Schedule:

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023

5:00 p.m: Gates Open

5:30 p.m: Derek Charles Johnson
First and foremost, Derek Charles Johnson is a follower of Christ. The other "hats" he wears in ministry derive their purpose and meaning from his main identity in Jesus.  Musically, he is a songwriter, worship-leader, and recording artist.  Songs are melded with his passion for writing, blogging, and podcasting which take shape in his As Bold As Lions ministry. Derek’s discography includes songs written from a worship leader’s heart.  His albums include "Carry On" (2014), "Seeing For The First Time" (2020) and "Hymns Vol. 1" (2022).  Whether singing old songs or new, the focus of Derek’s music is to present the Gospel. "From hymns I’ve covered to songs I’ve written, I just want to proclaim the Good News.   Everything else aside, I want the listener to be drawn into a place of praise and adoration of Jesus Christ."  He plans to release new music in 2023.  Derek is a Duluth native and appreciates the opportunity to come back to his roots at City On The Hill.  He and his wife Corrie reside in Spring Hill, Tennessee along with their 5 children.

6:45 p.m: Stephen Stanley
Singer/songwriter Stephen Stanley makes music with immediate emotional impact, revealing a depth of talent that comes from years of devotion to his craft. At the age of nine, the Mansfield, Georgia-based artist learned to play his mother’s guitar after suffering an accident that rendered him deaf in his left ear, and quickly uncovered an innate musicality and remarkable gift for melody.
By age 13, he’d added piano and drums to his repertoire, in addition to writing songs and leading worship at the church where his father served as a pastor. Over the last decade, Stanley has honed a distinct and dynamic voice as a musician, bringing both raw emotion and a profound sense of purpose to everything he creates.

8:00 p.m: Skillet
On Victorious, one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, two-time Grammy Award-nominated, Pandora Billionaires Club recipients, multiplatinum Wisconsin quartet Skillet - John Cooper [lead vocals/bass], Korey Cooper [guitar/keys], Jen Ledger [drums/vocals], and Seth Morrison [lead guitar) write the soundtrack to triumph. An undying spirit humbly asserted and affirmed the band as one of this generation’s most successful rock acts. However, as all classic underdog stories do, it happened quietly under the radar. By 2019, they not only garnered a pair of Grammy Award nods and sold over 12 million albums worldwide, but they also took home a Billboard Music Award for the double-platinum Awake. Its breakout single "Monster" remains "one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time" with over 3 Billion global audio streams. 2016’s Unleashed bowed at #3 on the Billboard Top 200. Going #1 on Rock Radio, the lead single "Feel Invincible" cracked 150 million global audio streams and went platinum. Meanwhile, the gold-certified Unleashed became their fourth consecutive album to receive either a gold, platinum, or double-platinum status.

Friday, August 4th, 2023

2:00 p.m: Gates Open

2:30 p.m: Presence Music
Presence Music is a faith-filled pop-worship group from right here in Duluth, Minnesota. What started as a group of local church leaders joining together for a community worship night, has blossomed into a battle-tested group of believers determined to help transform the Midwest for Christ. You will find them leading worship and speaking at Christian summer camps, outreach events, and music festivals. In addition, they have provided direct support for Christian artists such as Cory Asbury, Disciple, I Am They, Stars Go Dim, Ben Fuller, Jason Gray, Remedy Drive, and "The Voice" Winner Jordan Smith. They released their first single "Oh What a Love" in 2021 on all streaming platforms, and are currently working on their first full-length album.

