The [Speechless] Tour
Begins With Night One
In Roanoke, Virginia
2/28/26
Parkway Church On The Mountain - Roanoke, VA
By Cody Cooksey
John 16:33
The Christian music industry has evolved into a variety of genres over the last few decades, defining itself as an art that can be enjoyed by anyone who is a fan of anything, making it an ideal way to share the Gospel. The 1990s shared this accomplishment with a variety of artists such as DC Talk, Amy Grant, and notably Steven Curtis Chapman, who is celebrating 25 years of his Grammy Awarded album [Speechless].
Parkway Church on the Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia was a beautiful setting to kick off night one of “[Speechless] The Tour”. The church was packed with a nearly sold out audience of fans old and new, all eager to hear [Speechless] in its entirety. Show Hope, founded by Steven and his wife Mary Beth, was the sponsor of the evening. They provided stories of adoption and ways to get involved and become a sponsor, showing another side to the empathetic singer. You can find more information about Show Hope HERE.
The night began with Steven Curtis Chapman making his way to the stage with his band, composed of a string quartet and band members who have been on the road with Steven for many years. They began with “Dive”, a fan favorite that everyone immediately jumped out of their seats for. This song began the “[Speechless]” album set, as Steven played each song from the album in order. This added to the specialty of the evening, as the audience had the opportunity to hear favorites such as “Dive” and “Great Expectations”, alongside deep tracks such as “Fingerprints Of God” and “Be Still And Know”. Steven spoke in between some of his songs, offering insights to his personal life with fun tidbits such as the fact that he is a rambler who goes on and on (the audience did not seem to mind). Nearly every song was accompanied by beautiful strings provided by the band's quartet, as well as Steven’s acoustic guitar.
After Steven concluded “[Speechless]”, part two of the evening began, where Steven played hits from his entire discography. Some notable songs were “The Great Adventure” (which Steven had hinted at earlier in the set, telling the audience to “saddle up”), “Live Out Loud”, and “Cinderella”, which he invited the crowd to dance to with their kids, spouses, or anyone around, as it is a known wedding song. This show was filled with songs of praise and stories to resonate with. Steven made it clear that Jesus is the reason for it all, as he gave a good reminder to everyone that we are to “take heart, for He has overcome the world” (John 16:33). Thank you Steven Curtis Chapman for having us come and witness an anniversary show that is not to be forgotten anytime soon.
