Kinleigh

When Dan Falinski departs, he will be taking Meredith Kinleigh with him.

Kinleigh, an aspiring Roanoke Rapids artist, will serve double-duty on the tour — serving as a lyrical video operator and getting to open shows with two songs and then four when the concert series returns to the Roanoke Rapids Theatre on November 8.

“This is a good start for her,” Falinski said of Kinleigh. “Meredith suggested the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.”

While the initial contact with the venue was during a time of change for the theatre — from the end of the video gaming machines that once spread across the foyer to bringing the building back in the city's control, Falinski believes the concert will work in Roanoke Rapids and for Kinleigh. “She's young, she's got great parents and needs to spread her wings. She'll be rubbing elbows with the artists and executives. She'll learn a lot from them, she'll do more witnessing and spreading the word of God. It already feels like she's won American Idol on the local level. She'll get firsthand experience meeting some of those working in the industry.”

Kineigh's first single, Sail On, has been getting positive reception and airplay since its release and the singer-songwriter sees the tour as a way to spread a message of faith to a wider audience. “The doors that have opened have been really surprising,” she said at the theater. “God flung open the doors for this opportunity. If it wasn't for him, it never could have happened. There have been a lot of people praying for and supporting me.”

Promotional poster.

In her two-song sets, she says, “I'm going to share my message and just show people what God means to me.”

For Kinleigh, it was overcoming anxiety and fear, feeling like she was stuck. “I was fresh out of high school and didn't know what step to take next. God brought me through it.”

Sabrina Patterson, a friend and fellow member of Valley Community Church, has watched Kinleigh grow. “She is a testament to what God can do. She fills such a need for young millennials who don't believe you can feel God.”

The tour will have something for most Christian music audiences — those who like more R&B, those who like rock and those who like contemporary, Kinleigh said. “The heart of it is the ministry. We want to catch the people who really want to hear the message of hope.”

Reception to the concert has been positive, Falinski said. “It's a little early. Some cities are more than half-sold.”

The show, he said, includes video walls, three tour busses as well as bands which are well-known.

“We're looking forward to this concert,” said Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon, whose department, along with public works, is in charge of the theater as the city seeks a buyer. “It's a show that will appeal to all ages and will be a great family concert.”