Cross-posting this review of the Jonny Lang/Dave Barnes concert Thursday night. Both artists fill an odd niche of Christian music that isn't necessarily "Christian music". See this review of Barnes' latest CD for an overview of what I might be talking about there.

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Just back from catching Jonny Lang and Dave Barnes in concert. And aside from some of the buggy quirks of the Verizon, it definitely met expectations.

Coupla critical notes up front. Maybe it's just me, but I thought Barnes' 40-something minute set was a tad too short. Maybe I'm of that opinion because he left out "Nothing Fancy" from the list, opting for the more Office-friendly ballad of "On a Night Like This." Likewise, Lang omitted some of his early secondary hits/cult faves like "Missing Your Love" and "When I Come To You."

All that said, I'm pretty sure the crowd just wanted to see the kid rip it up on guitar. And on that score, he didn't seem to leave anyone disappointed. I tend to be a bit more appreciative of guitar players that are a bit looser on stage than Lang, but there's no doubt he's got enough talent to take in live. Never imagined Lang's tone coming from a Les Paul, but he seemed to play that for about half the night. And after enjoying his latest gospel-tinged CD, it was incredible to finally get to hear some of those songs live. Oddly, I suppose, one of the draws of Lang to me is his voice. From his first album on, it always struck me as a bit unnatural that someone so young could sing the way he does. The guitar work, though, is a huge bonus.

Barnes definitely managed to impress. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have his latest album for download, so I'll have to wait and pick up some of those songs when they ultimately get added. But he managed to represent some of his earlier work rather well in the set, so I'm not hurting for new tunes based on some favorites picked out at the show (Someday, Sarah was definitely a great, upbeat number). It's not entirely clear to me whether Barnes is aiming for a category more like that of Lang or that of a more mainstream Chris Tomlin (Tomlin's producer did Barnes' latest release) or Third Day. Either way, he's one to check out if you get a chance. Just might be nice to know he's got a solid niche that'll keep him recording albums for many years to come.