Brandon Lake may just be the most popular concert artist in Christian music history.
Yet, he made it clear — right from the start of his sold-out concert at the SAP Center in San Jose — that he was far from being the true star of the show on Sunday night.
“Tonight is not about me,” said the singer-songwriter, who is a worship pastor at Seacoast Church in South Carolina. “But it is about one man — and His name is Jesus.”
Lake proceeded to turn the Shark Tank into a massive revival tent, leading a crowd that he announced on stage as 15,000 attendees through a 2½-hour-plus set of some of the most powerful contemporary Christian music (CCM) songs of recent years.
That all of this was happening in the heart of Silicon Valley/Bay Area — widely known as one of the least religious and most “unchurched” areas in the country — only made this accomplishment more impressive, greatly underscoring the historic nature of Lake’s trajectory as an artist.
Simply put, this 35-year-old talent is drawing attendance numbers at the box office that are simply astounding — arguably beyond anything ever seen in the CCM genre before.
The closest comparison might be Amy Grant, who occasionally filled arenas back at the height of her popularity. Yet, she never did it like Lake — who is packing major sports venues from coast to coast. And we’re not just talking about Dallas, Nashville and other CCM strongholds, but also the likes of San Jose and Portland.
Lauren Daigle was also a big draw — especially a few years back — yet she did so as a crossover artist who arguably appealed equally to non-CCM pop fans.
There is nothing “crossover” about Lake. He’s not drawing pop fans as much as he is mobilizing Christian music fans to get off the coach and to the concerts– or, as he prefers to call it, “church.”
Lake’s success is part of a broader storyline that tells of a huge influx of new listeners — especially younger listeners — to CCM, making it one of the hottest and fastest-growing genres of the last five years.
Part of that has to do with artists like Lake embracing Tik-Tok and other avenues where young listeners consume music. Part of it has to do with the amazing talent — especially with regards to songwriting — show by many of the genre’s newer acts. But, mostly, it seems to suggest that CCM is offering things — hope, faith, renewal, etc. — that listeners simply aren’t finding in other places.
Taking the stage at right around 8 p.m., following a fine opening set by former We the Kingdom singer Franni Cash, the ever-energetic Lake opened the show with the title track to his latest album (and tour namesake) “King of Hearts.”
He then upped the ante, by a wide margin, with “Count ‘Em” — possibly the best pure rocker that the CCM genre has produced in years — working the crowd with passion and purpose in front of his topnotch band.
There were times when fans would simply get swept up in the music — perhaps during one of their favorite songs — just like they’d do at a concert from any kind of genre, swinging their arms in the air, taking Instagram shots and singing along with gusto. Yet, time and time again, Lake brought concertgoers back to the main point of the evening:
“This is not about entertainment,” he said. “This is about having an encounter with the living God.”
One of the things that differentiates Lake from others in the genre is the way he’s embraced rock and pop styles, both in the how he constructs songs — with a number like “Count ‘Em” sounding like something that could hail from the Foo Fighters catalog — and in the way he performs on the stage.
This was a big budget production with giant video screens that unfolded on two stages — the large main one where the backing band was stationed and a smaller one, connected via catwalk, further out on the arena floor. It’s not unlike something you might see at a U2 or Killers show.
Lake’s brilliance also stems from his ability to go from big rock star spectacle to intimate moment at the drop of a hat. He nicely illustrated the latter as he took to a piano positioned on the small secondary stage and unleashed a gorgeous version of the new album’s “As For Me and My Home.”
“I told you you came to church, this isn’t just a concert,” said Lake, who then, as if to further prove his point, went out into the audience to pray over an individual.
That person turned out to be Isaac Immanuel, who is part of the worship music team at Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos. Lake ended up handing the microphone to Immanuel — who has experienced significant health challenges over the years — and, from his wheelchair, he belted out an incredibly moving version of the artist’s own “Gratitude.”
“Bro, thank you for blessing me,” Lake said at the conclusion of the song. “Thank you blessing 15,000 people.”
He then prayed over Immanuel and his family, before returning to the stage to extend the prayer over the crowd via the incredible Kari Jobe/Cody Carnes/Elevation Worship composition “The Blessing.”
Lake also used the concert to show that he’s now mining a few new musical directions. Most notably, concertgoers in San Jose got to witness the live debut of a rock/rap hybrid titled “No Idols,” which Lake performed onstage with L.A.-based hip-hop artist Skema Boy. The song, which adds Lake’s vocals to a pre-standing Skema tune, will be released as a single in the weeks to come.
He also played another new song, “When a Cowboy Prays,” a tender country & western tune that deepens the musical vibe found on “King of Hearts.”
“You are going to hear a lot more country from Brandon Lake in 2026,” said Lake, who would bring great CCM singer-songwriter Pat Barrett to perform with him as well as do his own three-song set.
Lake then took time to talk about Charlie Kirk, the controversial Turning Point USA founder who was shot and killed at a public event in September. Lake led the worship at Kirk’s memorial, at the request of the family, although his decision to heed that call didn’t come immediately.
“It’s sad because the first thing I thought was what are people going to say who might not be on that side,” Lake confided. “I just want to tell you, as I’m learning myself, if God tells you do something, don’t worry about what the world says. Be obedient. Obedience brings blessings.”
He also took time to thank World Vision, the humanitarian aid organization that has been on the road with Lake in an effort to get more sponsors for children facing food insecurity and other massive challenges in some of the poorest areas in the world. Thus far, fans have stepped up to sponsor 10,000 children in need during this tour.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” Lake said to the new World Vision sponsors in San Jose. “You are literally changing a life”
He would later provide the space for other lives to be changed, doing an alter call for those who wished to give their lives to Jesus. He’d lead the crowd in a prayer of salvation and then ask for a show of hands to see how many people made the commitment.
Thousands of hands lifted up in unison.
“I think we are living in some type of revival,” Lake said. “And I think that 15,000 people showing up in San Jose is evidence of it.”
