Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concerts. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Starfield in Concert
I had a great time last night at Dallas Baptist University at the Starfield concert. Having the opportunity to worship with my daughter Grace was a beautiful thing. I enjoyed spending the evening hanging out with her - eating at Chick-Fil-A, doing homework together at the college library, then waiting in line and enjoying the concert. Her heart for worship is amazing. The fun part is that as a drummer, when she gets totally lost in worship she moves from lifted hands to drumming on the seats and stomping on the floor to create funky beats. A more thorough review of the concert itself can be found on my worship blog: larissasworshipthoughts.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Norah LIVE
Last night we dropped the kids off with some friends and headed down to Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas to see Norah Jones in concert. I was so excited about this as she is my favorite artist. (see last post). On the way down we were a little pushed for time, so we just swung through the drive thru at Arby's. I do love my curly fries!
The venue was superb. I had never been to Music Hall before. I loved the elegant, aged atmosphere of the building. Entering I could almost hear the echoes of decades filled with spectacular music and productions. I enjoyed browsing the building and seeing the fountain and huge chandelier. Even though the seats and the carpet were a little worn, there was something about the elegance of the building that filled that same niche in my soul that enjoys a nice hotel and dinner at a restaurant where the waiter sweeps away my bread crumbs.
The opening act was Sarah Jaffe. Shawn really enjoyed this guitar driven vocalist more than I did. She was talented, but I was anxious to get on to the real reason I was there. I spent this portion of the concert checking out the people around me. Sitting behind me was an Elvis impersonator. He had on the white disco suit, the scarf, the big sunglasses, the blinged out rings, and the huge sideburns and greased black hair. I found it very challenging not to stare and giggle. The rest of the crowd was very mixed. There were lots of couples there, and the age range was interesting. I saw old couples shuffling down the aisle and teen couples gripping hands tightly. I was surprised by the strong Lesbian presence at the concert. I didn't realize that Norah would draw in that many same sex couples. Shawn used that as an opportunity to tease me a bit about my musical tastes.
I absolutely enjoyed every moment of Norah on stage. It was interesting seeing her play to her hometown crowd. She pointed out where her family had season seats at the Music Hall when she was a kid. Then she apologized to all of her piano teachers in the audience that she would primarily being playing guitar in the show. She also did a shout out to students from the art magnet school she graduated from.
Norah primarily did songs from her latest album, "The Fall." It was very interesting to see all the instrumentation involved in the songs. Running with her music on the earbuds, I have often tried to figure out what instruments were playing and been very confused. Instruments were swapped often last night. I saw a huge variety of guitars, 4 different keyboard/synthesizers, a xylophone, two different sets of drums, a large tin can and a wooden box that were used in percussion, an accordion, a cello, and of course the piano. The piano was of special interest to me. It was an upright, tuned to sound just a bit tinny - reminded me of the pianos in the little churches I grew up in - or maybe like a piano in a honky tonk.
I had assumed that Norah played the piano for her songs, but most of the night she stuck with the electric guitar and her keyboard player did most of the piano work. I love that bluesy jazz sound that he played under her sultry vocals. I would love to be able to play those chords. I know Shawn expected me to be all turned on and snuggled up against him, but actually from our 7th row seats, I had a great view of the piano keys. I had to lean slightly to the left (away from Shawn) to be able to watch the keys closely. Of course I was carried away in the music and fascinated by the chord progressions on the piano. All too soon the music ended, and the magic was gone. I was disappointed that Norah did not do my all time favorite, "Turn me On." But she did cycle back through several of her other hits.
I had a great evening. I appreciated my husband knowing that this concert was something that I would enjoy and making the effort to secure excellent tickets. It was amazing for a couple of hours to be held in the spell of amazing music.
The venue was superb. I had never been to Music Hall before. I loved the elegant, aged atmosphere of the building. Entering I could almost hear the echoes of decades filled with spectacular music and productions. I enjoyed browsing the building and seeing the fountain and huge chandelier. Even though the seats and the carpet were a little worn, there was something about the elegance of the building that filled that same niche in my soul that enjoys a nice hotel and dinner at a restaurant where the waiter sweeps away my bread crumbs.
The opening act was Sarah Jaffe. Shawn really enjoyed this guitar driven vocalist more than I did. She was talented, but I was anxious to get on to the real reason I was there. I spent this portion of the concert checking out the people around me. Sitting behind me was an Elvis impersonator. He had on the white disco suit, the scarf, the big sunglasses, the blinged out rings, and the huge sideburns and greased black hair. I found it very challenging not to stare and giggle. The rest of the crowd was very mixed. There were lots of couples there, and the age range was interesting. I saw old couples shuffling down the aisle and teen couples gripping hands tightly. I was surprised by the strong Lesbian presence at the concert. I didn't realize that Norah would draw in that many same sex couples. Shawn used that as an opportunity to tease me a bit about my musical tastes.
