Winterjam Celebrates It’s 20th Year With Skillet

Winterjam ft. Skillet
January 30, 2015
Allstate Arena- Chicago, IL

WinterJam is celebrating its 20^th year. Playing in 47 cities from January to March, they have been selling out arenas in every city; Chicago was no exception. With ticket prices only $10.00, they packed Allstate Arena to capacity. In the 4+ years covering shows at Allstate, I have never seen every seat filled until tonight. WinterJam brings together the best Christian artists in rock, rap and contemporary music, as well as a speaker – this year’s speaker is Tony Nolan.
With 10 bands playing on the bill, the opening bands were giving short sets lasting about 15 to 20 minutes, which gave the fans a sample of each artist. The show kicked into high gear when Family Force 5 hit the stage with, Glow in The Dark and raised the energy level as the crowd danced and sang along to each song. They ended their set with, Chainsaw and were joined on stage by friends and family from all the bands.
Francesca Battistelli showcased a powerful voice that captured the audience. Having released her 3^rd album in 2014, with catchy and uplifting lyrics, If We’re Honest, Francesca has proven she is an artist to watch.
Jeremy Camp has scored over 32 Number 1 hits on Christian Radio and is about to release his new album, I Will Follow. Playing la ittle over a half hour, Camp ended with the beautiful and powerful song, Overcome.
Skillet has always been a band that was never afraid to share their belief when touring with bands outside of Christian circles. Tonight, they were in their comfort zone as they told stories of their conviction of never selling out and their faith in Jesus. Skillet has always been one of the hardest working bands in music and their live energy on stage goes as hard as any rock band touring. Opening the show with Not Gonna Die off their latest album, RISE, got the crowd to their feet through the whole set. For the song, Those Nights, they walked to the front of the stage that was setup as an in-the-round-stage for a more stripped-down version. In a set that ended way too soon for many, Skillet closed with, Rebirthing.
WinterJam allows families to go together for a night of uplifting messages and music and will run until the end of March.
Review by Peter Lizano