Tokens — Nashville’s “Best Local Variety Show” — began its new season at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Collins Auditorium, with performances by All Sons & Daughters, Sandra McCracken and The Arcadian Wild.
Tokens is a live radio show composed of music, humor and spoken issues of social justice. The event was created in February of 2008 by Bible professor Lee C. Camp.
“My wife and I were at a radio variety show at the Ryman,” Camp said. “I loved the show so much I was wondering, since I teach theology, if we could create a theological variety show.”
All Sons & Daughters consists of two worship leaders, Leslie Jordan and David Leonard, from Journey Church in Franklin. The band has three EP’s on iTunes, including two full-length acoustic albums Season One and Live.
Sandra McCracken is a singer, songwriter and producer from Nashville with more than eight albums, with her next, Psalms, to be released later this year.
The Arcadian Wild consists of current and former Lipscomb students Sarah Wood, Everett Davis, Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick. The band’s first EP was released earlier this year and is titled “The Colorado EP.”
Included among these musical guests were skits and speeches put together by Brother Preacher and alumni Blake Farmer of WPLN, National Public Radio.
The theme of the evening was “Reason to Sing.”
“All Sons & Daughters has an opening line in one of their songs that is about needing a reason to sing,” Camp said. “That is so much of what this show is about.”
The next live performance of Tokens is Oct. 4 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall with a special appearance from The Nashville Choir.
The sixth annual Tokens Thanksgiving show is set for Nov. 22 at Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now. For more information visit the Tokens website.
Additional reporting by Becca Risley
Carousel photo by Ben Davis
Gallery by Davis and Erin Turner