Steven Curtis Chapman Talks About Life and Faith in his “SCC SOLO” Tour

Bridget and I first saw Steven Curtis Chapman in concert at Omaha’s Orpheum Theatre in 1992 for “The Great Adventure” Tour. 

Through the years, Chapman’s music has been a staple in our rotation. 

My favorite albums are “The Great Adventure,” “Heaven in the Real World,” “Speechless,” and “Declaration.”

It’s interesting how music brings to mind peculiar memories. 

I remember wearing out a cassette of “Heaven in the Real World” on a Walkman while I painted houses in the summer of 1994. Whenever I listen to that album, I’m transported back to hot, sunny afternoons climbing ladders and crawling behind shrubs in an effort to sling paint in hard-to-reach places. 

That spirit is imbued in Steven Curtis Chapman’s SCC SOLO Tour — where the artist shared songs and “real life conversation” with his fans. 

Bridget and I had the opportunity to attend the show at Omaha’s Christ Community Church on Nov. 14. 

Compared to the four previous Steven Curtis Chapman concerts we attended, this show was more of an autobiographical journey for the artist. 

Through songs, pictures, stories, and video clips, Chapman took attendees through his life — talking about his enduring faith in God and how it has influenced his walk. 

He published a biography last year called “Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story.” Bridget bought a copy of the book at the concert (in a bundle with an exclusive CD from the concert — I’ll have a review of that in a future blog post). 

Chapman and his wife Mary Beth have adopted three children from China. He talked about that experience during the concert, and his charity “Show Hope” — which works to nurture adoption around the world.

Bridget opted for the tickets that allowed us early access to the church sanctuary so we could meet Steven. It was really fun — after all these years — to have the opportunity to meet one of our favorite artists. 

When I mentioned our first time seeing him was at a concert in 1992, Chapman exclaimed, “You must have been ‘younguns’!”

Bridget and I featured two songs by Chapman — “Go There With You” and “I Will Be Here” — in our wedding back in 2004. 

Chapman’s musical stylings combine pop anthems and folksy ballads. The Paducah, Kentucky-native definitely has a southern flavor in his music — featuring acoustic guitar, bluegrass licks, and scripture-based lyrics. 

Whether you’ve heard one of his songs 100 times — or are hearing it for the very first time — the tunes feel friendly and comfortable, like a well-worn pair of shoes. 

Chapman's setlist was heavy on classics in his catalog like "For the Sake of the Call," "Dive," "Live Out Loud" and "No Better Place." 

He also took requests during the show. God bless the woman who requested "Dancing With The Dinosaur" — a song of Steven's I hadn't heard live since his 1994 tour. 

I’ve talked on this blog before about my love of Christian music, and how it was one of the interests Bridget and I bonded over when we started dating in high school. 

The music dives into life’s truths. As Chapman croons in his song “More to This Life”: “Today I watched in silence as people passed me by / And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes / but they all looked back at me as if to say / life just goes on”...

Chapman illustrates the benefit of living a purpose-driven life. He also shows the journey is rarely perfect and tragedy can befall even the most stout of heart. 

We had a nice time at the Nov. 14 concert. It wasn’t the first we’ve heard words of wisdom from Steven Curtis Chapman. I’m sure our paths will cross again...

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