Hailing The rock

What do you get when the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau is nearly packed to its capacity of 6,700 on a rainy February evening? You get Compassion International's The Roadshow 2018 -- and strobe lights.

Thursday night's Christian concert featured six groups of artists -- many Grammy award winning -- and fans who traveled far and wide to hear and see their favorite singers perform.

Performers on the tour, which goes through March 25, included For King & Country, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Bethel Music, Zach Williams and Social Club Misfits.

Jamie Wilson, her sister Santer, son Dylan and his grandmother Carol Dotson, all made the drive from Kentucky, and were ready to see their favorite performers, For King & Country.

Dylan is elementary-school age and has been battling an illness.

Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music sings praise during their set at The Roadshow on Thursday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

"[For King & Country] is his favorite band," Wilson said about Dylan. "He's [been] at St. Jude's getting treatment, so he's supposed to be able to get to meet the band after the show, so he's pretty excited. I have been to this concert in Louisville before, and we have seen them in Paducah. ... We just kind of base this on when [Dylan] can come."

Jamie Brush and her husband Allan traveled from Illinois to see her favorite artist, Zach Williams, whom she never had seen live.

"I really wanna hear Zach Williams," Allan Brush chimed in.

Jamie said she is familiar with the other artists performing, especially Natalie Grant, because her church "pretty much sings all the songs," Jamie Brush said.

"So that's why we're here," Jamie Brush said.

A young fan looks up at the stage as Bethel Music performs their set at The Roadshow on Thursday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.

Allan Brush said his congregation is made up of 500 to 600 people every Sunday, and "usually the newest songs are what they sing."

Greg Franklin, event coordinator for The Roadshow has helped with the concerts for three years now, and he is in charge of coordinating volunteers and "runners" to shuttle artists back and forth from the venue. Franklin also gets the honor to hang out with many of the artists before and after the show.

He owns Cheesecake Ninja, and he shares his delicacies with the performers.

"Fernie, with Social Club Misfits, we talked about my cheesecake, and I hung out with Matthew West and Zack West, Zach Williams, and then Natalie Grant. We sat and talked about and had cheesecake for a while," Franklin said. "For King & Country both had my cheesecake, and pretty much all of them. And I think Bethel Music, too."

Rebecca Kinder also made the drive from Marble Hill, Missouri, along with Anna Fuller and Roan Kinder to see their favorites, Bethel Music and Social Club Misfits.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632

Pertinent address:

1333 N Sprigg St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701