Pillar & Behold The Beloved Concert Review - October 2025

Pillar, an unstoppable force in Christian Rock, is one of my favorite all-time bands. When I heard that they were coming to The Junction Center in Manheim, PA, I knew I had to get tickets! Pillar had been on a hiatus since 2015 until a string of concerts in 2024 and 2025. The full crew of Noah Henson, Michael Whittig, Rob Beckley and Lester Estelle II came to rock, with the addition of J.R. Bareis (Love & Death, Spoken) on guitars and backing vocals. Originally this show was going to feature Spoken as well, but there were unknown circumstances that removed them from the lineup. Local rock band, Behold the Beloved, was the perfect fit for an opening band - they get the crowd moving and their faith-filled music packs a punch!

John Stafferi from WJTL (the local Christian radio station) came out as the MC for the evening. He talked about how important Christian rock is to him and the impact that it’s had on his life and the ministry of WJTL. He made references to Purple Door Festival and Purple Door Radio, which if you remember those days, yes, you are old! In case you didn’t know, John hosts the show “Some Sort of Rock Show” on WJTL. It plays every Friday night at 10 p.m. and Sunday night at 8 p.m. They play an assortment of talent ranging from Disciple to Rusty Shipp to Nate Parrish and so on. It’s great having local Christian radio that supports heavier music!

Behold the Beloved came out to a packed room. Being hometown favorites, a majority of the crowd was screaming their lyrics. The energy was infectious as they commanded the stage starting with “Toxic Lullaby” and then into “Dear Martyr.” Sean said that he spent the week leading up to the show fighting a cold and sore throat, but this crowd backed him up by singing along. They launched back into the music with “Playing with Fire” and “Untouchable,” a great call and response song. They brought it down a little with “Am I Broken,” which really taps into that feeling of wondering if you're missing something in God's plan or why things aren't working out the way you hoped. On the album, this song features Jon Micah from Kutless and while I wasn’t expecting to see him walk out on stage, I wasn’t sure if maybe we would be surprised by a guest appearance by Rob from Pillar. Unfortunately no, but still a great song and Sean gave a very passionate and heartfelt message about God’s purpose and plan for our lives and loving people in spite of their sin. 

They wrapped up their set with “Live Again,” “Clenched Fists,” and “Gratitude.” It felt incredibly encouraging being in that room with other believers who were worshipping together. Moments like this make us long for when we will finally see Jesus face to face and worship before Him. But for now, this is the closest to worshiping in Heaven while we’re still on earth. Great way to finish the set and if you honestly believe that Christian rock is not as strong as it used to be, you have another thing coming. Behold the Beloved is one of those bands on the rise and I’m so excited for their future and the future of Christian rock.

After a set change, it was time for the main event! I can’t remember the last time I saw Pillar, but excited was a mild word to describe the anticipation for a show that was a decade in the making. The stage went dark as the guitars started to hum and Lester made his way out to start banging on those drums. The crowd roared with excitement and anticipation as Pillar’s logo flashed on the backdrop of the stage. The band immediately launched into their biggest hit, “Fireproof.” Michael, Noah, Lester and Rob graced the stage together as Pillar and brought along J.R. who you might remember from his time in Spoken and Love and Death (with Brian “Head” Welch). J.R. matched Noah in dread flips and sick guitar riffs. They all showed that they haven’t lost a step going from the iconic “Fireproof” into “For The Love of the Game.” The crowd screamed back with every line.

The band and the crowd matched energy levels as they went back into “Hypnotized.” The melodic opening riffs transported me back to 2004 when it was released on “Where Do We Go From Here.” Off the same album, they launched into crowd-favorite, “Simply,” with the audience screaming back “You simply love!” speaking of God’s endless love towards a fallen world.

Rob took a chance for the guys (and himself) to catch their breath. The guys were excited to be playing shows together again. They said that as much as they love playing their own music, they also love playing other people’s music, which led into their cover of “Shine” by Collective Soul. It’s a fun tune that showcases another side of the band. They decided to get back to the “Fireproof” album for their next song, the energetic, rap-infused “Behind Closed Doors.” 

