When the Grammy nominated, Dove Award winning Crabb Family disbanded after a 12-year ministry in 2007, Adam Crabb knew that his calling in music ministry could not be abandoned in the process. With his sister Terah, two former members of the award winning Crabb Family Band (guitarist Zach Smith and drummer Micah Schweinsberg) and his cousin (bassist Jedidiah Richardson), Adam and the band took their desire to serve God into a new era of Crabb ministry. In 2008, Zach’s wife (Amanda Smith) joined the group to blend her vocals with the band’s tight harmonies, and in 2009, Terah left the road to spend more time with her family. Carrying on some Crabb Family traditions, and incorporating a sound appreciated by a younger audience as well, Crabb Revival debuted their first release “Runaway Train” in June 2008. Their sophomore release, debuting in 2009, is a CD/DVD combination, “Live at Oak Tree Studio,” an innovative project of live studio recordings.
“Our goal,” says Adam, “is to reach our generation. We are praying for bigger doors to open and more opportunities to reach them with the Gospel than ever before.”
“The cool thing,” adds Zach, “is, though we love to play and our concerts are high-energy, we are not just a ‘jam band.’ We use the talents God gave us as tools to worship, praise, and lift up His name. The Bible states very clearly that if we lift Him up and exalt Him, He will draw ALL men to Him.”
Though Crabb Revival has come into their own, with a Dove Award nomination, a Breakthrough Artist Award, Gospel Music Channel’s Genre Winner for 2008 Album of the Year, an Honorable Mention in All Genres, and many other individual award nominations, that is not where their vision lies. Seeing 180 inmates come to Christ during their concert at Washington Prison, and leading over 2000 more to Christ during their concerts around the U.S. their first year, is what band members envision for Crabb Revival’s future. Micah adds, “If our goal is to have something pretty sitting on a shelf, we will never be satisfied, but if God can use us to change people’s lives, we will have eternal satisfaction.”
Jedidiah elaborates, “We, who have received a gift from Him, should also be His hands, to sew it into good ground, by planting the Gospel into the hearts of men with the gift He has given us. That’s what Crabb Revival is trying to do.”
