One year short of their 40th anniversary, the Newsboys are embarking on a concert tour they are considering “not simply a concert but a celebration with their fans.”
In that time, they’ve seen a lot as a group, playing thousands of concerts all over the world and even making music for the movies “God’s Not Dead” and “God’s Not Dead Too.” Being part of the Newsboys has changed the lives of the members in ways they never imagined.
In 1993, Jeff Frankenstein, “current keyboardist, band leader, show designer and whatever,” joined the band through a chance encounter that would change his life.
“I had no idea that this was going to be what I would do with my life and career, especially for this long. I was a sophomore in college, and I got a call from [the] lead singer at the time, Peter Burler, who I had met because I was a runner at a Newsboys show when I was in high school.
“He remembered me and that I played keyboards. He got my number from a friend of mine and called me out of the blue because the band needed a keyboard player,” Frankenstein recalled.
Skipping a week’s worth of classes to learn the songs, Frankenstein then met the band at a concert about four hours away. They rehearsed that afternoon, and he played his first show that night.
At only 19 years old, he was offered the job and was told, “We’ll see you in Nashville next week.”
Frankenstein told his parents, quit school and moved to Nashville.
Originally, he thought this would last maybe one or two years. Instead, he’s still part of Newsboys more than 30 years later.
‘Old-fashioned hard work’
During that time, he’s seen a lot of changes.
In the early days, the band would go out for about three months at a time with no cell phones or social media. They prayed every night to make it to their next destination because they traveled on what Frankenstein described as an “old, dirty and crusty” bus.
“We would just go away and never come back,” he continued. “I think that played a big role in why we’re still here today because back then, we were the crew. We were the band. We’d sign autographs after the show and run back inside and tear everything down until two in the morning. We were the drivers. We were everything.”
Because they did it all, they met many people. Some became lifelong fans with stories about how and when they met the band and who now bring their children or three-generation families.
“It’s incredible. There’s not a lot of bands that can say that. I would attribute that to the early days of old-fashioned hard work,” Frankenstein said.
Touching moments
Through many years of such wonderful encounters, Frankenstein has seen his share of touching moments.
When Newsboys played a Kentucky state fair, Frankenstein and guitarist Jody Davis got there early.
“We got a call from an uncle of a young boy who was like 10 or 11. He loved the ‘God’s Not Dead’ movie, and he had been in the hospital for about 18 months with leukemia. His uncle wanted to surprise him,” Frankenstein said.
“We went into his room — the sweetest kid. I’ll never forget it. His whole family was there. He freaked out. I think he had watched the ‘God’s Not Dead’ movie about 50 times in the hospital, and then here we are in his room.”
Before they left, the blessing they had shared was reciprocated. The boy asked if he could sing “God’s Not Dead” for the men. He sang enthusiastically with his iPad from his hospital bed.
“Fast forward like a year later, he actually got out of the hospital and came to a show. You just never know how your music’s going to impact somebody. That’s the kind of thing that makes all the tough parts about the job no problem,” Frankenstein said.
Their 2024 summer tour, Worldwide Revival Nights, began May 10 in Metairie, Louisiana, and will continue until Aug. 18 in Benton, Missouri.
They are excited about this tour, having not played a set like this in a while. The shows are planned to be about two and a half hours and cover “a little bit of everything — from older stuff to the rock stuff, some of the stuff from the early years, acoustic stuff, worship stuff. It’s like the whole experience.”
“There’s a little bit of something for everybody,” Frankenstein said.
Through it all, Frankenstein has learned that God’s plans are better than ours, even when he doesn’t understand what’s going on.
“Trust is the main thing — trusting that God has our best interests at heart,” he said. “As humans, we try to do it all on our own. We need to always be open to what He’s saying.
“It always seems to be for a reason and leads to something or to teach me something or set me up for whatever He wants me to do next.
“Jody has a great quote: ‘Whatever you think you’re going to be five years from now, you’re probably wrong, completely wrong.’ It’s so true. Never try to limit what God can do through you.”
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