3:15 p.m: Allie Crummy
Allie Crummy is a singer/songwriter based in Des Moines, Iowa. She has a passion for expressing her faith through music, and has served in her local community, regularly leading worship for over 15 years. In her songwriting, she is contemplative - a deep thinker who is well versed in and routinely inspired by Scripture. She does not write superficial or surface-level lyrics; rather her songs reflect the tension between what she believes to be true about God, contrasted with what she sees happening in the world around her, and hopefully will leave the listener with a thought or question to ponder. Allie studied Music Education at Drake University, where she received a classical, conservatory-like education in vocal music. It was there that she stretched herself more as a vocalist, and learned to appreciate the wide variety of singing styles. Her own singing style is mostly a mixture of pop and soul, and is always brimming with emotion. Allie plays the piano and guitar, and is always working to add more instruments to that list (mandolin and banjo are in the works!). You can hear her musical influences come out in her writing - from blues to bluegrass to classical - but in all of her music, she loves to include honest lyrics that point to greater truths about God and finding hope in Him, baked into melodies that are fun to sing.

4:15 p.m: Coby James
"I used to have an issue with writing happy songs. I didn’t know how to."
This statement immediately seems contradictory when you meet singer, songwriter and guitar aficionado Coby James. The exuberant 19-year-old appears as carefree as they come, his smile as big as the heart on his sleeve. One would think his cheerful personality would naturally lead to happy songs. Yet, his first two decades of life have dealt some difficult blows, instilling in him a maturity and inner strength that lends itself to crafting songs out of hard truths versus happy endings. James, however, has channeled his pain into melody, making him something of a prodigy as he writes, produces and performs all of his own music. Happy or not, James is building something far greater than a feeling. He’s assembling relatable moments, packaged in vibrant sonics and carefully curated from a wide range of artistic influences.

5:15 p.m: Leanna Crawford
For the past two and half years, singer-songwriter Leanna Crawford has been writing, touring, and performing with some of the biggest names in the Christian music industry. She’s gained more experience than many artists do in a decade, and while her latest EP certainly displays the vocal and songwriting talent of a rising star in CCM, her grounded and honest lyrics make her feel more friend and confidante than star, more approachable than untouchable.

"I hope feel that I care about them even if I don’t know them," says Crawford, "that they would feel loved and encouraged."
Her honesty and passion for not being enough, yet being enough in Christ, is the message Crawford is passionate about sharing, particularly to young women. She said she actually felt called to minister to young women while she was on a mission trip in Haiti during high school. When she got home, she remembers telling her mom, "I’ve never felt something so strong in my life. This is what I’m supposed to do, and I have no idea what that looks like." Now, as a Christian artist who has the opportunity to tour the country and release songs to encourage girls everywhere, Crawford has certainly discovered what that calling from God would look like.

7:00 p.m: Cain
Spend five minutes with the members of CAIN and you’ll feel like you’ve spent the afternoon in the sunshine. The band’s effervescent joy spills over onto each person they meet, their bright smiles as contagious as their chill-inducing harmonies. Pouring their perpetual joy into their debut album Rise Up, CAIN – made up of siblings Madison Cain Johnson, Taylor Cain Matz, and Logan Cain – has discovered what it’s like to live their calling while doing their favorite thing, singing about Jesus.

Making it to their Rise Up debut didn’t come easily or quickly. Raised in Alabama the kids of pastors, CAIN developed a love for music from an early age. By elementary school, they were integrated into the church service, playing and singing side-by-side, but never pursued music in a serious way. When a college friend alerted them to a contest hosted by Dave Barnes, the prize an opening slot at the Workplay Theater in Birmingham, they quickly worked up a cover of Whitney Houston’s "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and shot a video. Over an eight-week period, the trio kept advancing to the next round, entering more cover songs and videos, until they finally won. "We found out we had to do original songs for the show," Taylor says with a laugh. "We didn’t have a band name, didn’t have any merch, didn’t know how to write a song. We were totally unprepared."

9:00 p.m: Casting Crowns
One of the most enduring and highly decorated bands in the CCM community, Casting Crowns is a Grammy- and Dove Award-winning collective founded and led by youth pastor Mark Hall. Characterized by searing guitar work, uplifting melodies, and super-sized production, the band has won over secular audiences as well as believers via acclaimed LPs like The Altar and the Door (2007), Come to the Well (2011), The Very Next Thing (2016), and Scars in Heaven (2021). Since emerging in the late '90s, Casting Crowns have sold over ten million albums and dominated Christian radio via chart-topping singles like "Lifesong," "Until the Whole World Hears," and "Courageous."

