Casting Crowns- The Healer Tour with We Are Messengers & Leanna Crawford

Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

The Dow Event Center Theater

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Casting Crowns

Boiling down life’s most challenging moments into digestible proclamations of faith is a cornerstone of the Casting Crowns brand. Singable truths that point to Jesus is what they’ve always been about and always will be about. But when setting out to write songs for their latest album, Healer, lead singer and primary songwriter Mark Hall was faced with a brand-new challenge. Like the rest of the world, he was stuck at home in the middle of a pandemic. Mark knew, given the circumstances, he needed to write songs for the moment. But the moment loomed so large, so global, it seemed an impossible task. Mark chose to stick to his signature straightforward truth and did the only thing he could do – he wrote from the heart. As he began crafting songs speaking to his own struggles, his own fears and uncertainty, an undeniable theme emerged.

“I was walking through the world being shut down, just like everybody else. I’ve been a youth pastor for over twenty years and here I was counseling teenagers who’d just lost their senior year, lost their friend groups, felt hopeless for the future. As I started working on this record, I realized all the songs I was writing dealt with healing in some way, something we all need. And more than that, we need a Healer. This whole album is about healing, about how God meets us where we are and what His healing looks like.”

Healer, while sonically diverse, drives home one main idea – the need for Jesus the Healer to be the center of our lives. The title track, a sweeping. big-voiced plea-turned-prayer, speaks to the things we often try instead of turning to the Healer. “The point of this song is that healing is not going to come from the people we’re voting for or the people we’re following on screens,” Mark says. “It’s only going to come from Jesus. He is the Healer.”

“Desert Road,” a harmony-filled tune that plays like a Casting Crowns classic, speaks to those moments when God’s plan isn’t clear, but we’re still called to follow. It’s about the journey of getting past yourself and realizing God knows what He’s doing, that He’s already at the end of the road looking back on it. “When you feel like you’re not in control, it can feel like no one’s in control,” Mark shares. “When we can’t see the plan, we start wondering if there even is a plan. Sometimes He calms the storms and sometimes He rides them out with us. We have to learn how to let go of how we feel and learn to lean in to Who we know.”

Mark 2 tells the story of a group of friends who brought their one friend to Jesus for healing. When the crowd was too large, they lowered their friend through the roof of a house to reach Jesus, and Jesus healed him. Inspired by that story, Mark wrote “Anything But Easy,” a song about bringing our loved ones to Jesus, no matter the obstacle or circumstance. “The healing we’re praying for in people’s lives, God may be saying, I’m ready to heal their heart but I’m going to do it through how you love them. That’s the question I’m asking myself. Do I love my friend enough to push through the awkwardness or them pushing back and not wanting to hear it, in order for them to have the truth?”

One of the most poignant songs on the album, “Scars In Heaven,” a softly-sung ballad about a friend who’s passed, shows a different side of healing. “We have it in our heads the healing we’re praying for, for the people we love, should look at certain way. When that healing doesn’t come the way we want it to, we think God didn’t heal at all. In those moments, if we get in the Word and pray through it, we can see healing did come, it just didn’t come the way we wanted it to.”

While Healer boasts songs that evoke big emotions, the lighter, fun songs pack just as much of a truth punch. Toe-tappin’, front-porch-guitar-pickin’ groove, “2nd Opinions” is Mark’s answer to his years of hearing students ask about verses from the Bible that aren’t actually in the Bible. “I’ve had students for years say things like, ‘what about the verse that says everything happens for a reason?’ I’d tell them that’s in the book of 2nd opinions.” Aptly titled “Crazy People” talks about how the world often views Christians as a little bit crazy – following a God we’ve never seen and praying to a God we’ve never heard. “Think about Noah,” Mark says. “Can you imagine coming home from work and your neighbor is building a boat the size of a football field in his yard? Because God told him to? You’d think this guy was crazy. I say the world could use more crazy people.”

Listening through the album, it’s clear the band’s intention is to show that healing comes in many different colors and sizes. With songs that feel both familiar and brand new, Healer is a scripture-filled push forward, challenging the listener to seek true healing from Jesus, the only Healer we need.

We Are Messengers

We Are Messengers has over 400 million career streams, over 2.5 billion airplay audience, and a multi-week #1 Billboard radio song (“Come What May”), along with six Top 5 and ten Top 10 Christian Airplay hits with “Image of God,” “Power,” “Maybe It’s Ok,” “Magnify,” “Point To You,” “Love,” “Everything Comes Alive,” “God With Us,” “This is Jesus” and “From Heaven to Earth (Joy to the World).” The band has had multiple sync film and TV placements on major networks including Lionsgate, MTV and CBC. We Are Messengers has played for a live audience of over 2 million people across 40 states and 5 countries, including selling out shows in the Netherlands, England, and lead vocalist Darren Mulligan’s native Ireland. The band is headlining the Wholehearted Tour (April – November 2022) following on the heels of consecutive USA arena tours with Toby Mac and Casting Crowns.

The Dove-nominated and K-LOVE Award winning group’s new single, “God You Are,” is available now.

