Thousands hear musical message of hope, redemption and praise
“I don’t want to spend my whole life asking
“What if I had given everything
“Instead of going through the motions.”
From “The Motions,” by Matthew West
Matthew West brought everything to the Southeast Expo Center in McAlester on Thursday night, thrilling a crowd that alternately filled the venue with thunderous cheers and then later stood for a moment in reverent silence.
West, an internationally known contemporary Christian music artist, opened his national “The Motions” tour in McAlester, drawing an enthusiastic crowd estimated at approximately 4,000 people to the Expo Center.
West wanted to open his tour in McAlester because of his relationship with the family of Ryan McAfee, the McAlester teen who tragically lost his life in an auto accident earlier this year.
While noting the loss to McAfee’s family and friends, West also turned the concert into a celebration of his life.
“I’ve already met so many people, I feel like I’m family here,” West said from the concert stage.
Speaking of Ryan McAfee, West said “We celebrate the fact that he’s in a better place now.”
He also noted that the McAlester tour opener is to benefit the Ryan McAfee Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will help scholarship recipients from the McAlester area attend college.
West also let his music do a lot of talking for him, as he and his crack band performed his three number one songs, “More,” “You Are Everything” and, of course, “The Motions.”
West, though, performed many more songs as well, including selected cuts from his popular albums. He also played the keyboards to preview his new single, set to be released in January.
At one point, West played alone on-stage with an acoustic guitar and said he’d just written a new song.
“They said ‘Why don’t you go someplace else? Tulsa, or Oklahoma City?’ I said ‘No. I prefer, McAlest-er’” West sang as cheers bounced off the walls.
During the concert, West and his dynamic band delivered everything from guitar-crunching anthems to more subdued numbers, with bass player David “Chili” Childress, even doubling on cello for one song.
West reached out to the crowd, both figuratively and literally, leaning down from the stage at several points to share handshakes or high-fives with those standing down front.
During the concert, West welcomed McAfee’s brother, Lance McAfee, to the stage to share his story.
Lance McAfee told how the day following the accident which took his brother’s life, the family had found some words that appeared to be song lyrics on his brother’s Facebook computer page.
He also told how he later learned that the words were the lyrics to West’s song, “The Motions.” Ryan McAfee had asked his friends to help hold him accountable, to make sure he wasn’t just “going through the motions” of being a Christian.
When the family had the song played at Ryan McAfee’s funeral, a family friend e-mailed West and told him the first time she had heard “The Motions” had been during the funeral services — not on the radio.
That touched West so much that he and his brother and manager, Joel West, contacted the McAfee family, leading to a friendship with Ryan’s parents, Linda and Danny McAfee, and with Lance McAfee, that continues today.
West also noted that Lance McAfee will be joining the band on its national tour, telling his brother’s story as Matthew West and his band criss-cross America during The Motions Tour.
Josh Wilson, another artist who is well-known in the contemporary Christian music field, opened the concert with an acoustic guitar set and later returned to perform some songs with West and his band.
McAlester Mayor Kevin Priddle did the opening introductions.
“We are a town that just does not go through the motions,” he said.
“Tonight, McAlester, Oklahoma — not New York, not L.A. — is going to open The Motions Tour.”
The many volunteers who worked on holding the Matthew West concert in McAlester have been praised by many of those at the event, including Joel West.
“I’ve never seen a volunteer team like this,” he said after the concert.
“We’re honored to be here.”
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesterenws.com.
“What if I had given everything
“Instead of going through the motions.”
From “The Motions,” by Matthew West
Matthew West brought everything to the Southeast Expo Center in McAlester on Thursday night, thrilling a crowd that alternately filled the venue with thunderous cheers and then later stood for a moment in reverent silence.
West, an internationally known contemporary Christian music artist, opened his national “The Motions” tour in McAlester, drawing an enthusiastic crowd estimated at approximately 4,000 people to the Expo Center.
West wanted to open his tour in McAlester because of his relationship with the family of Ryan McAfee, the McAlester teen who tragically lost his life in an auto accident earlier this year.
While noting the loss to McAfee’s family and friends, West also turned the concert into a celebration of his life.
“I’ve already met so many people, I feel like I’m family here,” West said from the concert stage.
Speaking of Ryan McAfee, West said “We celebrate the fact that he’s in a better place now.”
He also noted that the McAlester tour opener is to benefit the Ryan McAfee Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will help scholarship recipients from the McAlester area attend college.
West also let his music do a lot of talking for him, as he and his crack band performed his three number one songs, “More,” “You Are Everything” and, of course, “The Motions.”
West, though, performed many more songs as well, including selected cuts from his popular albums. He also played the keyboards to preview his new single, set to be released in January.
At one point, West played alone on-stage with an acoustic guitar and said he’d just written a new song.
“They said ‘Why don’t you go someplace else? Tulsa, or Oklahoma City?’ I said ‘No. I prefer, McAlest-er’” West sang as cheers bounced off the walls.
During the concert, West and his dynamic band delivered everything from guitar-crunching anthems to more subdued numbers, with bass player David “Chili” Childress, even doubling on cello for one song.
West reached out to the crowd, both figuratively and literally, leaning down from the stage at several points to share handshakes or high-fives with those standing down front.
During the concert, West welcomed McAfee’s brother, Lance McAfee, to the stage to share his story.
Lance McAfee told how the day following the accident which took his brother’s life, the family had found some words that appeared to be song lyrics on his brother’s Facebook computer page.
He also told how he later learned that the words were the lyrics to West’s song, “The Motions.” Ryan McAfee had asked his friends to help hold him accountable, to make sure he wasn’t just “going through the motions” of being a Christian.
When the family had the song played at Ryan McAfee’s funeral, a family friend e-mailed West and told him the first time she had heard “The Motions” had been during the funeral services — not on the radio.
That touched West so much that he and his brother and manager, Joel West, contacted the McAfee family, leading to a friendship with Ryan’s parents, Linda and Danny McAfee, and with Lance McAfee, that continues today.
West also noted that Lance McAfee will be joining the band on its national tour, telling his brother’s story as Matthew West and his band criss-cross America during The Motions Tour.
Josh Wilson, another artist who is well-known in the contemporary Christian music field, opened the concert with an acoustic guitar set and later returned to perform some songs with West and his band.
McAlester Mayor Kevin Priddle did the opening introductions.
“We are a town that just does not go through the motions,” he said.
“Tonight, McAlester, Oklahoma — not New York, not L.A. — is going to open The Motions Tour.”
The many volunteers who worked on holding the Matthew West concert in McAlester have been praised by many of those at the event, including Joel West.
“I’ve never seen a volunteer team like this,” he said after the concert.
“We’re honored to be here.”
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesterenws.com.
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