Tyson Motsenbocker performs in the LaHaye Events Space

A hush fell over the darkened room, bare and empty except for the black-clothed stage. Neon lights covered the faces of the concertgoers as they sat in groups of two on the floor, quietly talking to one another. A subtle ambience draped the LaHaye Event Space at Liberty University.

It did not stay that way for long. 

Lights and moods shifted as artists clambered onto the stage. The silent space erupted into peels and twangs of guitars and harmonicas. 

There was no set genre at the Tyson Motsenbocker concert Friday night. Both he and Cole Loomis, the opening act, spanned the spectrum of musical possibilities, playing soft, heartfelt songs and songs reminiscent of 90s rock. The colored lights changed as often as the tone of music, matching the moods of the songs.

When Loomis took the stage, sporting an all-black ensemble to match the curtains, blue lights washed over the room. It was appropriate for his set list, made mostly of mild and sad songs. He laughed and acknowledged this to the audience, claiming that though he did write sad songs, he did not lead a depressing life.

“I sing a lot of sad songs,” Loomis said, “but I’m a happy guy. Gotta get the
angst out.”

He was a one-man band, somehow strumming his guitar and playing the harmonica simultaneously. His songs displayed a soft, melancholy edge and in his words, they were “sad, but happy in the end.”

As he sang about coming to college, orange light poured over the space. Blue and purple took its place as he sang slowly and sweetly about his girlfriend. Finally, a bright red shone as he finished his set with a hopeful, nostalgic ballad about home.

Macy Hrncir | Liberty Champion
Concert— Motsenbocker performed songs from his new album “Letters to Lost Loves.”

The crowd stood to its feet as Tyson Motsenbocker entered the stage to play songs from his new album, “Letters to Lost Loves.” Shooting the breeze with a few audience members, he reminisced about his time playing with bands Switchfoot and John Mark McMillan. He tuned his guitar and slid right into a song about broken love. 

Electropop “Rust” faded into rock “Can’t Come Home Again” as the blue lights faded into teal. The concert took a romantic twist when Motsenbocker played “Always,” a slow love song.

As soon as he strummed the first chord, two people in the crowd screamed. Motsenbocker paused the show to chat with them, learning they had danced to that song at their wedding.

A powerful moment came when the band played “In Your Name,” a song
Motsenbocker  himself    called  “controversial.” Its lyrics about expectations and the power of prayer nearly deafened the crowd. Riddled with anecdotes, it was a plea for justice straight from the singer’s heart.

After such an emotional moment, Motsenbocker played a game with his keyboardist, continuing a tradition during each performance to make up a song on the fly. They took a poll of the audience and elected to create a slow, sad song akin to music in a jazz club. 

That transitioned into a song about patient love, perseverance and the thought that everything will happen when it happens. 

Macy Hrncir | Liberty Champion
LIGHTSHOW — Colorful lights shined on the stage, changing with the mood of the song.

In some downtime in between songs, Motsenbocker took a moment to talk about the man who gave him the last $500 needed to create his first album. He remembered some crucial advice the family friend had given him before he launched into music, something he has kept with him during those lonely nights on tour.

“No one cares about what you do, but if you find people who love you, then that answers the question of loneliness,” Motsenbocker said. “It means so much to me that you all came.”

The next song started out hungry, angry and bitter. Even through the rough, dark scales, there was a hint of magic within the chords. The song reeked of nostalgia, pain and longing until the end, when the lights and chords became lighter and more upbeat.

He practically screamed the words, “I want better days to miss.”

Finally, the last song encouraged faith and hope. Like something to be played at a graduation, the electric rock song gave solidarity and praised staying on solid ground when the world gets shaky.

There is hope for the future, the song said. The whole concert echoed this sentiment.

For more information about Cole Loomis and Tyson Motsenbocker, check their Facebook pages and find their albums wherever music is sold.

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