The Reunion Tour unites gospel music titans for a night of celebration that turns any venue where the tour lands into a house of God for several hours.
The tour’s brainchild is Kirk Franklin. It features the 20-time Grammy Award winner and 2024 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awardees the Clark Sisters, seven-time NAACP Image Award winner Yolanda Adams, two-time BET Award winner Marvin Sapp and the man Franklin called the GOAT, Fred Hammond.
The tour recently touched down at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and Prudential Center in Newark. Toenjoy the event, make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before the show or take a nap. These five gospel greats make sure you get your money’s worth and more — and you do not want to miss the finale.
Adams performed her biggest hit, 2000’s “Open My Heart,” followed by Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It.” Karen, Jacky, and Dorinda — collectively known as the Clark Sisters — performed “You Brought The Sunshine.” Hammond’s “We’re Blessed” was performed, but Sapp took over the vocals, along with the other acts on the stage. Franklin then performed “Melodies From Heaven” and “Smile”; he closed with “Stomp.”
All five acts shared the stage at least three times together and had their solo moments to shine, complete with numerous clothing changes. They were often joined by up to six background singers.
Hammond, a musician for the Winans before starting the group Commissioned, was joined by the group’s Keith Staten and Marcus Cole to perform many of his biggest hits. He performed “No Weapon (Psalm 27:3),” “Let the Praise Begin,” “Jesus Be A Fence Around Me,” “Don’t Pass Me By” and “You Are The Living Word.” Hammond also honored Commissioned founding member Michael A. Brooks, who passed over the summer at 62.
The Clark Sisters performed “Ha-Ya (Eternal Life),” “Praise the Lord (Hallelujah),” “There Is a Balm in Gilead” and “Jesus is a Love Song,” where an on-stage screen counted how long Karen held a high note, which was close to 30 seconds.
Adams, who released her latest album in September, performed “I Believe,” “Victory,” “Fragile Heart,” “The Battle Is The Lords,” and her latest single, “Church Doors.” Sapp performed a few of his biggest hits, including “Praise Him In Advance,” “The Best In Me” and “My Testimony.”
Franklin — humor, energy, and charisma itself — was a highlight. While performing some of his earlier hits, he joked that he made those songs before he got his teeth fixed. He also did a set with him at the piano, first playing songs that the crowd sang along to. Later during that set, he was joined onstage by the background singers, then the other four headliners. Franklin performed “Looking For You,” “The Reason Why We Sing,” “Revolution” and “Something About The Name Jesus.”
Kierra Sheard-Kelly, the daughter of Karen Clark Sheard, opened the evening.
The Reunion Tour will make 13 more stops, including Austin, Texas; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans; and Orlando, Florida.