Stryper celebrates 40 years of music at the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, IN
Shipshewana, IN (Sept 21, 2024) – On Saturday evening, worshipers of metal rock and God congregate in the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana for Christian rock band Stryper.
Forming in 1983 as a Christian rock band, Stryper signed a record deal the same year to create their debut EP The Yellow And Black Attack in 1984. Dressed in yellow and black spandex outfits, the foursome set out to convey the message of God and play their rock music. Their claim to fame came in the 80’s with their Billboard Top 40 hits “Calling On You,” “Honestly” and “Always There For You” while they released their 1986 multi-platinum studio album To Hell With The Devil.
Stryper is made up of brothers Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar) and Robert Sweet (drums), Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bassist). The band is full of songs with harmonies and guitar riffs.
In 2024, the band continues on with spreading the word of God while entertaining the masses with sounds of heavy metal ringing through the speakers. Intermittently, throwing out bibles of the New Testament with their Stryper logo sticker on them out to the crowd. The band lives and performs according to the Bible verse shown on stage and all their merchandise, Isaiah 53:5 “by his hand, we are healed.” The year also marks the release of the band’s 16th studio album When We Were Kings just two days after the 2024 tour began.
Their American tour kicked off on Sept. 11th in Greenville, TN and rolls through to Nov. 16th in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 40th Anniversary of Stryper celebrates music from all their albums by performing at least one song from each. The show is broken up into two halves with the first portion celebrating the early years of 1984 to the band’s break up in 1993. After a thirty-minute break, the band returns to the stage to perform songs from their re-uniting in 2003 to present day.
During the first segment, Michael and the band appears on stage decked out in yellow and black outfits to commemorate their debut music releases of “Loud ‘N’ Clear” and “You Know What To Do” from their 1984 The Yellow And Black Attack studio album. After being amazed by how many in the crowd are seeing the band for the first time, they salute “Soldiers Under Command” they sing about “The Rock That Makes Me Roll.”
After throwing out some bibles into the crowd the band continues with their top album to date To Hell With The Devil, with “Free,” “Calling On You” and the title track. While the band wails out all the Stryper classics, the crowd continues to add fuel to the fire and motivate the band for more.
Laughing at the patterns of the 80’s hair bands, Sweet comments “the hair kept getting bigger and higher…I don’t know why. It was like the bands were in competition for the biggest hair.” In the meantime, Stryper created another album in 1988 with In God We Trust that included the title track and the rock ballad “Always There For You.”
As the band exits off the stage for a half-hour intermission, the crowd rushes out of the theater to jump in line for another chance to grab some new merchandise and stretch their legs.
When the band returns to the stage for the second half of the show, the three original members have changed their outfits with Oz and Robert still sporting the Stryper yellow and black attack while Michael comes out in a black-on-black approach.
The second half of the show picks up where the band re-unites in 2003 and continues to make new music. The first song to start it off is the title track of the 2005 album Reborn. Graduating away from the 80’s glam metal or better known as “hair band” sounds, Stryper returns with a much harder metal rock anthem behind them. Continuing on through the years, other songs include “4 Leaf Clover,” “No More Hell To Pay,” “Yahweh,” “The Valley,” “This I Pray” and “No Rest For The Wicked.”
Next is the latest and new release, “When We Were Kings” from their brand-new album of the same name. Before the final curtain drops for the evening, the band end’s their performance with the crowd participating hit “Sing-Along Song” as the crowd sings and waves their hands back and forth high above their heads.
Although it may have been the first time for many in attendance tonight to witness the band live on stage, the crowd this evening left the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center as bigger fans of Stryper and feeling rejuvenated in energy and their faith. Some however felt a bit disappointed to miss out on the biggest song of Stryper’s catalogue “Honestly,” which brought familiarity to many.
If you would like to catch a show or find more information on Stryper or the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, click on the links provided below to stay up to date.
Words by: Leslie Reasoner
Photos by: John Reasoner
Stryper setlist:
Set One:
Battle Hymm Of The Repubic / Loud ‘N’ Clear / You Know What To Do / Soldiers Under Command / The Rock That Makes Me Roll / Free / Calling On You / To Hell With The Devil / In God We Trust / Always There For You / All For One
Set Two:
Reborn / 4 Leaf Clover / No More Hell To Pay / Yahweh / Sorry / The Valley / This I Pray / Divider / No Rest For The Wicked / When We Were Kings / Sing-Along Song
Stryper
Blue Gate Performing Arts Center