Driving Notes

On this week’s Artist News Day, we got to talk with Blessing Offor! He’s bringing his Heart So Real Tour to Columbus, Ohio this late winter, and we got to talk with him about it! Blessing gets “real” with us in our conversation as he talks about the struggles that come with being blind, as well as what he will be bringing on his upcoming concert coming to the A&R Music Bar in Columbus, Ohio.

Listen to our conversation with Blessing Offor and Ethan Hershberger on our SoundCloud here:

Blessing Offor will be at the A&R Music Bar, in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, February 24!

This is Blessing’s first headline tour, highlighting the release of his sophomore album Real, which was released during a season of loss for Blessing. You’ll hear Blessing get “real” with you as he shares new songs from his new record, and join him in a night of worship, raw honesty, and great music.

If you would like to purchase tickets, information can be found HERE!

WinterJam came to Columbus on Monday (President’s Day), in Columbus, Ohio! If you missed this show, you still have two more chances to see it in Ohio!

This Saturday, February 21st, you can see WinterJam at the Heritage Bank Center, in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting with Jam Nation Doors opening at 4pm, General Admission Doors opening at 5pm, and the show starting at 6pm.

On Friday, March 27, WinterJam will be stopping at the Wolstein Center, in Cleveland, Ohio, starting with Jam Nation Doors opening at 5pm, General Admission Doors opening at 6pm, and the show starting at 7pm.

This year’s WinterJam lineup consists of Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, Katy Nichole, Emerson Day, Newsong, and more!

For more information, go to the Concerts page on our website HERE!

We will play MercyMe Name That Tune and give you a chance to win passes to see the movie I Can Only Imagine 2. We are also giving away the book “Even If – Trusting God Through The Fire” – the Official Book for I Can Only Imagine 2, written by Lead Singer Bart Millard and his wife Shannon Millard.

We will give you a chance to win with MercyMe Trivia. Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace.

Even If is the inspiration behind the major motion picture I Can Only Imagine 2. This true story of heartache and hope from MercyMe’s lead singer, Bart Millard, and his wife, Shannon, shows us how even our deepest wounds can become doorways to God’s grace. Purchase Even If now at a great price wherever books are sold https://davidccook.org/books/even-if/ 

Congratulations to Janelle and _____ for winning our contests today!

This week’s Song Poetry may remind you of the artist we talked with today on The Afternoon Drive

Here were this week’s lyrics:

Sometimes I feel like I just keep pretending
And I’m slowly going out of my mind
And I, I feel like you could be the one
Who would catch me when my wings won’t fly

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! Tune in to The Afternoon Drive for next week’s Artist News Day, and see if you can give us the song title and artist from these Song Poetry lyrics for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

After joining Big Daddy Weave on their Let It Begin Tour in 2025, Megan Woods is headlining her first ever tour named after her breakout hit, titled The Truth Tour.

Joining Megan on these nights will be special guests Caleb & John and Jeremy Rosado. This tour will be all about worship, messages of identity in Jesus Christ, and songs full of God’s redeeming love.

This tour is coming to Ohio! Megan will be at the Celestia Theatre in Wadsworth, Ohio on Friday, April 24!

If you want to be a part of this night, ticket information can be found HERE!

You can read more about The Truth Tour HERE!

Amish Country is a beautiful place to take your spouse, your family, or your friends! If you’ve never been to a concert in there, what better way to experience one than with Cochren & Co. with his hits like Running Home, Church (Take Me Back), and One Day.

You can catch Cochren & Co. this month, on Saturday, February 21, at the Ohio Star Theatre in Sugarcreek, Ohio!

If you want to be a part of this evening, ticket information can be found HERE!

We had a new set of lyrics for Song Poetry this week!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

You’re pushing back the dark to get me closer to the light
Somebody tell my enemies there’s nowhere left to hide
You told me it’s Your battle, God, so I need You to fight
‘Cause if I’m going to live, then there’s some things that need to die

This week’s Song Poetry lyrics were from No Survivors by Jeremy Camp!

Congratulations to Nathan from Mount Vernon for correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday with Joe Rinehart and Gabriella Stanley for fun facts on Who Knew Wednesday and a game of Who Am I?.

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

WinterJam 2026 is finally arriving in Ohio this Saturday! We’ve been anticipating their arrival to Columbus, Ohio by talking with the WNZR artists that are a part of this year’s lineup! We wrapped up our conversations with Chris Tomlin! You can listen to our conversation here:

WinterJam isn’t the only big concert we’re excited to cover! This morning, the Ohio State Fair announced their Christian artist taking part in their concert series this Summer 2026! This year’s artist is none other than for King & Country!

We’re celebrating this announcement by giving away “Win It Before You Can Buy Them” tickets by playing for King & Country Name That Tune!

Linda from Utica was our first winner for our giveaway on The Afternoon Drive. Keep listening on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive Wednesday and Thursday for your chance to win!

For King & Country will be seen at the Ohio State Fair, in the Celeste Center, this summer on August 3rd! Regular ticket sales go live on Friday!

For more information, go to our Facebook post HERE!

On top of our two ticket giveaways, we also played a game of Song Poetry for our $5 Watts Restaurant gift card giveaway!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

And I don’t need to see it to believe it
For my whole life, You’ve been that all I’ve needed
And I, I’ve felt You in the fire and the rain

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know the song title and artist these lyrics are from, tune in next week for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for another chance to win a pair of WinterJam 2026 passes and a chance to win “Win It Before You Can Buy Them” tickets to see for King & Country at the Ohio State Fair! You’ll also hear some fun facts for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

As we’re leading up to WinterJam 2026, we got to talk with one of the three artist headliners, Matthew West!

