really showed off the soulful side of her voice, and her rich alto voice was really showcased by this song. She absolutely nailed it! I cannot wait to hear the full version on the album!

They asked for a few more requests and sang, "Just One Rose Will Do," "Thread of Hope," "Livin' in the Rain," and "Over and Over."


Before the end, they sang another song from their new album as a tribute to Harold Grimmett, "I Won't Have to Worry Anymore." They ended the night with "Thank You Lord For Your Blessings on Me." They had Harold's daughter join them on stage at the end. 


Sheri commented toward the end of the concert how much they enjoyed being there. There really was such a sweet Spirit in the place the entire night, from the beginning with the tribute to Mr. Grimmett to the last line of "Thank You Lord." The Easter family's own sweet, genuine spirits shone through from the stage in their singing and playing. It had not been that long since I had seen them last month, but I was very thankful that we made the drive down to South Arkansas for the concert! I definitely would have missed the blessing that this night was for me!

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