9:23pm
Flyleaf just finished a phenomenal set and Franklin is giving one final invitation to anyone who wants to start a relationship with Jesus. A few minutes later and now the praise band is on, closing the night with a worship set. It’s been a wild day, but an awesome one. We’ll be posting a wrap-up soon, so keep an eye out for that. For now, we’re out from St. Louis. Thanks for staying with us throughout the day. We’ll see you in Quad Cities this Saturday!
7:54pm
Franklin is back. This time he’s telling the story of the prodigal son. The crowd is listening and the Word is going out. We’re not done yet and I have a feeling that the Spirit is moving in and through the hearts of the people here. What a powerful experience!
7:00pm
After Franklin finished speaking a second time, it got quiet throughout the grounds as people came forward to begin a new relationship with Jesus. It’s a powerful moment, realizing that hearts and lives are being changed all around you.
But the lull in the storm was only temporary, as Skillet charged the stage with ferocity and passion. Their energy is being matched by the audience, giving it their all as well. The sun is getting lower in the sky, but this place shows no signs of letting up or slowing down!
5:22pm
After getting hyped up by Hawk Nelson, the crowd is bumpin’ to Kirk Franklin and his crew. And when I say “crowd,” I mean thousands and thousands of people. Seriously, it’s amazing how many people are here, all over the Arch park grounds. And did I mention how loud and thick the bass is? No need for pacemakers here.
3:55pm
Franklin is out, talking about throwing out the first pitch at the Cardinals game this afternoon. He had practiced so much that he actually hurled it over Albert Pujols’ head! He’s now sharing the message of God’s love, our problem of sin, and Jesus as the only hope for us. This is why we’re here. This music is a blast, but the love of Jesus for us is what drives this whole team to do what we do.
3:15pm
Levi and some of his friends took the stage after RED and launched some t-shirts to a few lucky people in the crowd. Lecrae is now out, bringin’ the heat with his phenomenal hip-hop stylings. The crowd. is. MASSIVE. It is packed out here, from one side of the stage to the other. People of every stripe and type are jumping around, taking in the music and the great vibes.
2:41pm
Rock The River St. Louis is officially off and running! Canton Jones came out and got the crowd jumping with his sweet beats and poppin’ lyrics. Our emcee, Levi Lusko, then welcomed everyone on the grounds and filled them in on the basics of the day. He introduced RED and they’ve been kicking it hard with their heavy rock. They put on a fantastic show and the moshing is already getting thick. This is a killer start to an awesome day!
Sunday Update – 1:06pm
The time is here! We’re just about an hour away from the show kicking off and the crowds have been lining up outside the gate. Security just starting letting people in, so the Arch grounds are beginning to fill up. It’s a beautiful day here in St. Louis and I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a fantastic concert. The bands are finalizing their sound checks and the buzz in the audience is hoping.
If you’re anywhere close to STL, you need to come and rock out with us. It’s FREE. This is the place to be!
Saturday Morning Update
What’s up everybody?! Are you ready for another round of rock, hip-hop and good news? I sure am. I’m currently sitting in my hotel room, which just so happens to overlook the Mississippi AND the Arch in St. Louis. The stage for Rock The River has been set, the crews are loading in equipment, the jumbo-tron screens are live and running…it’s busy, if somewhat quiet.
But this is only the calm before the storm. Tomorrow is going to be amazing. This has to be one of the coolest venues I’ve ever seen for a concert. Just wait until you see it. So get pumped and tell all your friends, your friend’s friends and come on out for the best show you’ll see all year. We’ll be posting regular updates throughout the day, including videos and photos. You won’t want to miss a thing!
Before I go, Allee’s got a message for all of you.
Signing off for now, but ready for the rock to begin…As always, you can also keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace. More soon…
