An Evening with Amy Grant- Songs/Stories/Memories
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Appleton, Wisconsin, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
It’s incredibly easy to take for granted the fact that Amy Grant has been an active recording artist for half a century at this point. In fact, it’s easy to take a lot of things for granted when it comes to Amy Grant. Much of this can be attributed to her unassuming humility and the wholesome nature of her records, both in and outside the contemporary Christian music genre. But a closer examination of Grant’s eventual ascendence to the pop music A-list in the 1990s reveals a body of work and a cultural identity that today deserves more reverence than it typically receives. There’s not a single artist in popular music history that has so seamlessly navigated between the worlds of top-forty pop and CCM/gospel, and assembled a career that was able to so succinctly balance and satisfy both realms. In the early 90s, particularly with the smash singles from 1991’s Heart In Motion, she was delivering some of the fiercest pop anthems on the airwaves, and the reputation of those songs more than holds up over three decades later. And through her social causes, liberal viewpoints, and own personal strife, Grant helped redefine what a Christian woman would be viewed as in a contemporary world. Yes of course, her 1999 divorce cast her as a rebel only by the traditional standards in the Christian community, but there’s no discounting the level of scandalous blowback she received for it. In the process, she fought back against the self-righteous religious hypocrisy that blinds so much of America, seemingly more-so today. Ultimately, it only elevated her status as a progressive voice whose messages both on and off her records provided a much-needed cultural bridge between secular and spiritual spaces.
Personally, I for one have never taken Amy Grant’s music or impact for granted. By way of her 1990s trilogy (Heart In Motion, House of Love, and Behind the Eyes), as well as her classic first two Christmas records, her powerfully unique voice was a mainstay of my childhood. She was one of many artists with whom my parents pivotally soundtracked my youth. Those are some of the special records that instantly transplant me back in time to my youth when I hear them. So, when it was announced that Grant’s latest tour would be stopping almost literally in my backyard, I knew I had to get my mom and I tickets as an early Mother’s Day gift. Yesterday’s show proved to be a cherished nostalgic opportunity for her and I to enjoy selections from that period of Grant’s career that connect us, as well as appreciate a deeper portion of her catalog, secular and otherwise, that I had never thoroughly explored before. And with only five days remaining until the release of The Me That Remains, the artist’s first new studio set in over a dozen years (of which I am quite excited for based on the promo singles), we also got to experience Grant’s next musical chapter, and learn the stories behind it.
At age 65, Grant quickly proved that time and age has done nothing to impede her graceful ability to command both a stage and a microphone. Yes, her voice is understandably lower and more weathered than it was decades ago, but its special resonance and character is no less powerful. The band that flanked her was excellent. Lead guitarist Jerry McPherson brought those 80s/90s-tastic guitar riffs like the one on “I Will Remember You” to life with palpable electricity and dexterity. Background vocalist Gene Miller dutifully covered Peter Cetera’s half of the duet on “Next Time I Fall In Love”, a Hot 100 No. 1 from 1986 that served as Grant’s breakthrough to the pop scene. She humbly bestowed much credit upon her two excellent back-up vocalists, Kim Keyes and Tatiana Hancheroff, thanking them for the support they provide to help her hit the high notes of big pop choruses like “Baby Baby” and “Every Heartbeat”.
But make no mistake that Amy Grant was undoubtedly the show anchor and centerpiece that she should be on her own headlining tour. She brought a cozy and confessional intimacy to her interactions with the audience in between songs, sharing stories of how she fell in love with her well of musical influences, from 60s and 70s folk to 80s rock/pop, and of course the gospel music that tracked her journey in faith during her college years. She also opened up about the challenges of the past several years that have helped form upcoming album, The Me That Remains, whether it be her scares with open-heart surgery or a frightening brain-injuring bicycle accident, or the hostile social and political scene that has overtaken American culture. And of course, she shared stories tethered to her Christian faith and how it has informed her life experiences and perspective. Per usual, Grant was never preachy in this regard, instead conveying a moving element of humanity and grace that is just as relatable to an atheist as a washed-in-the-blood church-goer, or a Republican or Democrat. As ever before, Grant stands tall as an artist of unity and love, even when she inches toward today’s tumultuous political battle lines on current single, “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)”, which in my mind will stand as one of 2026’s greatest singles, and a newly minted folk classic for future generations. The title track, “The Me That Remains” is equally strong; a soulful and ever-timely reminder to practice self-grace and compassion during troubled personal times.