I absolutely enjoyed every moment of Norah on stage. It was interesting seeing her play to her hometown crowd. She pointed out where her family had season seats at the Music Hall when she was a kid. Then she apologized to all of her piano teachers in the audience that she would primarily being playing guitar in the show. She also did a shout out to students from the art magnet school she graduated from.
Norah primarily did songs from her latest album, "The Fall." It was very interesting to see all the instrumentation involved in the songs. Running with her music on the earbuds, I have often tried to figure out what instruments were playing and been very confused. Instruments were swapped often last night. I saw a huge variety of guitars, 4 different keyboard/synthesizers, a xylophone, two different sets of drums, a large tin can and a wooden box that were used in percussion, an accordion, a cello, and of course the piano. The piano was of special interest to me. It was an upright, tuned to sound just a bit tinny - reminded me of the pianos in the little churches I grew up in - or maybe like a piano in a honky tonk.
I had assumed that Norah played the piano for her songs, but most of the night she stuck with the electric guitar and her keyboard player did most of the piano work. I love that bluesy jazz sound that he played under her sultry vocals. I would love to be able to play those chords. I know Shawn expected me to be all turned on and snuggled up against him, but actually from our 7th row seats, I had a great view of the piano keys. I had to lean slightly to the left (away from Shawn) to be able to watch the keys closely. Of course I was carried away in the music and fascinated by the chord progressions on the piano. All too soon the music ended, and the magic was gone. I was disappointed that Norah did not do my all time favorite, "Turn me On." But she did cycle back through several of her other hits.
I had a great evening. I appreciated my husband knowing that this concert was something that I would enjoy and making the effort to secure excellent tickets. It was amazing for a couple of hours to be held in the spell of amazing music.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Norah Jones
6 years ago, my marriage was in recovery from complete and total ruin. That summer, Shawn and I supervised a youth trip to a church camp where the speaker just kept talking about this awesome make out music that he and his wife enjoyed by Norah Jones. Anxious to try anything that might bring romance and passion back into our marriage, I bought an album when we got back home. It was love at first listen.
For me, music invokes intense emotions. Norah invokes a strong sense of my womanhood. Her husky voice and incredible piano stuff always makes me feel beautiful. For the last 6 years she has maintained a #1 status at the top of my playlist on the iPOD. It has been the soundtrack behind lots of slow dancing in the kitchen, amazing hungry passionate nights in the bedroom, and most recently - late night runs when I need to recover from the stress of being a teacher and a mom all day. Late night running with Norah on the iPOD just makes me feel absolutely alive. Human again after a long day. It helps me reconnect with my soul that gets lost in the chaos of life.
Today we were sitting at Sonic when my husband grabbed his phone and started frantically dialing. I was stunned, thinking someone had been rushed to the hospital or had died. Nope. He had been listening to the radio station playing over the radio speakers outside and heard they were giving away Norah Jones tickets for Tuesday night. He didn't win, but before an hour had passed, he was online and had tickets ordered for us. He knows how badly I have wanted to hear her in concert.
I am stoked out of my mind. I am crazy excited. I can't wait for Tuesday night.
For me, music invokes intense emotions. Norah invokes a strong sense of my womanhood. Her husky voice and incredible piano stuff always makes me feel beautiful. For the last 6 years she has maintained a #1 status at the top of my playlist on the iPOD. It has been the soundtrack behind lots of slow dancing in the kitchen, amazing hungry passionate nights in the bedroom, and most recently - late night runs when I need to recover from the stress of being a teacher and a mom all day. Late night running with Norah on the iPOD just makes me feel absolutely alive. Human again after a long day. It helps me reconnect with my soul that gets lost in the chaos of life.
Today we were sitting at Sonic when my husband grabbed his phone and started frantically dialing. I was stunned, thinking someone had been rushed to the hospital or had died. Nope. He had been listening to the radio station playing over the radio speakers outside and heard they were giving away Norah Jones tickets for Tuesday night. He didn't win, but before an hour had passed, he was online and had tickets ordered for us. He knows how badly I have wanted to hear her in concert.
I am stoked out of my mind. I am crazy excited. I can't wait for Tuesday night.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Roadshow
Last night I had the opportunity to go down to Dallas for the $10 Rock and Roadshow concert. The entire family had originally planned to attend, but unfortunately Grace was sick. I appreciated my amazing husband staying home with her so that I could still go to the concert. I was nervous about driving myself in Dallas traffic on day five of a nasty migraine. My reaction time and memory are seriously adversely affected the longer a migraine lasts. I have been known to not just lose where I parked my car, but even what kind of car I drive when the headaches are bad. However, I only got lost once, and I felt like I drove safely in the 20mph traffic all the way into Dallas. The migraine meds kicked in before I got to the concert, so I was able to enjoy the loud music.
