Grammy-winning Christian rockers celebrate 20 years at the Peace Center: Upstate Beat

On April 5, Mark Hall, singer and songwriter for the multimillion-selling Christian rock band Casting Crowns, will walk onto the Peace Center stage with his bandmates and their own traveling orchestra. The Grammy- and Dove-award-winning group will play selections from its 20-year career, boosted to an epic scale by a soaring, sighing string section.

And as Hall sings the band’s most popular songs from their repertoire of No. 1 Contemporary Christian hits like “Who Am I,” “Does Anybody Hear Her,” “Only Jesus” and many more, perhaps he’ll feel an angel on his shoulder.

Hall’s father — and hero — John Barry Hall passed away a few weeks back, and though Mark Hall is still emotional about the loss, his faith gives him comfort.

“I’m grieving while understanding that Dad is with Jesus now,” Hall says. “He trusted in what Jesus did for him on the cross to make him right with God and that’s what being saved is, trusting in what Jesus did for you to make you right with God.”

Losing a parent is already tough enough, but losing the man who was largely responsible for his career was devastating for Hall.

“He’s the reason I sing,” Hall says. “He would teach me how to sing harmonies in the car and he would drag me up on the stage with him every once awhile to sing with him. He’s the reason I surrendered to ministry. I was never one to get up in front of people and do anything, but I could do it standing next to him.”

Perhaps Hall can take some comfort in the fact that Casting Crowns’ message of faith has reached so many people. At one point in its career, the band scored four platinum albums in a row, and that fanbase has remained strong. But even if you’re new to the band, Hall says the Peace Center show has got you covered.

“It’s a personal dream,” Hall says, “because I like to have a lot of change, a lot of things moving quickly. So, you’ve got big screens so that wherever you’re sitting you’re going to be able to see us. And the words are on the screen, so if you don’t know the songs, it doesn’t matter!”

Hall adds that the orchestral accompaniment suits the band’s already epic sound.

“Strings add a different color,” he says. “They’re warm, and they’re moving like waves up and down under the songs. They carry the songs into a new place.”