Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Contemporary Christian Music pioneer Steven Curtis Chapman shattered yet another record when he became the entire scene’s inaugural artist to top the charts for a whopping 50 times, thanks to the strength of his latest banger of a single, “Don’t Lose Heart.”

The track comes from a new album, “Still,” which marks the constant Grammy and Dove Award winner’s first of entirely original material in what feels like forever, also returning to the full-blown singer/songwriter pop that defined classic albums such as “Speechless” and “Signs Of Life.”

Backed by a three-piece band, he brought a whole bunch of them to Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater, the closest to Chicagoland on this trek, and after two hours split by an intermission, would’ve been well worth any Midwesterner’s miles.

The show was stacked with the moments that helped put the entire genre on the mainstream map, alongside Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith of course, plus all the core faith favorites by a genuinely humble guy trying to navigate “The Great Adventure” the best he can.

Chapman is no stranger to strife, including the horrific death of a daughter, as outlined in a revealing book, “Between Heaven And The Real World,” but continues to show up more than 30 decades later, even on the days when he can only manage to hang on for the “Next 5 Minutes.”

No matter one’s circumstances or walk of life, chances are the near capacity crowd was uplifted thanks to wisdom-packed morsels such as “Dive,” “Lord Of The Dance,” “Not Home Yet” and “For The Sake Of The Call,” alongside the romantic ballad “I Will Be Here” and the adoption-inspired “When Love Takes You In.”

In the wake of recent racial justice-related events, he even wrote and tried out the touching tale of “Living Color” about a close and now deceased childhood friend, who was Black, lamenting, “I wonder did my friend feel judged and afraid in ways that I’ve never been,” getting more meaningful by the minute as it ultimately arrived at his buddy’s heavenly destiny.

While so many aspects of a fractured, social network-enhanced world may seem harder to navigate than ever these days, by the time he made it to “Live Out Loud,” Chapman miraculously managed to bestow Brew City with a sense of unity, peace and the hope of a higher purpose, all while living up to his reputation of a troubadour of the tallest order.

For additional information on Steven Curtis Chapman, visit StevenCurtisChapman.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Pabst Theater include Kathleen Madigan (Mar. 24); Varsity Vocals (Mar. 25-26); Snarky Puppy (Mar. 30); Girls Gotta Eat (Mar. 31); Chapel Hart (Apr. 8); Chelcie Lynn (Apr. 11); The Mavericks (Apr. 14); Drew Lynch (Arp. 15); “Hits! The Musical” (Apr. 20); Sunny Day Real Estate (Apr. 21); Micky Dolenz (Apr. 23) and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (Apr. 30). For additional details, visit PabstTheaterGroup.com.

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