Admissions | Undergraduate Admissions | Transfer Newsletter | Shawn McDonald and Phil Wickham Perform Live at Bauman Auditorium

Shawn McDonald and Phil Wickham Perform Live at Bauman Auditorium

By: James Tchalemian, Admissions Intern

The night that many George Fox students and residents of Newberg had been waiting for all summer long had finally arrived. Bauman Auditorium was inundated with more than 1,200 anxious fans, and with tickets having been sold out weeks in advance, many were waiting at the door for the opportunity of an extra seat.

With everyone still murmuring and many trying to find their seats, the lights were turned down as Phil Wickham approached the stage to begin the evening. The melodic mix of Phil's vocal and instrumental talents filled the auditorium, augmenting his integral message of love and passion by which he has written each song. As a young child of 12, Phil began leading worship at his home church. It was with the encouragement of many friends, but mostly of his dad, which transformed Phil into one of today's leading Christian singer/songwriters. The evidence of his worship abilities were manifest in the words, emotions and passions he expressed on stage that night.

As the crowd warmed up from Phil's performance, Shawn McDonald walked onto the stage with his calming presence and received a resounding welcome from the audience. He stood playing his rich, dark tone Tacoma guitar (he also used a harmonica braced to his chest), creating a warm ambiance on stage while his back-up cellist/pianist and hip-hop drummer followed with the full blend of art/folk and soul-reaching sounds.

It has only been a little over six years since Shawn began playing guitar, let alone leading worship on stage in front of large crowds. Shawn claims that he began playing guitar as an outlet for the insatiable love God had placed in his heart. This shift in lifestyle came about as the result of turning from his pattern of drug and alcohol abuse and avoiding of God's calling on his life. Shawn had been running from God most of his life until one day, in a time of desperation, God showed him a sign. It has been from his experiences of abandonment and despair that he is able to share the promise of hope and redemption through his songs.

It was a joy to see the true character God has given Shawn as he played on stage. At one point he played the piano and sang while he and the cellist shared the piano bench; the audience loved it, letting out a few chuckles as they began to play.

Everyone who spent the evening with Shawn and Phil left excited and anxiously wondering when the next great concert would come to the George Fox campus. According to Shane Walker, concert coordinator for the Student Activities Committee at George Fox, "it's in the works." Shane is in charge of booking, organizing and coordinating the arrival of concert musicians. "It's a big task," claims Walker, who worked alone in arranging the recent concert. He sees a future where a larger sub-committee can be formed, but, "Right now the funds aren't there," he says.

As for your part, Shane asks, "Tell me who you want to see!" You can do that by e-mailing Shane at swalker04@georgefox.edu and suggest ideas for future concerts. Who knows, maybe you'll see your favorite band or singer here next year. Walker claims that the more interest and response he receives the better understanding he has on what musicians to book.

The venues available for concerts at George Fox are Bauman Auditorium and the Fox Hole. "Performers like Shawn McDonald and Phil Wickham are held in Bauman Auditorium, which has the most seating, while other local or independent bands will be planned for the Fox Hole," explained Walker.

Currently a concert is planned for this school year on March 14th at 8p.m. which will include Starfield, Daydreamer and Phil Wickham, though Phil has not yet confirmed. You can check out each group/singer by following their links to their My Space pages.

Starfield is a group out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who is an acoustic rock worship band with sounds similar to that of Switchfoot. They have a new album out called "Beauty in the Broken."

Daydreamer, hailing from Bellingham, Wash., has a beautiful ambient blend of pop/rock music with soulish-grand lyrics that fit their title name. They have opened for such bands as Kutless and Delirious?, and currently lead 1,500 plus in worship weekly. Their album is called "When the Stars Burn Out."

Concerts at George Fox University are open to everyone, so come and join us on campus for a fun and relaxing time. Tickets for the March 14th concert will go on sale in 2007, and are available by calling the George Fox box office at (503) 554-3844.