Rob then commented about how they shared the stage with Christian and secular bands, but they love highlighting Christians bands and Christian music. This led into the high energy “Turn It Up,” where the lyrics feature song titles from artists that they’ve played with, ranging from Michael W. Smith and Jeremy Camp to Relient K and Blindside. This is one of my favorite songs because it’s always a blast matching the lyrics with the bands. Between the crunchy guitars and the crowd throwing their hands from side to side, this was a fun song to see live!

Pillar threw themselves into another cover with their rendition of U2’s hit “Sunday Bloody Sunday” off of the “In The Name Of Love” compilation album. Between the rhythmic drum pattern to the distorted guitar riffs that make Noah throw his dreads back and forth, the song is definitely a popular one amongst fans. Then they pulled some songs from their Reckoning album with “The Reckoning” and “Everything.” The southern grittiness of the songs got the crowd head banging along. Even though these songs were over a decade old, they still felt fresh, seeing them played live.

Next up was “We Ride” from their last album, One Love Revolution. I wasn’t too familiar with the song but it definitely had the straight up rock stylings of their other songs, with Revelation themed lyrics. The band was still having a lot of fun as they bounced around on stage laughing and smiling as they rocked out. They closed out their set with two absolute bangers, “Bring Me Down” and “Frontline.” Honestly, their necks had to be sore as they continued to rock out. Earlier in the evening, Rob credited the durability of his voice to being the father of six kids and to his credit, his voice was still keeping up with the demand that these last two songs brought. By then, the crowd was starting to lose their voices from screaming every word!

As the band walked off stage, the crowd wasn’t ready for the evening to end as chants of “one more song” echoed in the venue. It didn’t take long for the band to appease the rampant crowd. They said about how much fun it is to play songs that the fans like and to play covers, but there are songs that they love to play and that’s what they ended with. They finished the evening with “Underneath It All,” an absolute banger. The band showed why they loved playing this song as J.R. and Noah did dueling dread flips. It was a great song to end on.

Overall, it was an amazing show, from beginning to end. All the memories of seeing Pillar in the past came flooding back throughout the evening. There was no way I was missing this show and I had no regrets! It was great to rock out to Pillar live again. This was one of the last shows that Pillar had set for this year, but they did confirm that there will be more shows next year. Here’s to hoping that Pennsylvania is on the list of shows for next year. If you enjoy Christian rock, Disciple and Honor & Glory will be headed to Lancaster to play at The Junction Center in December!

Uprise Festival 2025 Review - Day Three

Day Three of Uprise Festival was upon us and the Rockstar Stage shifted over to the Hip-Hop tent, since the physical stage had been torn down overnight. Since this was a bonus day, the morning started off slow, although we were told there was a worship service in the tent in the morning. I had the pleasure of interviewing both Brotality and Saved By Skarlet before the Rockstar portion of the day began. We got to see our friends Brotality play, always a treat. We first saw them in 2019 at the Creation Festival, when they were teenagers, and they have grown a lot as a band and as individuals. They bring a passion for thrash and groove metal and incorporate their faith into their songs. Aggressive, loud, and invigorating, they had a great mosh pit going on the right side of the tent. Sprinkled in among the songs were some technical issues with Bryce’s guitar, which lent to a cool jam session on bass & drums and a “unique” set, as they called it. During one of the technical interludes, bassist Reese made a passionate plea for the audience to know they are not alone in this life. Brotality is partnered with HeartSupport, a mental health non-profit for the metal community. Fan favorites like “Salting The Wound” and “Blasphemy” were played, and they debuted their brand new single “The Body,” which was released a few days later.