It was an amazing line-up of bands last night. Sidewalk Prophet, Fee, Francesca Battistelli, Family Force 5, Crowder, and Mercy Me. Crowder had to be my favorite. In spite of seeing him many times in concert, I still enjoy every time his band takes the stage. He always makes the audience feel comfortable and at home, then pulls us into worship. He has the gift of making a large crowd feel intimate. I also absolutely enjoyed Fee and Mercy Me. Family Force 5 was a great rock show, but I guess my age is showing. It was a little heavy rocking for me.
It was such a great gift to be able to completely release in worship last night. I didn't have to worry about when to come in with the keys, or watching the worship leader for cues, or reading the audience, or listening to the rest of the band, or adjusting my volume level, or changing the sounds on the keyboard. I just worshiped. I just completely let go and worshiped. And it felt great.
Don't misunderstand me. I love being a part of a worship band. I love being on stage every Sunday and being a part of leading people into worship. I can't imagine anything else that I'd rather do musically. However, even in times of intimate worship, when I am onstage I still have to keep track of what's coming up next. So that moment of complete and total release into full up, all out worship, with nothing held back, comes very rarely. I worship while I am onstage, but it's not quite the same.
I absolutely enjoyed every second of the experience last night. I opted out of the after party with friends to come home and try to sleep off my headache. I feel much better this morning, except for the grogginess that lingers after a headache is finally gone. And the grogginess that comes from sleeping in a bed full of tossing and turning little girls and being awakened by the tiniest one prying up my eyelids at daybreak to say, "Mommy are you awake?"
It is gently raining, and I am pretty sure that I'm going to slip into my shorts and a t-shirt, throw on the sneakers, shuffle a little Crowderband on the iPOD, and spend some time this morning worshiping God on the street.
It was an amazing line-up of bands last night. Sidewalk Prophet, Fee, Francesca Battistelli, Family Force 5, Crowder, and Mercy Me. Crowder had to be my favorite. In spite of seeing him many times in concert, I still enjoy every time his band takes the stage. He always makes the audience feel comfortable and at home, then pulls us into worship. He has the gift of making a large crowd feel intimate. I also absolutely enjoyed Fee and Mercy Me. Family Force 5 was a great rock show, but I guess my age is showing. It was a little heavy rocking for me.
It was such a great gift to be able to completely release in worship last night. I didn't have to worry about when to come in with the keys, or watching the worship leader for cues, or reading the audience, or listening to the rest of the band, or adjusting my volume level, or changing the sounds on the keyboard. I just worshiped. I just completely let go and worshiped. And it felt great.
Don't misunderstand me. I love being a part of a worship band. I love being on stage every Sunday and being a part of leading people into worship. I can't imagine anything else that I'd rather do musically. However, even in times of intimate worship, when I am onstage I still have to keep track of what's coming up next. So that moment of complete and total release into full up, all out worship, with nothing held back, comes very rarely. I worship while I am onstage, but it's not quite the same.
I absolutely enjoyed every second of the experience last night. I opted out of the after party with friends to come home and try to sleep off my headache. I feel much better this morning, except for the grogginess that lingers after a headache is finally gone. And the grogginess that comes from sleeping in a bed full of tossing and turning little girls and being awakened by the tiniest one prying up my eyelids at daybreak to say, "Mommy are you awake?"
It is gently raining, and I am pretty sure that I'm going to slip into my shorts and a t-shirt, throw on the sneakers, shuffle a little Crowderband on the iPOD, and spend some time this morning worshiping God on the street.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Crowder/Tomlin Concert
Saturday morning began way too early. I was out late Friday night watching "Wolverine"! (Sorry, I have to pause for just a minute to yell WOOOOO!!!!) So when my body woke up a little before 5, I ignored it and stayed in bed till 6. I had to run some errands at Wal-mart, work on stuff for children's ministry, and do a bit of housework before we left at 10:30.
The concert was an outdoor event. Most of the day, the rain was a fairly light drizzle. Drizzle doesn't really bother me. I was just vain enough to be disturbed by my hair getting messed up and having to wear ugly rain panchos. Yes, I know, God is still working with me on my vanity. However, three times the storm sirens sounded and we had to evacuate into nearby buildings. The first two evacuations were fairly short lived, and we were able to quickly return to the concert.
Sanctus Real really rocked the place. I had not seen them live. Loved them! I wasn't as crazy about Flyleaf. I like their stuff on the radio, but they did lots of screaming at this concert and that's hard for me to understand. However, I was very interested in her story of how she became a follower of Jesus Christ, but then we were evacuated again because of storm sirens and were unable to hear the rest of her story.
By the third evacuation, I was just ticked. Not at the concert people. They were doing their best to keep the crowd safe, but I was just a little ticked at the weather maker. Yes, God. I mean, come on....I spent big bucks on these tickets and was not getting to worship! Was God really going to let all that money go to waste? Yes, it's embarrassing to admit.... I was frustrated that God let us have bad weather when all I wanted to do was to worship Him!
