By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photo
For more than 20 years, Sidewalk Prophets has been creating music that has resonated with listeners through life’s highest highs and lowest lows. This Saturday, July 25, the Dove Award-winning Christian band will bring those songs, along with the stories behind them, to Omaha for a special acoustic concert that promises to be more personal than a traditional performance.
Since forming in the early 2000s, Sidewalk Prophets has become one of Christian music’s most recognizable acts, known for songs including You Love Me Anyway, The Words I Would Say, Live Like That and Smile. Along the way, they’ve performed at iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and even Walt Disney World, while continuing to build a loyal fanbase they affectionately call their “Great Big Family.”
Lead singer Dave Frey said looking back on more than two decades with the band, he’s most struck by how God has remained faithful through every success and setback.
“I think that more than anything, it’s just trust in the Lord,” Frey said. “We’ve gotten to play the Grand Ole Opry and Red Rocks out in Colorado and Disney World… but we’ve also slept in janitor closets and had breakdowns on the side of the road. In the midst of it, God’s always been good.”
That perspective shapes the band’s live performances, especially their acoustic evenings.
Rather than relying on elaborate lighting or a full concert production, Frey said these shows are designed to feel more like spending an evening with friends.
“We call it an acoustic evening, but it’s really just everybody hanging out,” he said. “I get to tell silly stories, fun stories, hard stories, and just be real about what I’ve been walking through.”
Fans can expect to hear not only familiar songs, but also the personal experiences that inspired them. Frey said those moments of storytelling are what make these smaller performances unique.
“It’s more of a hangout,” he said. “I really do love the acoustic opportunity to just actually connect and be in a more intimate venue. I just feel like people walk away hopefully feeling like they know us and that we know them, or have just spent some quality time together.”
Over the years, Frey has heard countless stories from listeners whose lives have been impacted by the band’s music. While many fans have shared memories of weddings, family milestones and celebrations, others have spoken about finding hope during some of life’s darkest moments. Those experiences continue to remind the band that their songs often take on a purpose far beyond what they imagined when they were first written.
That connection has also become increasingly multigenerational. Frey said it’s now common to see parents who first discovered Sidewalk Prophets years ago bringing their own children to concerts.
“I see grandparents and their grandkids all at our shows,” he said. “It really is such a blessing to see that, to know that hopefully our songs can resonate with a 5-year-old or a 95-year-old.”
For anyone attending Saturday’s concert for the first time, Frey hopes they leave with more than just memorable music.
“I hope they just know that they are loved by God more than they could ever fathom,” he said. “I hope that when people leave, they realize that they’re seen, that they’re loved by a love that’s deeper than they could ever fathom.”
As the band prepares to return to Omaha, Frey said they’re looking forward to reconnecting with fans old and new.
“We’re just excited to come back to Omaha,” he said. “We’re excited for people to come and hopefully feel loved on, feel part of this great big family of God, and have an awesome time with us.”
Sidewalk Prophets will perform an acoustic concert on Saturday, July 25 at Community Bible Church in Omaha. Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/acoustic-summer-nights-26-with-sidewalk-prophets-omaha-ne-tickets-1989016398591
