By Allison Stewart
Chicago Tribune
Of all the bands in the two-decades-plus history of Christian music package tour Winter Jam, it’s possible nobody has ever been as crossover-beloved as Skillet. The Tennessee-based group, which returns to the tour for its third headlining run, is one of the few hard-rock bands that still sell albums — to secular fans, or Christians, or anybody.
Florida-based rapper KB (born Kevin Burgess) also regularly lands atop both the Christian and the rap charts. LA-based John Crist, a stand-up comic who became a viral sensation thanks to videos like “Road Rage in the Church Parking Lot,” often headlines mainstream comedy clubs.
All three acts move easily between secular and Christian worlds. In an increasingly fragmented entertainment landscape, this ability is necessary, and harder than it looks.
In separate interviews, Winter Jam performers Crist, KB, and Skillet frontman John Cooper (whose wife Korey is a multi-instrumentalist in the band) talked about life on one of music’s most successful, least debauched tours.
The following are excerpts from that conversation:
On being the most offensive acts at Winter Jam, at least in theory
John Crist: If I do a comedy club, I’m like the cleanest, most family-friendly, most wholesome comedian. But I do Winter Jam and I’m this bad, edgy, what’s-he-gonna-say, inappropriate comedian. It’s like, oh please, you all gotta relax.
John Cooper: I think we’re one of the few artists that enjoy being in both worlds, and feel at home in both worlds. There’s a part of me that probably feels even more natural in a rock ‘n’ roll setting, only because our music is pretty edgy and loud, and there are people sometimes at Christian events who go, “Wow, this is too much.” Or, “They’re too crazy.” I grew up with Christian music and I love it. I’m comfortable being myself no matter where I go. I can talk about Jesus at a mainstream rock show, opening for Slipknot, and I’m also comfortable realizing that I might be scaring a few people at Winter Jam.
KB: My core audience is young people, like, 18-30. It’s encouraging when you have some 60-, 70-year-old young white ladies who (tell me after the show), “I didn’t think I was into hip-hop, but I guess I am, thanks to you.”
What it’s like interacting with the rest of the acts on the tour
KB: We’re together for three months, so we’re either gonna be friends or these kind of weird co-workers.
Crist: I’ve been on tour by myself in a lot of ways. Since I started doing comedy, maybe a merch person or another comic would come with me. This tour is 150 people, so it becomes more like a family. Although I’m the only comedian, I have conversations with John Cooper from Skillet or Kari Jobe about being a performer and being in the public eye. Obviously our careers are different, but it’s the same in a lot of ways.
On how life turned out vs. how they thought life would turn out
Cooper: When we first got married, we agreed we would not have kids when we were on the road. I thought we’d play out Skillet, have some fun, we’ve been called to do this, this is our destiny, whatever. We’ll do it for five, 10 years, then Skillet will be over because no one will care anymore, and then we’ll have kids. It just kept going and going. There was certainly a time when I felt having kids on the road would be a really bad idea, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
KB: I never had any dreams of being a rapper, ever. That was not on the radar at all. After I became a Christian my whole world changed. Before that, I was a student. I was hoping to be a businessman one day.
On being typecast as a Christian act
KB: If you want to be in the mainstream, it’s probably not a good idea for you to go and do Winter Jam. If 50 Cent wanted to start rapping about doves and veganism, it would be hard for him to get away from his gangsta rap title. It’s always been in hip-hop that people are trying to understand you, and they put you in categories. Those categories do have limits to them, but there’s nothing that doesn’t have limits. There’s no box-less experiences in music.
Crist: If there’s any knock on the Christian faith, it’s that if (an artistic work) is Christian, we just universally accept it. And if it’s not Christian, we universally just say, “Get it out.” That’s why a lot of people in the Christian faith are obsessed with asking, “Are you a Christian band, or are you just a band that’s Christian?” Or, “Are you a Christian comedian, or are you just a comedian that’s Christian?” Because if you’re a Christian band, you’re playing by this set of rules. You’re not going to swear, you’re not going to mention these certain topics, I can listen to this with my family, versus a believer that’s an artist of some sort.
Cooper: One time we were opening for Shinedown, one of our first major rock tours, and (a reviewer said), “The opening band was OK, but their singer looks more like he belongs in the Backstreet Boys than in a rock ‘n’ roll band.” It was meant as a real derogatory thing. It’s like, OK, you’re a Christian, you’re too pretty, and you’ve got two girls in the band. No one will take you seriously. I just thought it was cool, you know?