So I am trying to hide my frustration with God that I know is way so not cool. It's embarrassing to be with your church friends and be ticked at God. I finally got out my iPOD and began listening to all my "rain" songs. I came to Tomlin's "My Chains Are Gone." This line stuck with me, "And like a flood, his mercy rains, unending love, amazing grace." This was about the time rain was moving across the football field in blinding sheets.
God got my attention pretty good at that point.... his mercy rains on us like a flood.... HELLO! ARE YOU NOT WATCHING????? That's when my frustration turned to worship. If God's mercy rains down on me like that rain was pouring in sheets on that field.... that's some pretty amazing mercy. The popping lightning is the only thing that kept me from walking right out into the pouring rain to fully experience the moment. Then God spoke to my frustration, "I AM NOT A GOD WHO CAN BE MANIPULATED, PLANNED, SCHEDULED OR BOUGHT. I DESERVE YOUR WORSHIP EVERY DAY AND EVERY MOMENT. YOU DO NOT NEED A TICKET TO MEET WITH ME." Oh. I was assuming that somehow the money I spent on the tickets made God more likely to show up. God was reminding me that He is available for free. Anytime.
Rain let up and we did get to see Crowder and Tomlin. It was absolutely an incredible night of worship for me. I loved being able just to let go and worship. And in case I ignored God's voice earlier, one of speaker Chan's points was that "God cannot be manipulated." That was pretty wow cause that was precisely the word that God had used with me in dealing with my sinful attitude. Then Tomlin emphasized his line, "Like a flood, his mercy rains" in response to the weather. So I was pretty sure that the moment earlier under the bleachers at the football stadium was no coincidence.
The night ended with fireworks. My friend Liz noticed something pretty spectacular. She said that when the fireworks first went up there was a single light, but then they spread out into a wide-reaching beautiful pattern. She said it's like the gospel. As you share God's love with others and they in turn share with others, it becomes a beautiful light that cannot be contained.
Bottom line? Wet, cold, shivering.....but amazing worship experience. Would not have traded any of it....not even the rain. On the way home got some Starbucks. Nothing like the perfect end to the perfect evening :)
The concert was an outdoor event. Most of the day, the rain was a fairly light drizzle. Drizzle doesn't really bother me. I was just vain enough to be disturbed by my hair getting messed up and having to wear ugly rain panchos. Yes, I know, God is still working with me on my vanity. However, three times the storm sirens sounded and we had to evacuate into nearby buildings. The first two evacuations were fairly short lived, and we were able to quickly return to the concert.
Sanctus Real really rocked the place. I had not seen them live. Loved them! I wasn't as crazy about Flyleaf. I like their stuff on the radio, but they did lots of screaming at this concert and that's hard for me to understand. However, I was very interested in her story of how she became a follower of Jesus Christ, but then we were evacuated again because of storm sirens and were unable to hear the rest of her story.
By the third evacuation, I was just ticked. Not at the concert people. They were doing their best to keep the crowd safe, but I was just a little ticked at the weather maker. Yes, God. I mean, come on....I spent big bucks on these tickets and was not getting to worship! Was God really going to let all that money go to waste? Yes, it's embarrassing to admit.... I was frustrated that God let us have bad weather when all I wanted to do was to worship Him!
So I am trying to hide my frustration with God that I know is way so not cool. It's embarrassing to be with your church friends and be ticked at God. I finally got out my iPOD and began listening to all my "rain" songs. I came to Tomlin's "My Chains Are Gone." This line stuck with me, "And like a flood, his mercy rains, unending love, amazing grace." This was about the time rain was moving across the football field in blinding sheets.
God got my attention pretty good at that point.... his mercy rains on us like a flood.... HELLO! ARE YOU NOT WATCHING????? That's when my frustration turned to worship. If God's mercy rains down on me like that rain was pouring in sheets on that field.... that's some pretty amazing mercy. The popping lightning is the only thing that kept me from walking right out into the pouring rain to fully experience the moment. Then God spoke to my frustration, "I AM NOT A GOD WHO CAN BE MANIPULATED, PLANNED, SCHEDULED OR BOUGHT. I DESERVE YOUR WORSHIP EVERY DAY AND EVERY MOMENT. YOU DO NOT NEED A TICKET TO MEET WITH ME." Oh. I was assuming that somehow the money I spent on the tickets made God more likely to show up. God was reminding me that He is available for free. Anytime.
Rain let up and we did get to see Crowder and Tomlin. It was absolutely an incredible night of worship for me. I loved being able just to let go and worship. And in case I ignored God's voice earlier, one of speaker Chan's points was that "God cannot be manipulated." That was pretty wow cause that was precisely the word that God had used with me in dealing with my sinful attitude. Then Tomlin emphasized his line, "Like a flood, his mercy rains" in response to the weather. So I was pretty sure that the moment earlier under the bleachers at the football stadium was no coincidence.