The band formed in 1999 as a student worship group in Daytona Beach, Florida. Led by singer, songwriter, and youth pastor Mark Hall, the group's initial lineup also included violinist Melodee DeVevo and a pair of guitarists, Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes. The musicians relocated to McDonough, Georgia in 2001 and expanded their lineup by adding bassist Chris Huffman, keyboardist Megan Garrett, and drummer Andy Williams. This augmented version of Casting Crowns released two independent albums, both of which were well-received in the Atlanta area. One of the albums then found its way into the hands of Mark Miller, lead singer for the country group Sawyer Brown, who was struck by Casting Crowns' driving pop/rock style plus Hall's vocal delivery of his hard-hitting but devout songs. Miller signed Casting Crowns to his fledgling Beach Street Records, a division of Reunion Records with distribution by the Provident Label Group, and took the group into the studio along with co-producer Steven Curtis Chapman, himself a popular artist on the CCM musical scene.

Saturday, August 5, 2023

12:00 p.m: Gates Open

12:30 p.m: Taylor Marshall
Taylor Marshall is a pop and worship artist from Long Island. Currently based in the Twin Cities, Taylor travels full time as of January 2020. Many of the songs on his debut album were co-written with other talented artists such as Jonathan Lee, Corey Voss, Jeff Deyo, Stephen Witt, and Sam Rodriguez. Taylor wrote on the title track Always Remain (Live) of North Central University Worship Live's 2017 album. This song has been sung all over the world, and became an anthem for the University. A studio version of Always Remain is on Taylor's debut album. This song led to multiple amazing opportunities, including working with producer and artist Ben Gowell on his first studio project.

1:30 p.m: Winona Avenue
Winona Avenue first introduced themselves at the beginning of 2019 as a mix of alternative rock and synth pop. From Indianapolis, Indiana, Winona Avenue is a two-piece band featuring brothers Daniel Deputy and David Deputy. Inspired by 2000s pop punk and 2010s pop rock, frontman Daniel Deputy writes catchy melodies along with uplifting lyrics. In 2021, Winona Avenue released their self-titled debut album on digital platforms. The album’s sound is characterized by electric guitars and synthesizers along with lyrics that revolve around themes of positivity, encouragement, and hope. "I choose to write music that can encourage the listener," says Daniel. "If I didn’t write lyrics that could make a positive difference in the listener’s life, then I’d feel as if I was doing a disservice to the listener. I believe in building others up instead of tearing others down, and music is a tool that can serve this purpose."

2:30 p.m: The Scally Brothers
The Scally Brothers are a dynamic duo from Toledo, OH composed of Jacob and Zach Scally. From an early age they developed a passion for their faith and love of music. In the summer of 2019, the brothers launched their first national tour that stopped in nearly twenty states across the United States of America at various churches, camps, festivals, and fairs. Since then, they have traveled the U.S. sharing their heart for Youth Ministry and Young Adults. The Scally Brothers strongly believe that their mission is to revive the youth of the Church and bring a new energy to its people. A bible verse that is modeled for the duo comes from the book of Philippians.

3:45 p.m: Maddie Rey
Maddie Rey is a 23 year old Christian Recording Artist, Youth Speaker, Author Performer, Dancer, Actress, YouTuber, and overall Influencer. Her music is right on point with today’s generation. Her pop, hip hop, rock, style is packed with powerhouse vocals, licks of rap verses, catchy hooks, and a heart of worship. Through her sound and style she also layers her songs with lyrics such as "It’s not a performance, It’s not about me, It’s about a generation coming to the King". Maddie Rey’s ultimate goal is to lead a generation to the throne of God where they can encounter Him and experience Him like never before. In Maddie’s live performances, she gives her audience a performance they will never forget! As a hip hop dancer, rapper, and singer, Maddie Rey’s performance definitely has the wow factor and is topped off with extreme high-energy that keeps her audience fully engaged and involved. Maddie Rey is definitely coming on the scene with a new passion and energy to engage God in praise and worship.