Next was a new band for us, Saved by Skarlet. They were featured in Kingdom Core’s Top 60 Albums of 2024 and this metal band from New England were eager to get up on stage and bring the noise. I find it encouraging watching rockers, both young and old, getting in the mosh pit and keeping the scene alive. Saved by Skarlet also debuted their new song “Memory Relapse,” which is a banger about self-reflection. These guys brought the energy with consistent pacing and guitar riffs that were aggressive and entertaining. For me, the band selection for the Rockstar Stage performances over the course of the weekend was excellent. Each band brought the energy and absolutely lit it up. They kept the pace moving and made sure the crowd was engaged every step of the way. 

While Saved By Skarlet was crushing it in the Rockstar/Hip-Hop tent, Jen enjoyed the opportunity to relax in the early evening light at Main Stage for Elevation Rhythm. We knew a few of their songs, and knew they were high energy, but we weren’t expecting the beautiful time of worship, with songs like “Praises” and “O Come To The Altar.” They even did a fun re-mix cover of Elevation Worship’s “Praise,” a favorite in our household. It was a little awkward watching all five singers try to fit on the stage extension, while singing and jumping about, trying not to run into each other! But they brought the energy for their final song, “Goodbye Yesterday.” However, the crowd was not ready to say goodbye and kicked off the “one more song” chant, leading to another mid-day encore, which is usually a rare thing, but the Main Stage was ahead of schedule with the cancellation of Gio as the opening act for the day.

It was finally time for the Sunday night headliner on the Main Stage, Phil Wickham. Phil was in the area back in July with his summer tour with Brandon Lake where 30,000 people attended the show in Hersheypark Stadium. He kicked off his set with hits like “Battle Belongs” and “This is Amazing Grace.” Throughout the weekend, it was great to hear rock, metal and hip hop, but there was something about ending the weekend with worship that felt like it was thrusting you into the presence of the living God. Phil has this genuine joy that he seems to be fully engulfed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. That kind of joy is infectious to all those who hear and see him. Whether it was singing along to “The King Is In The Room” or “What An Awesome God,” it was absolutely refreshing to be laying it down and allowing God to minister to our hearts and souls.

Uprise Festival 2025 was a great festival. While it won’t replace Creation Festival or Purple Door Festival in our hearts, it’s a solid, fun Christian music festival. There were some disappointments when we heard that Red and Spoken had to drop off as well as Gio, but there were a bunch of highlights. For me, I got to see and meet incredible bands, hear some excellent music and allow my heart to be ministered to by the Holy Spirit through the avenue of music. I would highly encourage you to check out every single one of these bands and to keep your eyes on for next year’s Uprise Festival. Next year, the festival returns to their 2 day schedule, save the dates for September 11th and 12th at Shippensburg Fairgrounds, be there for Uprise Festival 2026.

Favorite Concerts of the weekend:

Garrett - XIII Minutes & Bloodlines

Jen - Disciple & Brotality

Uprise Festival 2025 Review - Day Two

Saturday, the first full day of Uprise Festival, was full of excitement, as there were a mix of familiar bands and new bands to see live! We made the journey back down to the Rockstar Stage with Relentless Flood. This band got the morning rocking and the blood flowing with the southern guitar riffs and uplifting lyrics. They featured songs like “Echoes” and “Away From Me,” After Relentless Flood, it was time for Oklahoma rockers, XIII Minutes. They were rocking the Uprise Festival for the first time and their live show did not disappoint! The audience grew throughout the performance as Jerrod got the crowd engaged. One of the highlights was “Cult Leader,” which had a bit of a punk feel, along with their smooth singing and brutal screams. They took some time to encourage the crowd that if they ever felt alone or disheartened by the recent events, they would take the time to talk to anyone who needed a listening ear. Jen arrived in time to catch the last song “Obsessed” and after hearing one song, regretted not arriving earlier!

