February 4 didn't end like a normal school day at Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte, Indiana. Instead, the students, along with the junior high classes of DeMotte Christian School, were treated to a concert by Christian band Abandon.
The band came out ready to rock, and the kids were immediately on their feet. They opened the set with "Be Alive In Me," from their CD Searchlights. "Safe In Your Arms," which has received lots of airplay on Shine.fm (89.7 fm) was familiar to many of the kids. Always a hit with the crowd is "Atmosphere," a song that features drummer Dave Vela moving to the front of the stage to showcase his skills. Bass player Bryan Fowler picks up drum duties, guitarist Stevan Vela takes on the bass, and no one misses a beat, even when lead singer Josh Engler launches himself off one of his bandmates.
Allowing everyone to catch their breath, the band slowed it down with "Hero." Josh reminded the kids that "the hero is our savior, who came to give all He had."
The band started "Hold On" with the familiar keyboard phrase, and a few energetic sophomores took it upon themselves to be "hype men" and get the crowd worked up. And the band appreciated the crowd's reaction. "This was a great group to play for, and the kids were really enthusiastic," said Bryan Fowler.
The students also clearly enjoyed the band's performance. According to one, "I think this concert was a great opportunity because it was something different from a normal day of school. And the music was awesome!"
The band left DeMotte for a quick trip to Minneapolis to play an Acquire the Fire conference on Friday, then hustled back to Chicago for an outreach event at The Underground in Naperville on Saturday. Thank goodness for no snow delays!
The Saturday night show included several youth bands opening for Abandon, with the hope that their friends and fans who might never have been in church before would enjoy Abandon and be inclined to return again on Sunday morning as the band led worship.
As expected, the Saturday night show was great, and Sunday offered us a peek at another side of the band. The guys have hearts for worship and story-telling, but they don't always get the chance to at regular concerts. Besides leading the congregation in some standard worship tunes, like "Mighty to Save," they also played some of their original songs and shared the stories behind them. Josh Engler told how the song "Providence," (my personal favorite!) emerged from Dave Vela's thoughts and journals about the story of Peter's denial.
Abandon will continue to travel the US with "Acquire the Fire" as they also gear up for what will surely be a busy summer festival season. Rumor has it that we may see them at Ignite Chicago. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Got Hope?
It's been a busy week in Count Me In Concerts world: the LOVE CAN Tour last Sunday, and the SONGS OF HOPE Tour this week. But it's been all good!
Songs of Hope featured the Robbie Seay Band, Bethany Dillon, and Caleb at The Underground at Alleluia! Lutheran Church in Naperville. Opening artist Caleb, featuring Caleb and Will Chapman (yes, that Chapman family, as in Steven Curtis), played three songs that showed the family talent. But this was not their daddy's music. Caleb features a fresh voice and perspective. Look for more to come from this yet-unsigned artist.
Bethany Dillon brought her guitar and beautiful voice, accompanied only by her drummer. She mentioned how some major life changes (marriage to Shane Barnard of Shane and Shane, and relocation from Ohio to Texas) inspired some of her newest writing. A mix of old and new songs followed. Her earlier songs "Beautiful" and "All I Need" are still among my favorite tunes of hers.
Robbie Seay had been fighting flu-like symtoms all day, but rest and good home cookin' seemed to energize him. He and his 3 bandmates opened their set with new tune "Love Invades," followed by one of my all-time favorite songs, "Song of Hope (Heaven Come Down)." I was not disappointed!
The band covered the Jon Foreman song "Your Love is Strong" which I enjoyed more than the original (perhaps because I am tired of Foreman's version). Current radio single "Miracle" was next, and this song is poised to be another RSB classic. Speaking of which... Seay introduced the next song, which wasn't on the original set list, saying, "We were told if we didn't play this we would not be welcome back here!" So came hope, coffee, melody in the form of hit song "New Day." (Why wouldn't they have played it, anyway?)
I was especially impressed with by the talented new guitar player, Matthew "Frodo" Kidd, who bears a striking resemblance to the Elijah Wood character for which he is nicknamed (penetrating blue eyes and all!) The entire band played a tight set and, in spite of being under the weather, Robbie Seay pressed on and even stuck around to meet fans, as he always enjoys doing.
Count Me In Concerts loves doing shows at The Underground; the atmosphere and the people are very inviting, and the artists agree. Who would you like to see there?
Songs of Hope featured the Robbie Seay Band, Bethany Dillon, and Caleb at The Underground at Alleluia! Lutheran Church in Naperville. Opening artist Caleb, featuring Caleb and Will Chapman (yes, that Chapman family, as in Steven Curtis), played three songs that showed the family talent. But this was not their daddy's music. Caleb features a fresh voice and perspective. Look for more to come from this yet-unsigned artist.
Bethany Dillon brought her guitar and beautiful voice, accompanied only by her drummer. She mentioned how some major life changes (marriage to Shane Barnard of Shane and Shane, and relocation from Ohio to Texas) inspired some of her newest writing. A mix of old and new songs followed. Her earlier songs "Beautiful" and "All I Need" are still among my favorite tunes of hers.
Robbie Seay had been fighting flu-like symtoms all day, but rest and good home cookin' seemed to energize him. He and his 3 bandmates opened their set with new tune "Love Invades," followed by one of my all-time favorite songs, "Song of Hope (Heaven Come Down)." I was not disappointed!
