By Linda Wakefield Kelley
Enquirer contributor

Fall Celebration became a literal label for the Christian concert held Saturday night at Paramount's Kings Island. A unique blend of sing-along choruses, rock guitar strains and ladybugs wafted heavenward from the TimberWolf Amphitheater throughout the evening.

Sonicflood was a good choice to open the event. Lead vocalist Rick Heil and cohorts specialize in setting the dial to worship. Songs drawn primarily from their new CD Cry Holy, including the title track, were met by reverent audience approval. Especially noteworthy was "Famous One" which pointed to God alone as great. Undoubtedly this song will soon be on the praise play list at many church services.

Mercy Me emerged next, upping the energy ante. Rock-infused worship is its forte. Songs such as "Spoken For" and "All the Above" may not be easy sing-alongs, but the lyrics seem thoughtful. When front man Bart Millard vocalized "I Can Only Imagine" everybody joined in. This mega-hit from the Almost There CD launched the band from fledgling to household name fame.

Rebecca St. James continued the robust celebration. The lively "Lamb of God" and "Reborn" demonstrated her brand of pop also rocks. An especially nice acoustic accent was "Breathe." Fellow Aussie, Charmaine, serving as a back-up singer, took center stage nicely for "Acceptable." A short message on sexual purity accompanied "Wait for Me," the hit song St. James wrote for her unknown future husband.

Audio Adrenaline's eruption onto the stage ratcheted the celebrating up a notch. It's doubtful church pew warmers will be warbling the chorus to "Church Punks" or "Dirty" anytime soon. Still, the missions-minded message of AA's current CD Worldwide rings clear. Mark Stuart mingled with the audience for oldie-but-goodie "Big House." Songs like "Chevette" and "Underdog" kept the crowd bouncing. Stuart's raspy vocals on "Ocean Floor" are reminiscent of the other Stewart (Rod). An encore rendition of Grand Funk Railroad's "An American Band" seemed an appropriate parting gift.