REVIEW: For King + Country @ Wells Fargo Arena, 10.5.24

For King + Country likely doesn’t want to be compared to the legendary secular rock band KISS in any shape, form or fashion.

The now-Nashville-based Christian pop/rock duo consisting of brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone, have little in common the aforementioned, especially lyrically. Duh.

Visually, however, their spectacular Saturday night performance at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines proved one thing: being Christian doesn’t mean having to pack a second-rate stage show. Quite the opposite. This one sets the bar beyond what any artist in the genre has ever done.

Period.

The “Unsung Hero 2024 Tour” show featured a massive, 50+-foot runway that extended from the main stage, complete with larger performance areas in the front, middle and end of it. Confetti cannons were interspersed along its sides, as well as enough strobe lighting to be mistaken for a Des Moines International Airport runway. And that was just the half of it. The actual large stage had two giant screens that met in the middle and angled outward toward the audience. A corner, so to speak. In front of them were seven approximately 10’x10′ free-floating platforms — one for each band member — each of which was suspended from the rafters and could be lowered and raised to any level. When they weren’t being stood upon, the platforms, which featured lighting on the bottom side of each of them, could be tilted in any direction to add to the effect.

KISS had similar platforms on their last tour. And the one before that. And the one before that. And …

Unlike the aforementioned, however, For King + Country’s stage wasn’t done for shock value. It flowed. There was purpose to every nuance of the design. They did it better.

And then there was the music. The duo relied on their hit-heavy catalog to carry the night, and it went over well with the more than 6,000 in attendance.

Opening with “You’re The Voice” and “Relate” perched high above the audience, the two descended to the stage to perform “Fight On Fighter” and “Amen,” while doing what they do best in a live setting: engage the audience.

The duo performed six songs from their Grammy-Award-winning 2014 “Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong” album, including the 1-2-3 combo of “Run Wild,” “Fix My Eyes” and “It’s Not Over Yet,” and a pleasantly heavy rendition of “Ceasefire,” which showcased the group’s powerful rythym section accompanied by amber- and orange-colored LEDs and visuals.  “Burn The Ships,” from the Grammy winning album of the same name in 2018, was spot-on, as was “Joy,” the platinum-selling single and Christian radio staple.

Cover songs “Messengers,” the duo’s duet with Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae; and the Michael W. Smith song, “Place In This World,” were crowd favorites, as were “For God Is With Us” and the set closer, “The Little Drummer Boy,” bringing a little “Christmas in October” vibe to the capital city.

By putting on this caliber of show, For King + Country is now the official standard-bearer in the Christian live music community. Two words for the rest of the pack:

Good luck.

For King + Country setlist
Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
Oct. 5, 2024 

You’re The Voice
Relate
Fight On, Fighter
Amen
Fine Fine Life
Love Me Like I Am
Priceless
Unsung Hero
Together
God Only Knows
Run Wild
Fix My Eyes
Messengers
It’s Not Over Yet
Place in This World
Shoulders
For God Is With Us
The Proof of Your Love
Ceasefire
Burn the Ships
Joy
The Little Drummer Boy