Natalie Grant shares songs, stories at Cape concert

To a demonstrative audience of more than 900 people, gospel star Natalie Grant mixed music styles and personal stories into a concert of hits and new material Friday night at Cape First Church.

The big-voiced, curly blonde-haired Seattle native opened her lively 90-minute show with three up-tempo rock-flavored numbers on which her three-piece band and backup singer from Nashville made their presence known.

She segued into a set of acoustic country and soulful songs, explaining her earliest inspirations as a young girl, when she "sang into my hairbrush" as if were a microphone, were Mahalia Jackson and CeCe Winans.

Grant, 41, a five-time Gospel Music Association Dove Award winner, said was her purpose for coming to Cape Girardeau was more serious than just playing and singing. "Tonight is all about lifting up the name of the Lord," she said. "Some day, he will come. The King will come."

Along with signature songs such as "Held," "Human" and the emotional Grammy-nominated "Alive (Mary Magdalene)," Grant drew from her recently released album, "Hurricane," with "When I Leave the Room," "Whisper," "For All of Us" and the title song.

Large video screens on each side of the stage gave close-up views of Grant and her band members, and smaller blue screens displayed the lyrics to some songs.

One show segment was her story about an 18-year-old nephew who had sustained a serious back injury playing football and fallen into heroin addiction.

"We know that he will return home," Grant said to applause and cheers, going into the song she wrote to encourage him, "Burn Bright!"

She took time to seek support for the organization she founded, Abolition International, to fight sex trafficking.

Outside the auditorium as showtime neared, Valerie Walker of Perryville, Mo., said she often listens to Grant's music on Christian radio stations KHIS and Joy FM.

"She's a phenomenal singer, and I really enjoy listening to her," said Walker.

Accompanying his two children, Greg Griffith of Cape Girardeau had just bought four of Grant's CDs.

"I like the way she connects with people," Griffith said. "We're all human, and we all make mistakes."

Attending with a group of 30 women from the First Baptist Church in Perryville, Ruth Andrews had never heard or seen Grant and was looking forward to it.

"My favorite Gospel groups are the Gaithers Vocal Band and The Hoppers," Andrews said.

Ricky and Becky Gray had driven an hour from Bonne Terre, Mo., with their two daughters.

"I was meeting with the Women of Joy in Branson in April 2012 when I saw her," Becky Gray said. "She is very entertaining, and her music is amazing. She gets the audience into it."

Ricky Gray said he was encouraged to attend because "there aren't too many things anymore that you can take your family to and have family entertainment."