‘(Until)’: A Celebration of the Music of Keith Green, with Lars Carlson at Heart of The City

When Keith Green died in a plane crash in 1982, he had already transformed the landscape of Christian and worship music in the United States — for professional choirs as well as for those just learning to play piano and guitar. During his brief 28 years on Earth, Keith brought strength, passion, and authenticity to what became known as Contemporary Christian Music and provided a songwriting treasure trove that has been mined by future musicians for four decades.

Lars Carlson was only 9 when news of Keith Green’s death was released. He hadn’t yet begun teaching himself piano and guitar — or writing songs — but when he was introduced to Keith’s music at age 16, the heartfelt lyrics began to sink in. By the time he graduated high school, Lars already had begun as a traveling revivalist musician, operating a monthly Christian Coffeeshop, and working through Keith Green’s oeuvre and legacy. In the decades since, Lars has become a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter who performs over 200 shows per year, and serves up a sonic jambalaya of acoustic blues, folk, gospel, roots rock, and soul. He is as much at home leading ecumenical worship services as he is playing in piano bars or leading outdoor community festivals.

During those shows in all those different settings, Lars has turned to about two dozen Keith Green songs for inspiration: from “Rushing Wind,” to “My Eyes Are Dry,” to “(Until) Your Love Broke Through.” Audiences in secular settings have found themselves as moved as congregations in churches. And often, afterwards, someone would come up and say, “I had always wished I had the chance to see Keith live, and that wish was fulfilled this morning when you sang that song.”

In commemoration of the nearly 42 years since the plane crash – and in celebration of what would have been Keith’s 70th birthday – Lars Carlson and the Heart of the City Music Factory are teaming up for a one-night distillation of those inspirational songs. ‘(Until)’: A Celebration of the Music of Keith Green, with Lars Carlson, will feature a reworking of Keith’s classics by Lars’s full band, with the most intimate selections performed stripped down to vocal and piano – as Keith would have wanted.

Tickets are $25.00 in advance and $30.00 at the door. Seating is general admission and doors open at 6:30 PM. Concessions will be available for sale during the concert.

The Music Factory is located on the 2nd floor of the WWI era Old Milk Factory on the Rum River in Anoka. It is not a wheelchair accessible building and there are some stairs to climb.

*For attendees in groups of eight or more who want to sit together, please feel free to contact us in advance and we are willing to set aside a group of chairs in the back seating section of the main room floor for your group. We don’t do group discounts.