By Ahliyah S. Chambers, Contributing Writer
On July 27th, Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music graced San Diego with the Kingdom Tour to Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU. These gospel artists were on a 37-city tour which kicked off on June 1st. The event featured special guests such as Jonathan McReynolds and Housefires. Hundreds of concert goers came out on Wednesday to enjoy an evening of worship and encouragement. The Kingdom tour has traveled nationally and internationally including cities such as Los Angeles, Toronto, Atlanta, Miami, and Washington DC. Following the Kingdom Tour, a collaborative album, Kingdom, will feature musical collections from both Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music.
Curating a Gospel moment wherever and whenever, Kirk Franklin danced across the stage to help keep the message of Gospel pushing forward. The sixteen-time GRAMMY award winning songwriter, arranger and producer, Kirk Franklin, showed exactly why he has such tremendous success. The audience could not forget the works of Kirk Franklin and his intentionality to bridge Hip-Hop, Pop, and Gospel together. Inspired by his artistry and heart to give back, many aspiring artists look up to the 30 years of continuous hits that Franklin has behind him. Throughout the night, Franklin and Maverick City Music encouraged the crowd to be thankful for overcoming hardships and remain faithful that better days are ahead. They even invited fourteen formerly incarcerated men to the stage and spoke about how God still has a purpose in their life despite the past.
Maverick City Music also made their presence known on Wednesday night as the group’s unique qualities and sound continues to resonate with many as they follow the Gospel and build a sense of community. The supergroup formed in 2018 and emerged from a series of writing camps dedicated to bringing together a diverse range of artists from various genres who would not normally have the opportunity to be in a room together. San Diego resident and concert goer, Asha’ Jones shared, “The arena being filled with so much diversity, love, and light is truly a reflection of what heaven would look like. Moreso, I enjoyed that the artists’ sang enlightening songs that were critical to life experiences. That night I was reminded that God is always in control.”
Artists at the Kingdom Tour incentivized guests to donate to the non-profit organization, Food for the Hungry, for an opportunity to meet Maverick City Music artists. The non-profit seeks to end human poverty and provide life-changing resources to children internationally. Audience members generously gave to sponsor a child in areas such as Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Asha’ also shared, “It wasn’t about getting to meet the artists afterwards but being able to reach and change the lives of these children whose family members are incarcerated. Seeing so many people donate showed me that what we do for Christ is bigger than just within the four walls of the church.”
