DARLINGTON—It’s not every day that Darlington is the venue for a famous Christian pop group’s concert, but that will be the case this Saturday as nationally acclaimed family entertainers “Go Fish” take the stage at the Darlington Festival Grounds at 7 p.m. The Go Fish group is coming to Darlington to celebrate the conclusion of the 2012 Darlington Vacation Bible School, which featured the band’s curriculum, “Backstage with the Bible.” 
Go Fish, a GMA Dove Award nominated group, has four Top 10 Inspirational Christian pop hits, including the No. 1 Hit, “Savior.”  They have released 15 CDs and have made appearances with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, with the Will Graham Crusades, on the Today Show, and much more.  In 2003, the group turned their attention to making music exclusively for kids after a series of sold-out concerts gave them a nudge toward an audience which might have been smaller in stature, but not in numbers.  They found that good news—and good music—travels fast, especially on the mom circuit. 
Between headlining MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) conventions and making a name for themselves with songs that explain why ladybugs should wear sunscreen and what would happen if kids ran church, Go Fish has followed up with more DVDs and a fistful of albums, including Superstar (2004), Snooze (2006), the Christmas release Snow (2006), Snazzy (2007) and Party Like A Preschooler (2008).
“We’re just different.  Our music is almost secondary,” says Jamie Statema, the groups founding member.  “We take pride in our work and art, but our priority is sharing the Gospel and teaching the Bible to kids.  Our success doesn’t depend on the next radio single anymore.  The only people that matter to us are parents, kids and children’s pastors.  In fact, we hardly put money into advertising any other way—when parents, kids, and grandparents hear it, they spread the word.”
For a band that aimed to be the next dcTalk and now consistently sells-out children’s concerts from coast to coast, it is apparent how truly unique Go Fish is.  While hymns might not be the obvious choice for a new kid’s album, you also won’t find many touring bands creating their own Vacation Bible School curriculum to pair with it.
Thanks to a fundraising campaign conducted by the VBS Concert Committee, everyone who attended the 2012 Vacation Bible School was able to do so for free and anyone wishing to attend the concert may also do so for free.  Guests should bring their own lawn chairs.  A free-will offering of non-perishable food items or cash will be accepted and will be divided amongst Lafayette County food pantries.
Major sponsors of the event include the Darlington & Fayette United Methodist Churches, Lafayette County Christian Church, Immanuel United Church of Christ, Grace Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church, Thrivent Financial, Lions Club, Optimist Club, Sieg Foundation, Darlington Tourism Commission and Piggly Wiggly of Darlington.
To learn more about the concert or the Go Fish group, please visit www.darlingtonumc.org.