3rd annual Victory Fest free concert expected to pack civic center

Tri-parish natives interested in hearing good music from award-winning musicians and an even better message are in luck this month.

The 3rd Annual Victory Fest 2011 will take place Saturday, March 19 at the Houma Terrebonne Civic Center.

Featured in the event will be world famous Christian bands After Edmund and Fireflight, who Victory Christian Center Pastoral Care Director Bobby Autin said would make this year’s event the best in this now 3-year-old event.

“This promises to not only be a fun and energetic night of music, worship and praise, but a night where everyone who comes can hear a salvation message,” Autin said.

After Edmund will arrive in Houma after landing on the national scene with their 2008 debut disc “Hello.”

According to the band’s official website, the group has scored “mounds of critical kudos, toured from coast to coast multiple times over and amassed a continuously swelling fan base from the ground up.”

From that positive reception, the group has also opened for Linkin Park’s famed Projekt Revolution music festival, which featured the likes of Chris Cornell, The Bravery and Hawthorne Heights.

That same energy that propels the group from city to city is what the group’s lead vocalist said Houma fans should expect at the Victory Fest.

“When we get done playing a show, we’ve given all we have to the point that we’re barely able to catch our breath,” vocalist Mitch Parks said on the group’s official website. “No matter how big or small the audience, we’ve always given everything we have and it feels great to see it grow to the point where fans sing the words louder than we do these days.”

Also taking the stage at the show will be fellow Christian rock band Fireflight, who like After Edmund is enjoying their position near the top of the ranks among their genre.

Fireflight is a decade-old rock band from Florida.

After four albums and 14 singles, the group was nominated for its first-ever Grammy Award in Dec. 2010 for the group’s full-length album “For Those Who Wait.”

Giving the group its unique sound and flavor is the band’s singer, Dawn Michele, who has become widely recognized as one of the best female rock singers in today’s music scene.

She said that collectively, it is her group’s mission to provide a positive Christian message in their music for their supports to savor.

“We pray earnestly that God will give us good songs that will be able to help people,” Michele said through the group’s website. “And he’s come through for us, especially in our weakest moments. That’s when we’ve really gotten the best stuff.”

From that basic principle, she also added the group loves interacting with its supporters – no matter how popular the group may continue to be.

That fan-loving image will be on display again when the group rolls through town.

The group directly touches the souls of their followers and prays with fans who “need to talk” after any live shows.

“We work collectively as a band to answer every MySpave and ShoutLife question we get,” Michele said. “We believe first and foremost the Christian faith is relational. We try to show people God’s love, and you just can’t do that unless you care about [the fans].”

Doors for the show open at 6 p.m. with the event officially beginning at 7 p.m.

Autin said since the event’s inception, the popularity of the event has grown substantially, rising from 1,600 people in attendance at the initial event to 2,500 last year.

Autin said he hopes for 3,000 people at this year’s event.

“It’s just growing and growing,” Autin said.

So with Carnival season dominating our attention this month, don’t forget about the Victory Fest 2011.

Autin said those who are in attendance would not regret this opportunity to have clean family fun in the name of Jesus.

“Last year, hundreds were saved and we are praying that even more will come this year to know who Jesus Christ is,” Autin said.

VICTORY FEST

Where: Houma-Thibodaux Civic Center, Houma

When: Saturday, March 19, at 7 p.m.

Cost: Free; love offering to benefit Foreign Missions will be taken

For More Info: victoryhouma.com/

Fireflight features singer Dawn Michele, founder/guitarist Glenn Drennen, bassist Wendy Drennen, guitarist/support vocalist Justin Cox and drummer Phee Shorb.