Secular will meet sacred tonight at 8 p.m. when Jason Morant, a singer-songwriter from New Orleans, performs during the 220U campus church service in the Union Theater.
“He has the most amazing voice and is an incredible passion, not only for his music but for his faith,” said longtime fan and University alumna Danielle Billon.
Morant has traditionally been considered a “Christian artist,” but he says because of recent events, the term does not make sense to him anymore.
“I don’t see how those words fit together,” he said. “I want people to know my faith through what I live versus what I write.”
He recently returned from Africa where he spent two months helping a friend film a documentary in Rwanda.
Morant referred to the time spent there as “hibernation mode,” a head-clearing vacation from his previous 10-year stint in the music business.
The line between secular and sacred is now blurred for him. He said he wants to start playing in more bars and clubs, as opposed to the churches he is used to.
Morant started out playing guitar for his youth group at Victory Fellowship in the Crescent City. Although he lives in Nashville, Tenn., he still flies to New Orleans every weekend to lead Sunday morning worship services.
Morant sings and plays the guitar and piano. He describes his sound as a range of everything from stripped-down acoustic to ambient to raw and rockin’.
“I hate the word rockin’ because it sounds like something my dad would say,” he said.
Artists such as U2, Rufus Wainwright, Sigur Rós and Ryan Adams have influenced him, he said.
Jordan Jopling, the campus ministry coordinator for 220U, said the event tonight is open to any student, regardless of religious background.
“We welcome people looking for a church away from home, or people who just want to enjoy the music,” he said.
“220U is far from an ordinary church,” said business administration senior Marc Bethel, who regularly attends the services.
“Most people’s experience with church is going Sunday morning with an old man on stage preaching a boring sermon and listening to boring music,” he said.
220U is the college branch of the youth ministry of nondenominational Baton Rouge megachurch, Bethany World Prayer Center.
220U is catered specifically to the college crowd, which is one reason Morant is playing.
The numbers 220 refer to the Bible verse Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
Mass communication junior Sarah Kaiser said Morant’s broad fan base will draw a crowd, no matter who hosts his performance.
“He’s a local, which always gets people excited. So if people like him they’ll still go, even though they may have a bad stigma of whatever church or organization that could be sponsoring,” she said.
220U also hosts “Pray for LSU” every Monday night at 8 p.m. in Dodson Auditorium.
—Contact Lauren Walck at [email protected]