Matt Sassano was up next and rocked out hits like “Dear God.” He brought lots of energy, however the sound mix was not in his favor that day. He did offer his own highly anticipated version of the hit Linkin Park song, “In The End,” speaking on how much the song meant to him when he was struggling as a teen. It was encouraging to see how much family support Matt had, with several family members on his crew. Meanwhile over on the main stage, John Reuben came back after a 4 year hiatus, just to perform at Uprise Festival. What a throwback! We were taking a break back at our campsite at that point, but could hear the concert clearly. He featured his hit songs like, “Out of Control,” “Make Money Money,” and “Doin’.” A personal favorite was “Word Of Mouth,” which was catchy & upbeat. He did struggle with his voice going out at one point, but persevered and finished the show. It wouldn’t be a John Reuben show without his most popular song, “Do Not,” closing his memorable set!

If you like 80s hair metal, you NEED to check out Chaotic Resemblance, with their long locks and screaming guitars! They bring a rather entertaining show, but unfortunately, I was only able to catch the last song. However, I’ve seen them in the past and they know how to bring the party, while unashamedly preaching the Gospel from the stage. As the day continued on, we caught Relent on the Rockstar Stage and they brought a ton of energy. They debuted a new song “Holy Forever,” which just released 3 weeks ago. As the temperature heated up so did the talent. It seemed like every band that performed on the Rockstar Stage brought absolute bangers. If you think that Christian rock is on the decline, you need to check again!

After a sit-down interview with The Protest, we were stoked to see Behold the Beloved, a five piece rock band from nearby Ephrata, PA. This band brings out the absolute best in each other and in the crowd. Jeff on guitar proves that he’s a force to be reckoned with and Sean’s lyrics are meant to challenge and uplift the listener, whether the songs are discussing modern day false prophets or bringing your brokenness to God. A good portion of their set was devoted to their newest album, Harsh Realities, with hard rocking songs like “Toxic Lullabies” and “Dear Martyr.” They invited Marshal Huffman, of Relentless Flood, to come on stage to sing John Micah’s part on the song, “Am I Broken.” They rocked hard in the heat, along with the crowd, who ate up every minute of it!

After Behold the Beloved wrapped up, Jen made the trek across the fairgrounds to see fan favorite, Disciple on the main stage. Disciple started a few minutes early, so those who were at the Rockstar Stage missed the first two songs - staples in their discography, “O God Save Us All” and “Radical.” They never disappoint in a live show, bringing intense energy, dueling guitar riffs, and Kevin Young’s unique voice, blending melodies & screams. Highlights of the show were the two singles of the deluxe edition of their newest album, Skeleton Psalms, “If You Say So,” and “Sound the Alarm,” The set slowed down with a passionate plea in “Promise To Live,” encouraging listeners to make a promise to not take their own life and seek hope in Jesus Christ. 

They reprised “Firm Foundation,” from Honor & Glory the night before, and for the first time since we’ve seen them, Disciple was a five piece band! Dane Allen, who joined them on acoustic guitar for their worship band, rocked the house on bass during their heavier songs. After crowd favorites “Dear X (You Don’t Own Me)” and “Bow Down,” left our hearts pumping, the band threw out all of their leftover picks, drum sticks, and set lists. However, the crowd was NOT ready for them to leave. Chants of “one more song!” picked up and wouldn’t relent. It’s very rare that a middle of the day performance receives an encore, but in a scramble of stage managers and crew, Disciple came back on stage, looking confused as to what song to play next! After a brief huddle, and some technical issues turning back on microphones, they rocked the house with the intense, scream-heavy “Panic Room.”

After back-to-back interviews with XIII Minutes & The Protest, Saturday was starting to come down to the end as War of Ages, Seventh Day Slumber and Lacey Strum wrapped up the Rockstar Stage. War of Ages brought their brutal metal sound that has continued to make them an absolute fan favorite anywhere they go. As they introduced the song “Cut Throat” they dedicated it to their late drummer, Kaleb Leubchow who had passed away in 2022. Leroy ended their set with the all-time hit “All Consuming Fire” as he wanted to do some crowd surfing. Thankfully the audience knew their assignment and did their best to keep Leroy moving.