The night ended with fireworks. My friend Liz noticed something pretty spectacular. She said that when the fireworks first went up there was a single light, but then they spread out into a wide-reaching beautiful pattern. She said it's like the gospel. As you share God's love with others and they in turn share with others, it becomes a beautiful light that cannot be contained.
Bottom line? Wet, cold, shivering.....but amazing worship experience. Would not have traded any of it....not even the rain. On the way home got some Starbucks. Nothing like the perfect end to the perfect evening :)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Awesome concert
I had the opportunity to go see several of my favorite bands at the American Airlines Center last night. Addison Road and Tenth Avenue North were the opening acts. I love these bands. I was bummed that they were openers and didn't get to play long. But still loved getting to hear them.
Hawk Nelson was up next.....This is not my favorite band. Excellent bathroom break time!
Then Jeremy Camp and Mercy Me. Some pretty wow worship going down. I really enjoyed being able to just worship. To allow myself to be totally and completely consumed in God's presence. I absolutely love being in a band and playing on stage. Sunday is my favorite day of the week in large part because of this. Saturday is a close runner up because I get to go to band practice. However, when you are on stage, you engage and release in worship - but you also have to keep an eye on the crowd for cues and an eye on the worship leader to see where you're headed next and an ear open to the other instrumentalists to see what you need to play. I have to constantly check myself to make sure that I do not so totally lose myself in worship that I forget where I am and what I am doing. Because that's what happens to me when I worship....I totally lose track of what's going on.
And so, it was good just to be poured out in worship last night. No eyes on me....no audience watching to see how I was responding....Just me and God. I pretty much rudely ignored everybody around me and blocked them out. I know Shawn was worshipping, only because he was next to me....but I really didn't even pay much attention to him. I couldn't tell you a thing about anybody else there....hopefully they were also able to worship....but I have no idea.
I'm ready for Sunday. Ready to meet with God again. Thankful that God placed me in a church where worship is an every week event. Where I do not have to totally rely on special worship events to see God's face. I'm looking forward to the Big Easter Egg Hunt this weekend. Pray for good weather and great crowds. Pray for God to move in Anna.
Hawk Nelson was up next.....This is not my favorite band. Excellent bathroom break time!
Then Jeremy Camp and Mercy Me. Some pretty wow worship going down. I really enjoyed being able to just worship. To allow myself to be totally and completely consumed in God's presence. I absolutely love being in a band and playing on stage. Sunday is my favorite day of the week in large part because of this. Saturday is a close runner up because I get to go to band practice. However, when you are on stage, you engage and release in worship - but you also have to keep an eye on the crowd for cues and an eye on the worship leader to see where you're headed next and an ear open to the other instrumentalists to see what you need to play. I have to constantly check myself to make sure that I do not so totally lose myself in worship that I forget where I am and what I am doing. Because that's what happens to me when I worship....I totally lose track of what's going on.
And so, it was good just to be poured out in worship last night. No eyes on me....no audience watching to see how I was responding....Just me and God. I pretty much rudely ignored everybody around me and blocked them out. I know Shawn was worshipping, only because he was next to me....but I really didn't even pay much attention to him. I couldn't tell you a thing about anybody else there....hopefully they were also able to worship....but I have no idea.
I'm ready for Sunday. Ready to meet with God again. Thankful that God placed me in a church where worship is an every week event. Where I do not have to totally rely on special worship events to see God's face. I'm looking forward to the Big Easter Egg Hunt this weekend. Pray for good weather and great crowds. Pray for God to move in Anna.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Big Road Trip
The day dawned cool and crisp. I had to put in a few hours at school before I could hit the road. There were a few catastrophes to set right. One student's dog had died and several students were afraid about riding the bus because of a bus wreck the night before. So I spent the morning reassuring them all that life would be okay.
Finally noon arrived. Time to head to Houston for the Tenth Avenue North concert. Just a girl trip. Me, my buddy Rachel, and my daughter Grace. We struck out on the big adventure. It was an adventure because I was in charge of the trip. And...I am a wee bit directionally challenged. Many of my friend joked that I would know I had made a wrong turn if I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Canada."
On the way down, we chatted and listened to the cranked up music. It was a good trip. I only got lost twice and both of those were not exactly my fault. The first time the directions were a bit unclear, and we figured it out quickly and turned around. The second time I was on the phone and not paying attention for my turn.
The concert was awesome. Tenth Avenue North is a very musically talented band. They opened with a new song, titled, "Dirty." I thought it was a risky move to begin a concert with a new song....typically you try out your new material after the crowd is already hooked. However, it seemed to work out okay. The lead singer had a lot of great insight and wisdom that he shared throughout the night as leads into their songs. I did think that the band showed some inexperience in their stagecraft. At times they moved from worshipping to rocking very abruptly. Their transitions were still a bit awkward. However, for a young, new band....I was very impressed! I think that these guys are going to be big news in another year or so! Loved hearing them live.
