MUSIC

KSBJ Special Events presents the Newsboys: The Way We Roll Tour, at the Berry Center, Saturday, November 7.  With New Frontman Michael Tait (Formerly of DC Talk) & Special Guests Seventh Day Slumber & Bread of Stone.

Internationally renowned rock band newsboys announces its 2009 “The Way We Roll” fall tour, kicking off in October. The legendary group will be joined by BEC Recordings’ Seventh Day Slumber, independent artist Bread of Stone, and recent Centricity Records signing Me In Motion. Newsboys’ first dedicated tour in support of its May 2009 release, In The Hands of God, “The Way We Roll” is also the band’s first full-length tour featuring new frontman Michael Tait, who stepped into the role earlier this year. The four-act bill will visit nearly 30 cities though November, including major markets Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and Dallas.

“My excitement is barely containable,” says newsboys frontman Michael Tait. “I’m so anticipating playing more markets, states and venues that I haven’t yet played as lead singer of newsboys. My curiosities are still very much alive as to the fans and people in general’s opinion about all that’s going on with the new newsboys!”

It hasn't taken the world at large long to hear all about The Newsboys. Since coming to the U.S. from tiny Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, the band has been nominated for Grammy and Dove awards, appeared on national and international television, performed at Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day, opened for some of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music, galvanized the concept of a stage show in CCM, become top draws at a host of Christian music festivals, and -oh yeah- sold a heckuva lot of records along the way.

What's at the root of the Newsboys' success? You'd have to go back to childhood mates and band mainstays Peter Furler and John James. Furler and James' unerring ear for a hook, flair for stage presentation and performance, and rock-solid belief that the Christian life is a joy that needs to be shared have set the 'Boys apart from a dozen copy-cat bands in the past five years alone.

The band was formed in Australia in 1985 and has been one of the most popular and best selling Christian music artists of the past two decades.

It wasn't until their 1992 album, Not Ashamed (which featured a re-make of the DeGarmo & Key hit "Boycott Hell"), that the band gained notice in the Christian music scene.

The title track of the album became a huge hit on Christian radio and elevated the band's profile considerably. Notably, Steve Taylor, a quirky singer well-known within the Christian music community, began a partnership with the band, producing the band's record and writing most of the lyrics for their songs; Furler remained the band's primary songwriter.

In 1994, amidst continued lineup changes, the band released Going Public, their fifth album and first smash success. The record proved to be a watershed for the group, winning a Dove Award for "Rock album of the Year" in 1995. It also produced #1 hits such as "Spirit Thing", "Let It Rain", and, most notably, "Shine". "Shine" quickly became an enormous hit and one of the most recognizable songs in Christian music, also taking the 1995 Dove for "Rock Recorded Song of the Year".

In 2006, CCM Magazine listed "Shine" in the top ten in its ranking of the 100 Greatest Songs in Christian music. Going Public turned Newsboys into one of the top acts in Christian music.

With five gold albums, sales exceeding six million units, 25 No.1 radio hits, and a mantle of Dove Awards as well as Grammy nominations, newsboys has achieved phenomenal success in its two decades together. Known for its amazing live performances and groundbreaking tours, the band continues to sellout festivals and concerts worldwide, satisfying diehard fans and winning new ones in the process. The band’s fourteenth studio project, In The Hands of God, released May 5, 2009, is an autobiographical record and a tribute to God’s divine providence over newsboys’ long-running career. Its first week, In the Hands of God debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan Christian Albums chart, Christian Adult Contemporary Albums chart, Christian Digital chart, No. 1 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel Top Albums chart and No. 28 on the Billboard Top 200.

The occasion marked Inpop Records’ biggest ever street week in its 10-year history and the first No.1 record for newsboys since releasing Adoration in 2003. Additionally, the album’s first single and title track claimed the No.1 spot on Radio & Records Christian AC chart.