Image courtesy of Winter Jam Tour.
Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Christian rock band Skillet is poised to headline the Western leg of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, one of the largest annual tours in the world. According to the release, the tour made history earlier this year with more than 600,000 people at a total of 47 shows across the country and will conclude with stops in nine additional cities in November.
One of those stops includes a tour date in Long Beach at the Arena on November 7.
Founded and hosted by Grammy-nominated NewSong, this year’s Winter Jam West will also feature Jesus Culture (in Long Beach only), Jamie Grace, Lincoln Brewster, Family Force 5 and Love & The Outcome, as well as special guest Sadie Robertson (“Duck Dynasty,” “Dancing with the Stars”) and evangelist Tony Nolan. In addition, the Pre-Jam Party is set to showcase performances from Stars Go Dim, We Are Messengers and OBB.
Kicking off November 5 at Rio Rancho, New Mexico’s Santa Ana Center, the tour will take the stage at the Long Beach Arena before continuing on to Phoenix’s Gila River Arena, Portland, Oregon’s Moda Center; Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California; and Boise, Idaho’s Taco Bell Arena, among other cities, before concluding November 15 at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington.
“We are so excited to bring Winter Jam out West again,” said NewSong’s Russ Lee in a statement. “Every year God exceeds our expectations with the ministry that happens. With this year’s unbelievable artist roster, this is sure to be a night of worship and fun not to be missed.”
Promoted by Premier Productions and presented by Holt International, tour sponsors include “God’s Not Dead 2,” Liberty University, Museum of the Bible, PEPSI, Camp Electric, Premier Experience, Xtreme, Wayne E. Bailey and Texas TransEastern.
According to the release, Skillet has sold more than 11 million albums and singles in the U.S., racked up more than 160 million YouTube views and garnered a diehard following of believers and non-believers, whose members number more than five million on Facebook alone.
Their 2013 Dove Award-winning release RISE debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Rock and Christian charts, which led to four consecutive No. 1 radio hits. RISE also gave Skillet their late night television debut on “Conan” and follows the band’s 2009 platinum blockbuster, Awake, which garnered three Billboard Music Awards and spawned four multi format hit singles, including the platinum singles “Awake & Alive” and “Monster,” whose companion video has generated more than 69 million YouTube views. Skillet was the only active rock band to achieve RIAA Platinum Certification in 2012.
Christian music leaders NewSong continue to oversee the groundbreaking Winter Jam Tour Spectacular. Annually ranking among the top first-quarter tours in the world, Winter Jam has helped provide a powerful platform for the Gospel in major arenas around the country since 1995.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, 19 albums, 20 Number 1 Christian radio singles, a Number 1 mainstream AC hit, a GRAMMY® nomination and induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, alongside numerous other achievements, NewSong is among the most respected artists and mentors in Christian music today.
For more information, click here or here. Follow the tour on Twitter and Instagram @winterjamtour.