5:15 p.m: Jordan st. Cyr
Jordan began his musical journey at 14 by writing poems and lyrics that revealed the deeper things of life. He honed his ability as a singer and guitar player and while serving his church as a worship leader, he developed a desire for songwriting and was able to introduce his first songs to the church. Jordan continued to pursue his music career as a worship leader, singer/songwriter and front-man to a rock n’ roll band he formed with his brothers. Releasing 2 band projects and 2 solo albums over this time, he claims this part of the journey as his education. Performing in clubs, coffee houses, churches and youth groups revealed humanity’s deep desire for connection and the hope to find something that’s real. This revelation made it easy for Jordan to leap into Contemporary Christian music wholeheartedly; he knew he wasn’t just pursuing a career, but rather a life calling. Jordan’s most recent accomplishments include 8 nominations and 5 wins at the GMA Canada Covenant Awards in 2019 and 6 nominations in 2020. He is represented by Jeff Roberts and Associates Booking Agency (For King and Country, Zach Williams) and managed by Redbird Artists Agency (Franklin, TN).

7:00 p.m: Riley Clemmons
"What if every broken place I’ve been was a Godsend."  This lyric from the title track of  Riley Clemmons’ second full-length release represents the core of a creative vision that came to her nearly two years before the arrival of her new album, Godsend. The thought-provoking concept sent Riley on a journey through a twelve-track realization that with each of life’s challenges comes a gift and ultimately, a Godsend.

The result is a meticulously crafted, authentic album, with soundtrack-worthy production that features Riley’s skyscraping vocal performances—an undeniable pop sound that fits seamlessly with its  overarching theme. After years in Nashville, songwriting sessions with some of the industry’s elite, touring the country, and releasing music of her own, the 21-year-old has found her stride.  Enter a Global Pandemic. Like everybody else, Riley was stuck at home.  Undeterred, she used the time to learn how to hang dry wall and hardwire equipment in order to build a D.I.Y. basement studio where she made much of Godsend. She knew she couldn’t stop recording. More determined than ever, Riley constructed a place where she could escape to her own personal creative haven.  She collaborated over ZOOM with producer Tedd T [for KING and COUNTRY, Mutemath] and soaked up inspiration from numerous cowriters such as Emily Weisband, Paul Duncan, and more, working to retrofit the music to the title it spawned.

9:00 p.m: Crowder
A Texas-based CCM singer/songwriter known for his wide-ranging fusion of pop, rock, folk, electronic, bluegrass, and hip-hop, David Crowder rose to success in the early 2000s as the leader of the praise and worship group David Crowder Band. Over the next decade, the band racked up numerous Dove Awards for their inspirational rock sound, releasing popular albums like Illuminate (2003), Remedy (2007), and Give Us Rest (2012). Rebranding in 2012 simply as Crowder, the singer launched an equally successful, though more stylistically varied, solo career with 2014's Top Ten-charting Neon Steeple. While no stranger to the top of the Christian albums chart, he had first Billboard Hot Christian Songs number one with "Good God Almighty" from his fourth long-player, 2021's Milk and Honey.

Crowder first stepped into the music industry when he realized that over half of the students at Baylor University, a Christian school that he attended in Waco, Texas, were not going to church. He began to actively recruit students for worship services and started writing songs to draw in more young people. He eventually started releasing the songs, leading to his debut album, 2002's Can You Hear Us? The album was released under the name David Crowder Band, as Crowder was joined by guitarists Jack Parker and Jason Solley, drummer Jeremy Bush, bassist Mike Dodson, and electric violinist Mike Hogan. Their sophomore effort, Illuminate, appeared in the fall of 2003 and was followed a year later by The Lime CD, which comprised two earlier live releases (The Green CD and The Yellow CD) that had been given out to fans who had either pre-ordered prior albums or attended various release parties.

Date: August 3 - 5, 2023

Location:

Bayfront Festival Park
350 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 55802

Click Here For More Information