Outside of those two impressive new tracks, the rest of the set-list was fully devoted to Grant’s previous decades of music, and thoughtfully balanced between her CCM and full-blown pop years. Yes, I wish there had been a few more of her core 90s songs included; tracks like “Oh How the Years Go By”, “Big Yellow Taxi”, “Lucky One”, “House of Love”, and “Takes A Little Time” would have been very welcome (and I would have died if she had dug deep for my fave HIM album cut of hers, “Hats”). Nevertheless, “Baby Baby”, “Every Heartbeat”, “Good For Me”, “Ask Me”, “Turn This World Around”, “That’s What Love Is For”, “The Power”, and encore finale “I Will Remember You” more than fulfilled this need and were every bit the powerhouse highlights I’d expected them to be. Meanwhile, the CCM and gospel offerings were equally powerful, proving that you don’t need to be a practicing Christian (of which I am not) to feel a connection with this music. You can partially credit that to the fact that Grant has always invoked even her spiritual material with an undeniable pop contagion (look no further than “Sing Your Praise to the Lord”), but mostly to the power of Grant’s voice, as well as an artistic POV that has always prioritized love, compassion, and unity above any complicated religious rhetoric. In other words, the elements intended to be the proper pillars of Christianity, and just general human existence.
This concert was a delightful and inspired afternoon journey through Amy Grant’s deservedly beloved catalog of music, and one that is clearly not complete in its storied evolution. Not only was the music entertaining and moving, but it was a wonderful event to share with my mother that will easily rank as a favorite among the many concert experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have. It’s a special addition to my fandom of Amy Grant’s music, and yet another contribution from her that I certainly won’t take for granted.
Set List:
Act I
- “Stay for Awhile”- from The Collection (1986)
- “Shadows”- from Lead Me On (1988)
- “Walk on Water”- from Behind the Eyes- 25th Anniversary Edition (2022)
- “Saved by Love”- from Lead Me On (1988)
- “The Power”- from House of Love (1994)
- “Ask Me”- from Heart In Motion (1991)
- “Somewhere Down the Road”- from Behind the Eyes (1997)
- “That’s What Love Is For”- from Heart In Motion (1991)
- “1974”- from Lead Me On (1988)
- “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)”- from The Me That Remains (2026)
- “The Next Time I Fall”- from Solitude/Solitaire by Peter Cetera (1986)
- “Baby Baby”- from Heart In Motion (1991)
- “Every Heartbeat”- from Heart In Motion (1991)
Act II
- “Good For Me”- from Heart In Motion (1991)
- “Til We Get It Right”- from The Me That Remains (2026)
- “Overnight”- from Somewhere Down the Road (2010)
- “Turn This World Around”- from Behind the Eyes (1997)
- “Angels”- from Straight Ahead (1984)
- “Straight Ahead”- from Straight Ahead (1984)
- “Jehovah”- from Straight Ahead (1984)
- “The Me That Remains”- from The Me That Remains (2026)
- “Thy Word”- from Straight Ahead (1984)
- “El Shaddai”- from Age to Age (1982)
- “What About the Love”- from Lead Me On (1988)
- “Lead Me On”- from Lead Me On (1988)
- “Sing Your Praise to the Lord”- from Age to Age (1982)
- “Find A Way- from Unguarded (1985)” **Encore**
- “I Will Remember You”- from Heart In Motion (1991) **Encore**
- “The Me That Remains” (reprise)- from The Me That Remains (2026) **Encore**
The 706 
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