One of the stories that the lead singer told as he went into "Beloved" really caught my attention. He said that when Jesus told the disciples to drink of his covenant that he was proposing marriage. He said that a young Hebrew male would propose to his bride by drinking from a cup and then passing it to the girl for her to drink as well. Then the groom would return to his hometown to prepare her a home before they were married. So in Jesus sharing the cup with his disciples, he was showing his commitment to his followers and at the same time letting them know that a separation was coming.
After the concert, we had dessert and coffee, and headed to bed. The trip back was uneventful. We listened to some music and just hung out. My friend Rachel wanted to listen to a country song that she knew. I endured it...but reluctantly. Then as I was flipping channels, I found a station of the great country legends. It reminded me of being a little girl, listening to my mom's eight tracks in the kitchen. To repay Rachel for the country song earlier, I tortured her with my Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton sing-alongs. It was really, really funny. But I think you probably had to be there.
We bumped into old friends in Corsicana at lunch. It was cool to get to see them. We spent way too much money at a teacher store in Dallas, then we headed home.
A great trip. It was awesome to watch Grace transitioning into a worshipper. It was fun to hang out with Rachel. Life is busy, and it is hard to find the time to hang out with friends as often as we should.
Finally noon arrived. Time to head to Houston for the Tenth Avenue North concert. Just a girl trip. Me, my buddy Rachel, and my daughter Grace. We struck out on the big adventure. It was an adventure because I was in charge of the trip. And...I am a wee bit directionally challenged. Many of my friend joked that I would know I had made a wrong turn if I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Canada."
On the way down, we chatted and listened to the cranked up music. It was a good trip. I only got lost twice and both of those were not exactly my fault. The first time the directions were a bit unclear, and we figured it out quickly and turned around. The second time I was on the phone and not paying attention for my turn.
The concert was awesome. Tenth Avenue North is a very musically talented band. They opened with a new song, titled, "Dirty." I thought it was a risky move to begin a concert with a new song....typically you try out your new material after the crowd is already hooked. However, it seemed to work out okay. The lead singer had a lot of great insight and wisdom that he shared throughout the night as leads into their songs. I did think that the band showed some inexperience in their stagecraft. At times they moved from worshipping to rocking very abruptly. Their transitions were still a bit awkward. However, for a young, new band....I was very impressed! I think that these guys are going to be big news in another year or so! Loved hearing them live.
One of the stories that the lead singer told as he went into "Beloved" really caught my attention. He said that when Jesus told the disciples to drink of his covenant that he was proposing marriage. He said that a young Hebrew male would propose to his bride by drinking from a cup and then passing it to the girl for her to drink as well. Then the groom would return to his hometown to prepare her a home before they were married. So in Jesus sharing the cup with his disciples, he was showing his commitment to his followers and at the same time letting them know that a separation was coming.
After the concert, we had dessert and coffee, and headed to bed. The trip back was uneventful. We listened to some music and just hung out. My friend Rachel wanted to listen to a country song that she knew. I endured it...but reluctantly. Then as I was flipping channels, I found a station of the great country legends. It reminded me of being a little girl, listening to my mom's eight tracks in the kitchen. To repay Rachel for the country song earlier, I tortured her with my Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton sing-alongs. It was really, really funny. But I think you probably had to be there.
We bumped into old friends in Corsicana at lunch. It was cool to get to see them. We spent way too much money at a teacher store in Dallas, then we headed home.
A great trip. It was awesome to watch Grace transitioning into a worshipper. It was fun to hang out with Rachel. Life is busy, and it is hard to find the time to hang out with friends as often as we should.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Rock the Desert Part 2
I made it home this morning around 7. I do not expect to have time to sleep until later this afternoon because of a busy Sunday. However, tired and exhausted and filthy - I loved Rock the Desert.
Just some scattered, sleepy thoughts on the bands in case you are wondering.
The Wedding was okay - lots of screaming - screaming is not my favorite. But I loved their introduction line. Loud scream into the mic, "We are the Wedding ...... and you know who you are.......let's rock!
Day of Fire - I am totally a new fan. This was probably the most musically talented group there. The bass player, lead guitarist, and drummer were incredible. They played a variety of styles, even an acoustic number about Jesus walking the dark ways to find those of us who are struggling to walk in the light. I was very impressed. Again - lots of screaming - but understandable lyrics.
Disciple - I bought the T-shirt because it was my favorite design. This band was good, they did a really high-energy, head-banging, heavy metal show. I did not like them as well as Day of Fire.
Hawk Nelson - Just didn't do it for me. I know he's some of my friends' favorite, but for me he was a little young - a great listen for teens. Talented, but more the flavor Grace would be interested in.
Red - I missed this one for the most part because I was busy talking on the phone. It sounded pretty good from where I was. Not crazy about the lead singer's green/blue eyeliner. I think if you are going to use eyeliner as a guy, it has to be black.
Switchfoot - I really enjoyed. I like this band and am familiar with most of their stuff. I loved it when the lead singer took a cymbal from the drummer and ran around on stage playing it. The guy behind me and I discussed the option of using this solo technique in worship. He is apparently in a very traditional church, since he said he could do it once before he got fired. Lots of great stories behind their songs.