WinterJam will have its first stop in Ohio on Saturday, January 24, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio! Make sure you arrive 2-3 hours early when arriving to WinterJam to secure yourself a seat, and beat concert traffic!

WNZR will begin giving away WinterJam passes starting this Thursday on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive! We will be playing WinterJam artist trivia!

For more information about WinterJam, click here:
https://www.wnzr.fm/winter-jam-2026

Back in 2019, Jason Gray filled listeners in with the battle against cancer that his son, Jacob, was fighting. Through time, Jacob showed no sign of cancer after he went through treatments, and the Gray family believed this chapter of their life was behind them.

Recently, Jacob started showing signs of the cancer returning. Jason Gray shared on his Instagram, “I’m heartbroken to share that Jacob’s journey has taken a sudden and devastating turn.” A swollen eye the size of a baseball led to Jacob having a biopsy revealing that his ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) returned, and the family is once again on the fight with this cancer.

Despite the circumstances, the Gray family is fighting the cancer with a vengeance. Jason Gray has been giving viewers updates on his Instagram, sharing “In late December, he improved enough that we were able to get back on track with the original plan. Whew. And that’s where we are now. He continues to respond well, and it truly seems like the tide is turning.”

The Gray family is looking at the next step with treating Jacob’s ALL. “In February, he’ll begin CAR T-cell treatment, which will require relocating to Seattle for a couple of months,” Jason Gray shared. “It’s drastic. It complicates his life, his ability to work, and how he pays his bills—but it’s doable. Especially with the help you’ve all so generously given. Truly… thank you.”

Please pray for the Gray family as they face this battle of cancer, relocate Jacob to Seattle, and for Jacob to beat this cancer once and for all!

To support Jacob and the Gray family, click here:
Help Jacob Fight Leukemia (Round 2)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jacob-fight-leukemia-round2

Read the full story on CCM Magazine here:
https://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/jason-grays-son-shows-fight-update-on-jacobs-2nd-battle-with-cancer/

We had a stumper for this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

Don’t forget the things that He has done before
And remember He can do it all once more
It’s like the brightest sunrise
Waiting on the other side of the darkest night

These lyrics were from Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey!

Congratulations to Jennifer from Centerburg for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? Wednesday fun facts and a game of Who Am I? for another chance to win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

With WinterJam 2026 being a few weeks away, and this week on Artist News Day, we got to talk with one of the headliners of this year’s lineup, Katy Nichole!

She talks about what she’s excited about returning to the lineup this year, the message she wants to bring to audiences across the country, and more insight about her song “When I Fall”. You can listen to the conversation on our SoundCloud here:

WinterJam will stop in Ohio at three different locations!

Their first stop will be at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Janurary 24!

Their second stop will be at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, February 21!

Their final stop in Ohio will be at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, March 27!

Tickets are $15 at the door for each person; for more information, go to our concerts page on our website here!

If you’re looking for a night of worship, joy, and hope, look no further than The Hope Nights Tour with Danny Gokey and We Are Messengers, with special guest Jon Reddick!

These artists are passionate about bringing you music that reminds you of the love and hope Jesus brings to our lives! You’ll get to hear favorites like “Haven’t Seen It Yet” from Danny Gokey, “Wholehearted” from We Are Messengers, “God, Turn It Around” from Jon Reddick, and many more!

The Hope Nights Tour will be stopping in Archbold, Ohio, at the Archbold Evangelical Church, on Friday, March 13! There are VIP, Early Entry, and General Admission Tickets available!

You can find tickets for The Hope Nights Tour here!

We took some lyrics from a song we listened to during The Afternoon Drive, and turned them into a Song Poetry!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

Don’t forget the things that He has done before
And remember He can do it all once more
It’s like the brightest sunrise
Waiting on the other side of the darkest night

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! Next week, these lyrics will be worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Give us a call next week at 5:15 on The Afternoon Drive if you think you know the song title and artist!

Tune in on Wednesday for some Who Knew? Wednesday fun facts and a game of Who Am I? for another chance to win that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

As Christmas and New Years are wrapping up, we are looking forward to the next big Christian tour that has been happening every winter since 1995. That, of course, is WinterJam!

This week on Artist News Day, we talked with some WNZR artists who are on the lineup this year; Russ Lee of Newsong and Emerson Day!

Listen to our conversation with Russ Lee of Newsong here:

Listen to our conversation with Emerson Day here:

Next week on Artist News Day, we will talk with one of the three headliners of WinterJam: Katy Nichole!

While MercyMe won’t be at WinterJam, they are getting ready for their next headline tour, The Wonder + Awe Tour, with Big Daddy Weave, Tim Timmons, and Bart Millard’s son, Sam Wesley!

They will be stopping by Ohio on Thursday, March 19, at the Huntington Center, in Toledo, OH! The concert will begin at 7PM, and you find ticket information at the concert page on our website. Click here to find tickets.

This concert will be connected with their upcoming movie, I Can Only Imagine 2, and the artists that were involved in that story. You can learn more about MercyMe’s sequel on their website, by clicking here.

Here were this week’s Song Poetry lyrics!

Hey, how you been?
It’s been a while, and I’m just checking in
I miss the way things used to be back in 2017
And I just miss my friend

This week’s Song Poetry lyrics were from Dusty Bibles by Josiah Queen!

Congratulations to Samuel from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for some fun facts on Who Knew? Wednesday!

Thank you for listening!
– Ethan and Gabriella