A summer concert

I had been looking forward to this concert for months. 

I have two bands that are my all time favorites.  They are my go to when I need a lift for my soul.  Switchfoot is one of them.  (I'll tell you why in a minute.)

 

All four of these bands are Indy.   (That's my music style preference.)  I had never heard of Colony House or Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors before.  I didn't know what to expect from them as you just never know with opening bands.   They were both really good. 

Did you know that Caleb and Will Chapman (sons of Steven Curtis Chapman) and friend, Scott Mills make up Colony House?  They are making their own sound apart from their dad and its a good one.  (btw, I've always enjoyed SCC!)

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors has a rockabilly sort of style. They have a nice variety of easy/mellow along with upbeat songs, and their lyrics are quite thought provoking.  We bought their CD.

It was a very warm, sunny day, but as evening approached, the temperatures cooled, and it was perfectly pleasant. 

It was an outdoor venue - so all seats are lawn seats.  You bring your beach chairs or blankets to sit on.   Or if you are young...you stand the entire time in the "mosh pit".
Matthew was front and center with some friends who met him there.

Here we are... not in the mosh pit.  :-)

Switchfoot. 
"The dream would have been to be a pro surfer, but that didn't work out, so I'm in a rock band."  - Tim Foreman (bass guitarist)

 

Even though I went for Switchfoot, NEED TO BREATHE did not disappoint.  They have a folk sound to them.  I love how the banjo and the harmonica really add depth.  They have a unique sound and I like that.  We already owned this CD and this CD.

 

 They definitely put on a good show!  The best part though was when Switchfoot joined NEED TO BREATHE on stage just before the last song.  WOW - both drummers were so in sync, the guitarists were having a ball together, and they belted out the song, "Brother" - it was a.ma.zing!

. . . . .
 

So why do I like Switchfoot so much?  Beyond their music style is what they believe and what drives them.  I don't feel like I could do them justice with trying to summarize, so below are some quotes from either Jon, the lead singer or Tim, his younger brother. 

 

“Entropy is one of the laws of thermodynamics. It’s a physical law that says everything in nature is moving from order to disorder. In our lives this same principle is at work. As time moves on, things break down as we make mistakes. This is the ‘letdown’ every person experiences because of sin. For Christians this concept doesn’t end there because we realize God’s ‘beautiful’ mercy and grace restores the order in our lives.”

(result...  the song "The Beautiful Letdown".)

 

“Change. The desire to see change in my own life and in the world around me. I think that the element of change is what inspires hope. And love might be what inspires change: God’s love for us and our love for those around us. Things have to change; our world is in desperate need.”

 

“If you truly love someone, you’re going to be pure because true love comes from God, and God tells us to remain pure. That’s good enough for me.”

 

“Your pride is such a venomous animal and it pops up its head everywhere. You can never kill it, but you can be aware of it and you can beat it down the best you can. That’s the most dangerous thing when it comes to love.”

 

“Darkness cannot cast out darkness. You need a light for that. Fear cannot cast out fear. You’re gonna need hope for that… death warrants more death. But I believe life wants more life and I’m convinced that the greatest weapon we’ve got is LOVE! And maybe, in a world full of fighters, in a world imploding with hate, maybe to be a lover, you gotta be a fighter. Maybe that’s the biggest fight, the only fight worth fighting, the fight you’re gonna be in for the rest of your life.”

(Result... the song Love Alone is Worth the Fight.)

 

“My faith, I mean, that’s such a personal aspect that a lot of times, of course it’s going to come out through the song. But at the same time, I’m not a religious salesman. I feel like God doesn’t really need a salesman, and what these songs are are simply my interactions with this life and learning. I guess the bottom line is the songs are really honest, you know what I mean. That faith is going to come through. If the listener is looking for it, that’s definitely a part of it.”

 

“We really want our songs to be a vehicle to challenge people to think about what matters most in this world, encourage them to make an impact in big and small ways, and to lead people to Christ.”

 

Switchfoot is a surfing term that is used when a surfer changes their foot position on the board and goes the opposite way. It can also mean to gain a new perspective or new insight.

 

. . . . .

 

When I get the chance to work on a project it's usually when my Littles are down for some quiet time.  I put in ear buds and listen to music while I work.  I find that it is then that I have really been able to hear the lyrics and I've been so blessed.  They often make me think of a Scripture or a parable that correlates, or just contemplate God and His character, and yet it's creative and artsy.  I don't know.  I just really, really like them. 

Plus... they surf!  

. . . . .

"Our music is tied to the sea, born from the struggle, looking for hope because hope belongs in the dark places. I want our songs to be the songs that open the door of soul. to look at a story bigger than ourselves."

 

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