Oh - and there was one more technique that we should use in worship (sarcasm) - The lead singers of all these bands at some point laid down on their backs on stage while screaming into the microphone. Very interesting technique.
Overall, this weekend I saw a lot of incredible talent. It was a little more head-banging than I would normally listen to, but I loved how much fun the bands were having performing. Everybody that I saw on stage seemed thrilled to have the privilege to be playing together. I also loved the excitement among the teens as they were able to listen to a genre of music that they enjoy, but with positive, uplifting lyrics.
Thanks to my friend who took good care of this concert festival "virgin". I brought a suitcase with a change of clothes. She brought lawn chairs, snacks, a cooler, water, umbrellas, a canopy to shade us from the sun, picnic supplies, sunscreen, paper towels, wippees, etc. When trying something new, it is always great to go with a friend with experience. Her preparations definitely made the weekend go smoothly.
*We set up the canopy/tent thing in less than 10 minutes! We even got compliments from the people sitting around staring at the two chicks wrestling the thing up all by ourselves. With my track record with tents, this was nothing short of a miracle!
Just some scattered, sleepy thoughts on the bands in case you are wondering.
The Wedding was okay - lots of screaming - screaming is not my favorite. But I loved their introduction line. Loud scream into the mic, "We are the Wedding ...... and you know who you are.......let's rock!
Day of Fire - I am totally a new fan. This was probably the most musically talented group there. The bass player, lead guitarist, and drummer were incredible. They played a variety of styles, even an acoustic number about Jesus walking the dark ways to find those of us who are struggling to walk in the light. I was very impressed. Again - lots of screaming - but understandable lyrics.
Disciple - I bought the T-shirt because it was my favorite design. This band was good, they did a really high-energy, head-banging, heavy metal show. I did not like them as well as Day of Fire.
Hawk Nelson - Just didn't do it for me. I know he's some of my friends' favorite, but for me he was a little young - a great listen for teens. Talented, but more the flavor Grace would be interested in.
Red - I missed this one for the most part because I was busy talking on the phone. It sounded pretty good from where I was. Not crazy about the lead singer's green/blue eyeliner. I think if you are going to use eyeliner as a guy, it has to be black.
Switchfoot - I really enjoyed. I like this band and am familiar with most of their stuff. I loved it when the lead singer took a cymbal from the drummer and ran around on stage playing it. The guy behind me and I discussed the option of using this solo technique in worship. He is apparently in a very traditional church, since he said he could do it once before he got fired. Lots of great stories behind their songs.
Oh - and there was one more technique that we should use in worship (sarcasm) - The lead singers of all these bands at some point laid down on their backs on stage while screaming into the microphone. Very interesting technique.
Overall, this weekend I saw a lot of incredible talent. It was a little more head-banging than I would normally listen to, but I loved how much fun the bands were having performing. Everybody that I saw on stage seemed thrilled to have the privilege to be playing together. I also loved the excitement among the teens as they were able to listen to a genre of music that they enjoy, but with positive, uplifting lyrics.
Thanks to my friend who took good care of this concert festival "virgin". I brought a suitcase with a change of clothes. She brought lawn chairs, snacks, a cooler, water, umbrellas, a canopy to shade us from the sun, picnic supplies, sunscreen, paper towels, wippees, etc. When trying something new, it is always great to go with a friend with experience. Her preparations definitely made the weekend go smoothly.
*We set up the canopy/tent thing in less than 10 minutes! We even got compliments from the people sitting around staring at the two chicks wrestling the thing up all by ourselves. With my track record with tents, this was nothing short of a miracle!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Rock the Desert
So I have this awesome husband who is willing to babysit 4 kids so I can take a two day road trip out to Midland with a girlfriend to hang out and listen to awesome music. We arrived this afternoon, got our canopy and chairs set up. Me setting up a tent is always awesome! The early bands were pretty lame. It did cross my mind many times, "We are so much better than them." As the sun went down, the bigger bands played. Family Force Five was fun. They screamed a lot and threw their guitars around, jumped, ran, and head-banged. I was exhausted just watching. But I did enjoy the show, even if it did not lead me into worship.
Now for the good part. Newsboys closed out the evening with an awesome, amazing, incredible, super, wow concert. I am not a huge Newsboys fan in general, however I was really impressed by the lead singer Peter at a worship conference several years ago when I heard him speak about his heart for worship and songwriting. They are not a band that I go out and buy their cds, so I was really surprised by the show tonight.
Newsboys hit the stage ready to rock. The drummer wailed on the drums all night - unbelievable. The keyboard player had 2 keyboards, a synthesizer, and two computers. The first several songs were high energy, hard rocking songs. Then they shifted into worship music. I absolutely loved their set. They did "Blessed by your name and ended with the bridge, "You give and take away." The bass player keep a strong driving bass while the drummer shifted his beat to a tribal feel and they leaped into "He Reigns." Now these happen to be two of my favorite worship songs of all time because of some intimate worship experiences that have occurred while singing these songs.