• Current album – Wholehearted + released October 15, 2021
• Current radio single – “God You Are”
• Headlining The Wholehearted Tour – April – November 2022
• 400+ Million Career Streams
• 2.5 Billion+ Billion Career Airplay Audience
• “Come What May” multi-week #1 radio hit
• Six top 5 and ten top 10 radio singles
• Two #1 singles in Australia
• Has played for over 2 million people across 40 states and 5 countries
• “I’ll Think About You” featured on Lionsgate’s The Shack
• 1 Dove Awards Nomination and 4 K-LOVE Fan Awards Nominations, including 1 win for Breakout Single of the Year for “Maybe It’s Ok”
• “I Don’t Have the Answers” Featured on CBC’s Hello Goodbye and MTV’s Finding Carter
• “I Want You” Featured on the trailer for Fox’s Coupled.

Leanna Crawford

As a native of the Pacific Northwest, nature has always been a friend to singer/songwriter Leanna Crawford. Growing up near the water and the mountains, Leanna often took long walks among the trees, talking to God and discovering more about Him and herself. Her connection with God’s creation inspired her latest collection of songs filled with personal, powerful melodies and heartfelt vocals focused on God’s unending faithfulness.

“This project brought me back to my roots. I was inspired by the majestic trees, the mountains and the ocean,” says Leanna. “Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I have the sweetest memories riding my horse through the woods and talking to God. I loved wandering through the fog in the morning, writing songs as I was walking. For me, being outside was another way to feel closer to God.”

While writing these new songs, Leanna also drew on the personal seasons of her life. A natural storyteller since childhood, Leanna’s shelves are filled with journals detailing her faith journey from the time she was old enough to record it. “I have terrible short-term memory, so I need to be able to look back. I date all my journals so I can remember how God has answered my prayers,” she shares. This attention to detail has given Leanna a unique outlook on life, always looking for the little things, every little moment, that makes up the miracle of being alive. “I aspire to be a great storyteller,” she says. “That’s the most powerful thing to me – when a songwriter can tell their story and I can see myself in it. I want people to be able to see themselves in my music.”

Standout track “Before I Knew Jesus” celebrates being a new creation in Christ. “This song is really about God’s faithfulness in my life. Every single day. I found Jesus at four years old. I don’t have a crazy testimony. Four-year-old Leanna knew she had Jesus in her heart, but twelve-year-old Leanna needed Jesus in a whole new way and then sixteen-year-old Leanna needed Him in another way. Whether you’ve known God your whole life or just met Him yesterday, I hope you can rejoice in knowing He is faithful in every season.”

“How Can You Not,” a reflection on the majesty of God’s creation, tells the sweet story of her father seeing fireflies for the first time. “My parents were visiting me in Nashville and my dad had never seen fireflies before. Most people don’t know this, but there are no fireflies in the Pacific Northwest. We were out walking in the rain because we’re from the rainy state of Washington and don’t care about getting wet. But when the rain slowed down, the field next to us lit up like the night sky. My dad saw all those fireflies and said, ‘How can you not see the Creator?’ It was such a beautiful moment. And I was reminded that God created things like fireflies to show us how much He loves us.”

“Simple,” a guitar-led ballad that showcases Leanna’s raw, emotional voice, is a deeply personal track. “I tend to overcomplicate Jesus and His love for me,” she shares. “But God’s love is simple. He’s for me and He loves me.” Leaning on her open-hearted faith and accessible realness, these songs tell the story of Jesus’s faithfulness in every season of her life. With each song, Leanna hopes that people can experience the love of God and know His heart – there is no such thing as too far gone with God.

Venue Presale: Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. –  Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 10:00 p.m.

Venue Presale tickets will be available online only at Ticketmaster.com with the presale code. To receive the presale code, please sign up for our free email newsletter at https://bit.ly/2LC76Y2 by Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 11:59 p.m or download our free mobile app and enable push notifications by Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 9:59 a.m. Our mobile app is available to download on the App Store for iOS devices and on Google Play on Android devices. The Venue Presale code will be released via email when the presale begins (December 7th at approximately 10:00 a.m.).

On Sale: Friday, December 9, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

Tickets on sale to the general public will be available at Ticketmaster.com or in person only at The Dow Event Center Box Office. Our box office is open every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Please visit internal window #10 to purchase your tickets during that time.

Ticket Prices:  $32.50  |  $38.50  |  $51.00  |  $66.00  |  $103.50

Aisle Seats:  $42.50  |  $48.50  |  $61.00  |  $76.00  |  $113.50

GROUPS 10+:  $46.00  |  $61.00 

*Additional fees may apply when purchased through Ticketmaster. Prices listed are when purchased in person at the Dow Event Center Box Office.

*Prices vary by seat location. Prices are subject to change based on supply and demand.

Improvements Coming To The Dow Event Center Parking Ramp

To improve your entertainment experience, The Dow Event Center is in the process of renovating its parking structure across from venue. These capital improvements include repairing and replacing the elevators and lighting, and performing structural upgrades to the parking ramp.

While this is in progress, parking will be available at the following locations:

• Dow Event Center front lot, 303 Johnson
• 400 Lot across from The Dow Event Center, 400 Johnson
• Dow Event Center Parking Ramp
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Credit cards are now accepted!