Seventh Day Slumber kept the heat going but with a worship set. They have 3 worship albums now, including our personal favorite, the first worship album, Take Everything, in 2009. It was an incredible rock-heavy take on some of our favorite worship songs. Their set included crowd favorites like “Reckless Love,” “Waymaker,” and “What A Beautiful Name.” Joseph Rojas included a behind-the-scenes story about how he tried to write an original worship song, styling it after popular worship leaders, like Chris Tomlin. After he finished writing it, he felt God asking “Is that everything you have for me?” He went back into his studio and emerged with the title track for their first worship album, “Take Everything.” 

After this set, I was excited because Flyleaf is one of my favorite bands and Lacey Strum was going to close out the Rockstar Stage. We weren’t aware, however, that this would be an acoustic set. She gave a great performance as she danced and swayed across the stage to acoustic guitar, played by her friend Chris. She sang a beautiful, ethereal rendition of “Forever and Ever,” written with Lindsay Sterling, performed by another friend, Melanie. It was a great contrast to what was on that stage throughout the day, although after a busy day it was difficult to stay awake with her soothing, melodic voice. She ended her set and the Saturday Rockstar Stage with fan favorite, “All Around Me.”

On the walk over to Main Stage to catch the end of Zach Williams, Jen made a pit-stop by the crowded Hip Hop stage to take in a few hits from popular rapper, KB. Wow, the crowd was on fire, spilling into the walkway outside the tent, jumping to the infectious beat! We caught a few favorites, “Not Today, Satan” and “No Chains,” followed by a spoken word about how rappers seek money and fame but find themselves alone, wrapped up in chains. We were exhausted by this time and instead of seeing Zach Williams, whom we later heard mediocre reviews on his performance, we decided to call it a night instead.

Overall, Saturday was an incredible day of music & ministry at Uprise Festival! But it wasn’t over yet! Check out our review of Day Three of Uprise Festival.

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Uprise Festival 2025 Review - Day One

I remember the first time I heard about Uprise Festival, in the mid-2000s, back when it was still called Vertical Fest. Scott (Bubba) Brown brought this festival to life, from a small local festival to a huge, multi-stage event. According to Bubba, “We don’t want to just come to a rock concert, we want to be a light.” Twenty years later, Uprise Festival continues to be a mainstay in the Christian festival lineup. This festival brings a blend of CCM, worship, rock, metal and hip-hop to the Shippensburg Fairgrounds every September. The festival is always jam packed with concerts, since it hosts 3 stages - Main Stage, Rockstar Stage, and the Hip-Hop Tent. Festival goers can also enjoy a large food court, kids activities, merch vendors, a 5K run, and tent/RV camping. This year, in celebration of the 20th Anniversary, they extended the festival thru Sunday, instead of the usual Friday & Saturday schedule. Last year, my wife Jen and I attended for the first time, so we were excited to return this year! 

Friday kicked off around lunchtime with Strings & Heart on the Main Stage. They’re a three-brother band based out of Texas and honestly, they sounded great. They had a soothing and relaxing sound, reminiscent of your local coffee shop bands. If you haven’t been to Uprise, the walk from the main stage to the Rockstar stage is the entire way across the fairgrounds. When it’s 80 degrees and the sun is beating down on you, it feels like a much longer walk. So much for cool September temperatures! We were rewarded for our journey with seeing Magdalene Rose, formerly of the sister-fronted band, GFM. Jamming out to songs like “Teeth Eater,” “Modern Genocide,” “Can You Fix Me” and “Shark Spray, ” she started the Rockstar Stage out right! She introduced “Teeth Eater” with an emotional story about her journey with an eating disorder and how surrendering to God helped her overcome it. Magdalene really brought the energy, screaming & singing with passion, while dealing with 80 degree heat on the blacktop. 

