Singer/songwriter Josh Garrels shares favorite songs and new tunes at concert

Josh Garrels stepped back into the spotlight Friday, March 22 at Liberty’s Concert Hall, marking his second concert appearance after three months of focusing on upcoming music. 

Garrels’ distinct voice was the highlight of the night as he performed folk-rooted favorites. 

Liberty students Nicole Miller and Naoto Barrett opened the night and excited the crowd long before the main event stepped on stage.

“I would like to say that, for us as aspiring artists, we are just openers today, but we are so excited to be here and to play our hearts out for you,” Miller said. “We hope that our songs ask some of the same hard questions that Josh’s music does.”

Miller said a lot of her music comes from personal moments and life lessons she picked up. She said that her song “Show Me to be Brave” came from one specific night.

“It came out of a time when I was just being shown what I was actually afraid of,” Miller said. “I was just sitting at the piano crying and asking God why he was holding me in the midst of what I was scared of, why was he choosing to let me stay in this darkness, this night. God just spoke to me and showed me so clearly that this was how he was going to teach me to be brave.”

Headliner Garrels took the stage with his band members, building the audience’s anticipation while he adjusted his microphone.  

“Hey Lynchburg, how are you doing?” Garrels said to the ecstatic crowd. “I’m excited to be here. I’ve never been to Lynchburg or Liberty, so thanks for coming out.”

He opened the night with “At the Table” and “Born Again.” 

Although Garrels originally wanted to crank out three albums in 2019, he joked that he will be lucky to release one album. But he is content with that because he is enjoying the slower side of making music. 

“I really love this stage of the process, creating the work – creating, mixing and mastering,” Garrels said.

He sang favorites and introduced a few new songs. One source of inspiration for the album “Love and War” and “The Sea in Between” was the serenity of the ocean and horizon.

“I really think that does something to the soul and to the spirit when the eye can wander farther,” Garrels said. “Even in this period that I’m in where I’m in a basement tweaking sounds and spending a whole afternoon trying to get the right snare tone … I have to get out and take walks and let my eyes rest upon open expanses.”

The song “Ulysses” was inspired by moments like these.   

“The soul opens up to greater possibilities, … stories that are larger than our own that we’re connected to somehow,” Garrels said. 

He performed a few songs from his Christmas album, including the song he wrote for his son, Shepherd, titled “Shepherd’s Song.”

Much to the audience’s delight, Garrels performed his hit “Farther Along.”

The crowd gave Garrels a standing ovation at the end of his set, with shouts of “Encore, encore,” beckoning Garrels to return for just a few more songs.

And of course, he did. 

He closed his performance with “Heaven’s Night,” a song he wrote for his wife, and “Zion Babylon” as the crowd stood and clapped to the rhythm.

Throughout the night, Garrels focused strongly on the message of his music. Although Garrels does not typically write traditional worship music, the worship is woven into his songs in unexpected ways.

“Over the years, I’ve wanted all my music to revolve around the story of the kingdom, and often I think I’ll tell things in parabolic form,” Garrels said. “I’ve seen how that can reach out to those who do not like him and do not
know him.”

For Garrels, his devotion to God did not come through a sudden, powerful moment. 

“My life has been this slow progression of surrender,” Garrels said. “They say the problem with the living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar, and I can relate. Our part is just surrendering, and he will send the fire.”