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Writer's pictureJaela Deming

December 14, 2023: The Epitome of Showmanship...For King and Country!!!

Updated: Jun 26

Flashing lights, pounding drums, unique wardrobes, energetic performances, incredible sets, unexpected surprises...now presenting, For King and Country! This Christian, multi-genre duo of Australian brothers provides their ever-expanding audiences with concerts that won't easily be forgotten. (For those of you familiar with the name Rebecca St. James, these guys are two of her younger brothers)


Full of Christmas spirit with songs like Heavenly Hosts, Go Tell It on The Mountain, and of course, their iconic Little Drummer Boy, their San Antonio concert also featured some of their other top hits such as God Only Knows, Fix My Eyes, and their contagiously-upbeat hit, JOY! We went to our first For King and Country concert a few years ago and were blown away by every aspect of their performance. This year was no different! Even Mom, Dad, and the littles, who aren't overly familiar with their music, had an absolute blast. You can't help but leave their concert with a smile on your face.

(Any pictures in this post that have the band's emblem at the bottom of it are the professional photos taken that night and made available for free through Compassion International, which partners with this duo to spread awareness of child poverty. The other photos, along with all the videos, are our poor attempts to record this incredible performance)


I absolutely love this picture!


These Aussie-boys have a problem with American Christmas classics clashing with their Australian childhood reality: I’m dreaming of a white Christmas = “You better believe you’re dreaming! Christmas is likely a barbeque on the beach.” Chestnuts roasting on an open fire = “If there’s an open fire in Australia, it’s a bush fire! You turn and run the other way, not stop and write a song about it.” Frosty the Snowman = “Who is Frosty and where is he? The best we can manage is Freddie the Sandman!” According to Joel, when they immigrated to the U.S. in 1991, their first Christmas was a white Christmas and "our little boy brains fell out of our heads!" So fun to hear the comparison of Australian Christmases to our Christmases... although our family's finding that Texan Christmases are much more like Aussie ones than Midwest ones, LOL!


Bustin' some moves!

Apparently, that quirky instrument Joel is playing is a keytar...a cross between a keyboard and a guitar

Luke's looking a little tired, LOL

Brothers who have stood together through many trials

Singing about how Christ left his heavenly crown out of love for us

The full band performing front and center (although the violinist is hidden behind Joel in this picture)

High above the crowd

Hamming it up for the camera :)

I have to admit, it was really fun to watch Luke's coattails whipping around throughout the concert

Joel found himself a cowboy hat and sang a verse of Go Tell It on the Mountain in a good-ol'-Texan accent...so fun!

The shepherds feared and trembled, when lo above the Earth, rang out the angel's chorus that hailed our Savior's birth

Their set was absolutely incredible!

Nap time, LOL

Luke's oldest son Phoenix is now touring with his father and uncle as their official LIttle Drummer Boy!

How can you not 'choose joy' when they're shooting brightly-colored confetti all over the place :)

JOY was a perfect song to end a wonderful show

Bidding the lovely city of San Antonio farewell

God Only Knows is one of my favorite songs by these folks. This is just the cool outro/ending of the song, but definitely check out the rest of that song!


Their popular hit, "Burn the Ships" speaks of hope and fresh starts after addiction and shame-filled pasts...

The title says it all in "God is With Us"...



As Christians, we are soldiers who are called to 'Fix Our Eyes' on Christ while we fight life's battles...


I think Joel has a wonderful voice, not just for singing, but also for touching monologues. I have always loved the monologues he does during "Proof of Your Love," and got shivers down my back the first time I listened to this Christmas monologue when we went to our first For King and Country concert. I've listened to it many times since and it never grows old. Some of his statements are profound, especially in this modern world...


The Christmas monologue was a perfect segway into their epic, award-winning cover of Little Drummer Boy, followed by an encore of JOY! (Mom accidentally ended the video about a minute too soon...oops)



Last, but not least, just a quick announcement that their movie Unsung Hero is being released on April 26, 2024! They showed the trailer, and we are hoping to see it. The movie portrays the early days of the Smallbone family, and how they immigrated to America with 6 kids...only for their father's job to fall through, leaving them with nothing but faith. With Luke as a director and Joel playing the role of their father, this movie is yet another result of these Aussie brothers' strong bond. (This movie is coming on the heels of one of their more recent songs by the same name, honoring their Mum's role in their life.)





All right, that's it for now :)


Until next time, God bless!



Had to share this random meme I came across while getting the link to Little Drummer Boy...Made me laugh

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