After her set wrapped up, I was eagerly anticipating the next band. Bloodlines is an incredible, spirit-driven metal band from the southern tip of Texas. The incorporation of theology and scripture in their lyrics, as well as incredible guitar riffs and brutal drum blasts, lend to Bloodlines becoming one of the next big things in Christian metal. They started their set with the anti-pornography anthem, “Holiness Cries.” It did not disappoint! My one regret during their set was not capturing a video of the wall of death in the pit for the song “Lotus.” This band is absolutely incredible and if you haven’t gotten a chance to check them out, you won’t be disappointed.

Following Bloodlines, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down and discuss music & faith with the band. However, this meant I had to miss seeing The Protest on the Rockstar Stage. While I was talking with the guys, Jen was over at Main Stage watching Leanna Crawford sing her heart out. A Nashville implant from the Northwest, she’s embraced her new hometown by saying “ya’ll” frequently. She’s a breath of fresh air, sharing the stories behind her major hits like “How Can You Not See God” and “Still Waters (Psalm 23).” The crowd all laughed as she said during an acoustic set “I’m going to sing one more song before my band comes back out,” as the band, who was sneaking on stage behind her, looked startled and tried to sneak back offstage quietly! She then launched into a beautiful acoustic version of her breakout hit, “Truth I’m Standing On.”

A highlight of Uprise is the variety of bands and types of music that you’ll see and hear. Honor & Glory took the stage on the Rockstar stage with their blend of rock and worship, to a packed audience. During sound check, Josiah serenaded the crowd with the guitar riffs to Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” Once the show started, they brought their blend of high energy fun with wholesome passion for Christ-honoring music. Fun fact, if you happen to find yourself in Lancaster this December, Honor & Glory will be playing with Disciple at the Junction Center. They included several original worship songs, like “You Are God (When the World is On Fire),” as well as several covers, “Battle Belongs,” and “Firm Foundation (He Won’t).” The latter earned Honor & Glory a Grammy nomination this past year, and is a great, edgier version of the popular worship song. 

Over at Main Stage, Jeremy Camp was kicking off. Jen caught the second half of his set. He packed his set list with crowd favorites, like “Out of My Hands,” which are popular but not particularly memorable. What stood out about his show, other than the fact that he looks like he could bench-press a small army, were the throwback songs he included. Emotional ballads from his past, like “I Still Believe” and “Walk by Faith,” had the crowd in tears. He threw in one of his edgier early hits, “Take My Life,” referencing how his band wasn’t used to playing it anymore. Jeremy closed out the set with his new, rock-forward single, “No Survivors,” which includes the powerful line, “If I’m going to live, then there’s some things that need to die!” Overall, a solid performance. 

Speaking of solid performance, the Main Stage crowd was beyond hyped for the closing act of the night, Skillet. Fueled by pyro and fog blasts, the concert started off with a bang, with “Surviving the Game.” However, the mix of the first few songs left John Cooper & Jen Ledger’s vocals sounding shaky. Thankfully this improved throughout the show. Skillet rocked out hit after hit, including “Rise,” “Feel Invincible,” and “Legendary.” John spoke about the heaviness of the previous week, with the murder of Charlie Kirk, but instead of giving a political speech, he instead pointed the crowd towards the Gospel. Frequently referencing the 20th Anniversary of Uprise Festival, Skillet launched into several throwback hits, like “Whispers In The Dark,” “Comatose,” and a surprise, “Those Nights.” 

For fans who have seen Skillet before, they recognize the trademarks of a Skillet show, the ripping guitars, heavy bass, and Jen Ledger thrashing on the drums. Over the years, they’ve included more elements with John’s CO2 arm blasters, rising guitar platforms, masked cello player, and colorful LED animations. They closed out the set with “Monster” and a guest appearance from Jeremy Camp, who commented afterwards how sweaty John was! Of course, fans expected an encore performance, and Skillet delivered, with a blood pumping rendition of “The Resistance” to end the night.

With the first night wrapped up, we headed up to our campsite to crash into bed, anticipating the adventures the next full day of concerts would bring! Check out our review of Uprise Festival Day Two!