It has been an interesting tour thus far now that we are on our penultimate day. Sorry, that is a word I use when I could use a more common phrase and blend in, but it makes me think I’m smart, even though I’m talking to many who are way smarter than me. Regardless, if you’ve never heard it before, penultimate means next to final. Ok, I’m done being condescending now, I’d like to apologize on behalf of my brain.
In choral sets the penultimate song is called the setup. It’s job is to provide a reprieve for the audience for a moment before the energy of the closer knocks them out of their seat. It’s the eye of the storm that provides contrast so that all of the emotion of the set can come to a peak.
And so today sets as the perfect setup. We have had a lot of different types of churches this tour and, in general, the crowds have been pretty generous in size. Some have been really big and may even rival homecoming in attendance (though not in energy – not. even. close). All of that energy that we have been accustomed to so far died down a little on the penultimate day. There was nearly no crowd that New G itself didn’t draw.
I’ve gone on 11 tours with New G now, and I’ve been in a lot of powerful performances, but the most powerful was in front of a crowd of three people. It was at 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham back in 2017, poetically on the same tour as this one. It came out of nowhere, the kids just picked up on something ineffable (doh! I did it again) and it just couldn’t be contained.
This performance wasn’t like that. The difference is that there is a surgical precision to this sermon and this group of kids. They are just consistent, professional, and give the same amazing performance every single time regardless of the size of the audience. I am convinced they believe that it is worth it to give that quality of performance to even just an audience of one person, to just lavishly pour out God’s love. So if this is the calm before the storm…
I’m a little concerned.
Well, we’ve had our setup performance. Get ready for a barn burner. We all are. We love you all!
Signing off, Joseph
Click Image for Additional Pics
Click Image for Daily Recap
Remaining Schedule
Sing-Out – Wyatt Park Christian Church
NG Singer/Parent Tour Meeting 2026
Tour Day 15 – Wagoner OK to St. Joseph MO – Homecoming
Of the 43 years I have lived, this has been the hardest year of my life thus far. In January, the home remodeling store that Emily and I owned went out of business. Longer story than I have time to tell here, but it happened. To say it was hard isn’t really right. It...
Tour Day 14 – Amarillo TX to Wagoner OK
Wagoner, OK. Day 14. I’m going to keep it short and sweet tonight, folks. We are on the penultimate day of tour, and today was quite a way to spend our last performance on the road. I have been to a lot of churches with New G on tour, but I can honestly say that I...
Tour Day 13 – Albuquerque NM to Roswell NM to Amarillo TX
Today was a very special day for our singers. They were introduced to what has affectionately or unaffectionately become known as “Joseph’s Morning Song”. It’s my special obnoxious alarm clock I grace the singers with no more than once per tour. With the veteran...
Tour Day 12 – Prescott AZ – Albuquerque NM
Friends, I am in Albuquerque in an un-airconditioned fellowship hall with 20 teenagers. It is a time-honored tradition to suck it up sometimes and just have some man cave time on tour (or girl cave time…all this time being married to Emily and what they do over there...
