IMC CONCERTS announces the The Gospel Music Caravan coming to the West Coast! This new tour will be making stops in Washington, Oregon and California in the summer of 2023! The Gospel Music Caravan Tour is a TWO-DAY event in each location that will include three dynamic sessions with some of the biggest names in Gospel Music! This tour is designed for local and regional gospel music fans to enjoy near their homes or take a road trip and join us while we travel down the west coast going to multiple cities.
We sat down with Landon to discuss the details of this dynamic new tour.
“I grew up in California and have great memories of when two or three gospel groups would come out to our area on tour together in the 80’s and 90’s. Those multi-artists tours are the inspiration for the Caravan Tour.” – Landon Beene
How did you come up with the concept for this tour?
The (West Coast) Gospel Music Caravan is a twofold concept: bringing a big event to people who love gospel music and bringing those people along on the tour!
IMC has always had a passion for bringing gospel music to the West Coast. I grew up in California and have great memories of when two or three gospel groups would come out to our area on tour together in the 80s and 90s. Those multi-artist tours are the inspiration for the Caravan Tour.
Why these four cities?
If you look at the map, these four markets are evenly spread out, from top to bottom, on the U.S. West Coast. We realize that in order to keep this music alive on that side of the country, we need to take the music to THEM! The pandemic has really caused a lapse in gospel music going into the region, as well as the western provinces of Canada. Single night tours are still happening, but the larger events have diminished over the last few years. Our goal is to change that.
Why have you decided on multi-day events in each market?
IMC hosts several multi-day events each year. We have seen the benefit of hosting several sessions in order to maximize the time at the events. It gives those people who are driving long distances the opportunity to take in more music and have a more meaningful overall experience.
Why are there days scheduled in between the concert dates?
While on tour, artists typically travel to a different market each night. They travel on a motor coach and are able to sleep while heading to the next concert date. We are hoping that many of the attendees will want to travel along with the caravan to each market. This is why we have intentionally included a few days off between stops; to create a travel schedule that accommodates the attendees. It also provides the opportunity for artists and attendees alike to enjoy free time, enabling them to sightsee along the way.
Is each event the same?
There will be some similarities, yes, but while four of the artists will act as hosts at all of the events, each market will showcase two additional artists so that each event will be fresh and slightly different. By doing this, we have been able to include the top artists in gospel music during the 12-day caravan.
What if attendees can only come to one or two of the events?
Great question! Each event will be priced and ticketed separately as a stand-alone event. This way our attendees can pick and choose which events they want to attend. Our hope is that many people will choose to make more than one stop with us. We also hope to have people from the South, Midwest and East Coast who will fly into the first event, rent a car or van and join us for the entirety of our first-ever Caravan Tour!