Singer-songwriter Ryan Stevenson (“Eye of the Storm,” “No Matter What,” When We Fall Apart”) is one of the performers featured in the new concert film “K-Love Live at Red Rocks,” hitting theaters for two nights Nov. 6-7. The Fathom Events presentation also includes music from MercyMe, Zach Williams, Jeremy Camp, We The Kingdom, CAIN, Unspoken, Anne Wilson, Blessing Offor, Jon Reddick, and Hope Darst. The footage was captured earlier this year at Denver’s iconic Red Rock Amphitheater and includes artist interviews and behind-the-scenes content.
Stevenson, who is celebrating 10 years as an artist on Gotee Records, recently spoke to Reel Faith’s DeWayne Hamby about the new movie as well as the Christian music community, new music on the way, and his personal gratitude of being a music artist.
What can you tell me about “K-Love Live at Red Rocks”? What was it like filming and how much preparation did it take?
For me, it was just so a lot of emotional and mental preparation. K-Love is so great at what they do. And they do it very excellent. Their team is simply amazing, the way that they are just able to, to get content and this stuff out in such a brilliant way. On the artists side of things, we just showed up and played the concert. It’s super cool to see the movie and the whole experience really come to life in such a in such a unique way.
What was the screening like, seeing the finished product?
My journey is one of the unconventional and the unexpected. It’s easy for me to just be thankful all the time and just in complete awe and wonder of it all because of because of the way my journey has been. Because of the time the Lord has taken to bring me into this phase of my life and in my music journey. First of all playing at Red Rocks is such bucket list venue anyways, and so for me to even be there just feels like such an amazing gift, a privilege and honor. So, I always just want to steward it well, even from playing at Red Rocks to playing it at some little church and some community you’ve never heard of. You want to treat this exactly the same. To be able to watch a screening that’s going to be in the movie theaters at a scenic set, put together with everybody else, it’s just a special part of the night. It’s amazing, it makes me emotional in a sense.
We’re really seeing faith audiences really support things in the theater. It’s going to expose new listeners to Christian music, I think.
Absolutely. I love it. Because it’s such a unique and a special night that happens once a year. And not everybody can go, so I think it’s really sweet and special how they are making it that experience available to people to be able to experience it in a sense from in their town and the theater.
Can you talk just a little bit about the camaraderie? You’re on a stage with so many different people. Is there opportunity for camaraderie or is it like, “Okay, I’m doing my thing. You do your thing, and then we’re two ships passing in the night”?
Honestly, it is camaraderie. The Christian music industry overwhelmingly, it’s a community. It’s a family. On the night that I played at Red Rocks, I mean, I was out with MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, unspoken, John Reddick. John and myself, we’re labelmates on Gotee, I’ve known him for years. He’s a good friend. I’m really good friends with the Unspoken guys. I’ve toured a bunch with Jeremy Camp and I’m buddies with him. And I’m, and I’m really close with Bart and Mercy Me. I’ve come up under those guys over the years. So, I’ve just known them all for so long. And we’re such dear friends that to be able to be at Red Rocks with them just made the experience that much sweeter and that much less anxious for me. I felt like I was stepping into that venue anxious and nervous, but a good anxious and a good nervous. But it really did help. The first person I saw when I got there was Bart from Mercy Me and it was just like, “Okay, we’re good. Yeah, I got like, I got family here now.”
What else is new with you? What do you have coming up?
Man, we got a lot. We’ve been crazy busy this this year, we’ve played so much. We played so many concerts this year, we’ve traveled the country this year, a ton. The Lord has been so faithful, just helping us stay busy and providing opportunity for us to stay alive and provide for the families with my team and myself. So, I’m grateful for that. We actually just got home yesterday from being out on the road, and we leave again in four days for another little stretch.
As far as music. I put out a record in April and I’m already I’ve already written three quarters of the next one. And I have a Christmas song coming out in about a week and a Christmas video and then we’re getting ready to do a launch of a whole new batch of music right after the first of the year in 2024. So, we’re kind of just in a new phase now honestly, in my musical career. I just hit my 10-year anniversary on Gotee records with Toby Mac and that’s been special. I don’t know a lot of people who stay around at record labels for a decade, but we are off to the races again hopefully for another 10 years. I just want to just continue man to make to create music and communicate messages of just absolute hope and revival and provoking messages of just preaching the kingdom, preaching our identity as Christians as Christians. That’s where I’m at. That’s what everything is going to be about. I just did a real special song with a country a female country artist that I’ve admired for a really long time, Deanna Carter. We just did a collaboration together. So that’s getting ready to come out at the first of the year. We just we have a lot of different just a lot going on right now. And it’s I feel like I’m at rest. Everything feels just really natural and I’m just thankful every day glad to be where I’m at and surrounded by the people I am surrounded by and grateful for. I don’t like saying I’m grateful for my “fans” because I don’t feel like people are “fans.” I’m grateful for those listeners out there that are a part of my journey and continuously support me and soak up what I’m putting out. It’s really meaningful to me, and I’m forever grateful.
“K-Love Live at Red Rocks” will premiere in theaters Nov. 6-7 through Fathom Events. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
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