The first time I ever heard "Blessed Be Your Name" was my first week back in church after a miscarriage several years ago. When we got to that bridge, "You give and take away," I lost it. I could not even compose myself enough to walk out of church. Shawn held me and friends gathered around and laid hands on me and prayed over me as I wept. It was such an intimate moment of worship as God showed me that he was absolutely worthy of my worship, my praise, and my trust, even when he made no sense at all. So every time that I sing that song, I am immediately lifted back into God's presence where he reminds me of his great love for me.
Then to follow it with "He Reigns"! Oh My Gosh!!!! This is one of the other most intimate worship experiences I have taken part in. I was at Saddleback's worship conference and Newsboys was leading worship. We came to the end of He Reigns and continued singing for over 10 minutes after the Newsboys had left the stage. I was surrounded by thousands of musicians lifting up worship to their God. It was a moment that I will not ever forget.
So pairing the two songs together really did pull me right into worship. Time stood still, the people around me disappeared, and their was only an audience of One. The rest of the concert was also fabulous. Peter read the Isaiah passage about mounting up on the wings of eagles as a lead in to a song I had not heard, "Stay Strong." Beautiful! God's Word poured over his people was intimate and precious.
So then the Newsboys changed course and moved back into fun - some relief from the intensiveness of the moment. They did a walk down memory lane and sang pieces of all the old stuff. They did Shine, Breakfast, and Amazing Love. To close out the concert, Peter sat down at his own drum set and joined the drummer for a rockin' duet. I thought long and hard about waking up my drummer friends so they could listen in, but decided against it. The last song of the night was "I am free."
Wow - what a concert experience. Words simply cannot captivate the power and strength of God's presence tonight. I cannot express the depth and complexity of the concert and the finesse of the band in leading us into God's presence. I was blessed to be here tonight. The only thing to make it better would be all of you, my friends, standing beside me - voices and hands raised as one as we worship the King of all Kings.
Now for the good part. Newsboys closed out the evening with an awesome, amazing, incredible, super, wow concert. I am not a huge Newsboys fan in general, however I was really impressed by the lead singer Peter at a worship conference several years ago when I heard him speak about his heart for worship and songwriting. They are not a band that I go out and buy their cds, so I was really surprised by the show tonight.
Newsboys hit the stage ready to rock. The drummer wailed on the drums all night - unbelievable. The keyboard player had 2 keyboards, a synthesizer, and two computers. The first several songs were high energy, hard rocking songs. Then they shifted into worship music. I absolutely loved their set. They did "Blessed by your name and ended with the bridge, "You give and take away." The bass player keep a strong driving bass while the drummer shifted his beat to a tribal feel and they leaped into "He Reigns." Now these happen to be two of my favorite worship songs of all time because of some intimate worship experiences that have occurred while singing these songs.
The first time I ever heard "Blessed Be Your Name" was my first week back in church after a miscarriage several years ago. When we got to that bridge, "You give and take away," I lost it. I could not even compose myself enough to walk out of church. Shawn held me and friends gathered around and laid hands on me and prayed over me as I wept. It was such an intimate moment of worship as God showed me that he was absolutely worthy of my worship, my praise, and my trust, even when he made no sense at all. So every time that I sing that song, I am immediately lifted back into God's presence where he reminds me of his great love for me.
Then to follow it with "He Reigns"! Oh My Gosh!!!! This is one of the other most intimate worship experiences I have taken part in. I was at Saddleback's worship conference and Newsboys was leading worship. We came to the end of He Reigns and continued singing for over 10 minutes after the Newsboys had left the stage. I was surrounded by thousands of musicians lifting up worship to their God. It was a moment that I will not ever forget.
So pairing the two songs together really did pull me right into worship. Time stood still, the people around me disappeared, and their was only an audience of One. The rest of the concert was also fabulous. Peter read the Isaiah passage about mounting up on the wings of eagles as a lead in to a song I had not heard, "Stay Strong." Beautiful! God's Word poured over his people was intimate and precious.
So then the Newsboys changed course and moved back into fun - some relief from the intensiveness of the moment. They did a walk down memory lane and sang pieces of all the old stuff. They did Shine, Breakfast, and Amazing Love. To close out the concert, Peter sat down at his own drum set and joined the drummer for a rockin' duet. I thought long and hard about waking up my drummer friends so they could listen in, but decided against it. The last song of the night was "I am free."
Wow - what a concert experience. Words simply cannot captivate the power and strength of God's presence tonight. I cannot express the depth and complexity of the concert and the finesse of the band in leading us into God's presence. I was blessed to be here tonight. The only thing to make it better would be all of you, my friends, standing beside me - voices and hands raised as one as we worship the King of all Kings.
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