Big Daddy Weave headlines contemporary Christian show at Charleston church

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    CHARLESTON — While Big Daddy Weave may not be a household name in the world of pop music, the Alabama-based quartet is well-known and respected in contemporary Christian circles. Their most successful song to date, “Redeemed,” was No. 1 on the Christian music charts for 11 weeks this year and their recent album “Love Come to Life” has already sold 100,000 units.

Contributed photo

    BIG DADDY WEAVE — Pictured, from left, are Joe Shirk, Jay Weaver, Mike Weaver, Jeremy Redmon and Jeff Jones who left the band earlier this year.

    Big Daddy Weave, Chris August and Unspoken will be appearing at the Charleston Pentecostal Church on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
    “We’ve been to Maine quite a few times,” said Big Daddy Weave lead singer Mike Weaver. “We had played outdoors at Chop Point in Woolwich, and it was great! But I love coming to New England. People up there tell it like it is. When you see an audience getting enthusiastic about your performance, you know it’s for real.”
    Big Daddy Weave was formed in 2001 when they were attending the University of Mobile (Ala.), and their first of nine albums was released a year later. Today, they’re one of the 10 most-played artists on Christian radio stations during the past decade.
    The name of the group came about accidentally, according to Weaver. He and his brother, Jay, are both heavyset; and in the Deep South, it’s common to call large males “Big Daddy.” So they simply used the nickname and added a shortened version of their last names.
    “I’ve struggled with my weight for years and there was something unsettling about it,” said Mike Weaver. “But one day while sitting in my basement, I could hear God telling me to start accepting myself. I felt very relieved after that day.”
    Weaver said that he was pleasantly surprised at the success of “Redeemed.” “I thought Christian radio would want something more upbeat,” he explained. “But there must be something about the song that their audience can relate to.”
    The group averages 150 tour dates per year and will be arriving in Maine after a date in Pembroke, N.C. After Charleston, they take off for Seekonk, Mass., Montgomery, N.Y. and Butler, Penna.
    Weaver said that the touring “does get to us at times, but our families are so supportive. We try to go for 10-12 days at a clip and then go home for a while. But this is one trip we’re all going to enjoy. Also, two members of Outspoken are from Maine, so it will be like a homecoming for them.”
    Unspoken is a quartet band comprised of Chad Mattson of Blue Hill, Jon Lowry from Surry, Mike Gomez from the Dominican Republic and Ariel Munoz from Puerto Rico.  The group was initially formed in the Dominican Republic where Mattson met Gomez.  Their song, “Who You Are,” from their first studio album released last year, was a top 10 hit on the contemporary Christian music charts.
    Chris August earned Dove awards in 2011 for New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and his debut single “Starry Night,” stayed No. 1 for six consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Christian/AC chart.
    For more information, visit http://thelighthouseevents.com.