For King & Country โ€” brothers, from left, Luke and Joel Smallbone โ€” brought "Burn the Ships" to Tucson Arena Sunday night.

Christian pop-rock duo For King and Country could be forgiven if it had an identity crisis on Sunday night.

The high-energy crossover band was a little bit rock, a little bit pop and, for good measure, a hint of alternative in its percussion-driven, rocking Christian pop concert at Tucson Arena.

Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, surrounded by a six-piece rock band, played their mix of Christian pop and rock for 2 1/2 hours on the Tucson stop of their "Burn the Ships" World Tour.

The reverberations from the loud thumping percussion and rumbling guitars combined to literally shake the seats farthest from the stage.

The Smallbone brothers opened the night by being lowered from an elevated stage to the lower main stage, which was set up to resemble a ship in a thunderstorm.

The duo launched into the upbeat, Latin-inspired โ€œAmenโ€ from their year-old third studio album โ€œBurn the Ships," a perfect song to get the crowd of 4,000 on its feet. The audience in the floor seats remained standing for most of the concert.

For King and Country played every song from โ€œBurn the Ships" โ€” the title inspired by the famous story of Conquistador Hernรกn Cortรฉs burning his ship so that his men could not retreat in their conquest of Mexico in 1519.

In between album cuts, the band played songs off their earlier records including the popular โ€œFix My Eyesโ€ from โ€œFight on, Fighterโ€ that prompted the audience to clap along; and a percussion-driven take of โ€œLittle Drummer Boyโ€ from their live album โ€œChristmas: Live from Phoenix.โ€

The night ended with three fan favorites: โ€œBurn the Ships,โ€ the ballad โ€œGod Only Knowsโ€ and โ€œJoy.โ€


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