The band covered the Jon Foreman song "Your Love is Strong" which I enjoyed more than the original (perhaps because I am tired of Foreman's version). Current radio single "Miracle" was next, and this song is poised to be another RSB classic. Speaking of which... Seay introduced the next song, which wasn't on the original set list, saying, "We were told if we didn't play this we would not be welcome back here!" So came hope, coffee, melody in the form of hit song "New Day." (Why wouldn't they have played it, anyway?)
I was especially impressed with by the talented new guitar player, Matthew "Frodo" Kidd, who bears a striking resemblance to the Elijah Wood character for which he is nicknamed (penetrating blue eyes and all!) The entire band played a tight set and, in spite of being under the weather, Robbie Seay pressed on and even stuck around to meet fans, as he always enjoys doing.
Count Me In Concerts loves doing shows at The Underground; the atmosphere and the people are very inviting, and the artists agree. Who would you like to see there?
Love Can!
The LOVE CAN Tour, featuring DecembeRadio and Sevenglory, made a stop in St. John, Indiana, last week. This was Count Me In Concert's first show at Suncrest Christian Church, where several hundred fans filled the worship center and rocked out!
The show opener came from Chicago's western suburbs to play their first high-profile rock show. The David Yeager Band has a solid Chicago-area following, and this was their first venture into the NW Indiana area. Their indie/folk sound was well-received by the audience even though most were unfamiliar with their tunes. Opening with "In Your Sight, I Am Sound," the title track from their cd, they drew the audience in with their solid blend of rock and worship. My only disappointment is that frontman David Yeager didn't bring his violin out for a song. (As the opener, the DYB was only able to play four songs) Don't miss these guys when they do a full set.
Area favorites Sevenglory have been on the LOVE CAN Tour with DecembeRadio for the past months. After a weekend of planes, trains and automobiles (they had been playing a weekend retreat in Ft. Wayne, concluding with a morning session followed by quick flight to the Griffith airport), the band brought a great set infused with a few new songs. Unfortunately, bass player Gabe Johannes wasn't able to join the band on stage due to technical difficulties. But DecembeRadio's keyboard player was on hand to fill in the notes.
After a Compassion International appeal, DecembeRadio took the stage by storm. "Love Found Me" led off their set and got everyone up and rockin'. The band brought songs from their self-titled first cd and current release Satisfied.
After a solid rock set, frontman Josh Reedy took it down a notch to a more intimate set, humorously called "songs we wish we'd written." Reedy paid tribute Michael Jackson with "Man in the Mirror," and encouraged everyone to listen to the great message of this song. "Higher Love" followed, and Reedy challenged anyone under 30 to name the original artist (Steve Winwood). During this song, guitarist Brian Bunn was featured on mandolin and then banjo, showing his musical versatility. The next cover, dubbed their "guilty pleasure," was "The Climb" (do I even need to mention Miley Cyrus?) . I liked it waaaaaay better than Cyrus' version.
"Drifter, ""Everlasting God," and "Be Alright" rounded out the set, and brought the tempo back up to finish out the evening with the rock tune, "Gasoline." These southern rockers definitely left the audience Satisified!
The show opener came from Chicago's western suburbs to play their first high-profile rock show. The David Yeager Band has a solid Chicago-area following, and this was their first venture into the NW Indiana area. Their indie/folk sound was well-received by the audience even though most were unfamiliar with their tunes. Opening with "In Your Sight, I Am Sound," the title track from their cd, they drew the audience in with their solid blend of rock and worship. My only disappointment is that frontman David Yeager didn't bring his violin out for a song. (As the opener, the DYB was only able to play four songs) Don't miss these guys when they do a full set.
Area favorites Sevenglory have been on the LOVE CAN Tour with DecembeRadio for the past months. After a weekend of planes, trains and automobiles (they had been playing a weekend retreat in Ft. Wayne, concluding with a morning session followed by quick flight to the Griffith airport), the band brought a great set infused with a few new songs. Unfortunately, bass player Gabe Johannes wasn't able to join the band on stage due to technical difficulties. But DecembeRadio's keyboard player was on hand to fill in the notes.
After a Compassion International appeal, DecembeRadio took the stage by storm. "Love Found Me" led off their set and got everyone up and rockin'. The band brought songs from their self-titled first cd and current release Satisfied.
After a solid rock set, frontman Josh Reedy took it down a notch to a more intimate set, humorously called "songs we wish we'd written." Reedy paid tribute Michael Jackson with "Man in the Mirror," and encouraged everyone to listen to the great message of this song. "Higher Love" followed, and Reedy challenged anyone under 30 to name the original artist (Steve Winwood). During this song, guitarist Brian Bunn was featured on mandolin and then banjo, showing his musical versatility. The next cover, dubbed their "guilty pleasure," was "The Climb" (do I even need to mention Miley Cyrus?) . I liked it waaaaaay better than Cyrus' version.
"Drifter, ""Everlasting God," and "Be Alright" rounded out the set, and brought the tempo back up to finish out the evening with the rock tune, "Gasoline." These southern rockers definitely left the audience Satisified!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A Great New Discovery- David Yeager Band
Backthird Audio is a well-hidden spot in Aurora, but my trip there was certainly worth the three times around the block to find the building (which is nestled in an alley). I was headed to a Songwriters' Showcase to check out some aspiring musicians, including the evening's featured artist, David Yeager Band. David Yeager was the winner of last month's showcase, thereby earning the band the spot as the next featured artist.
It didn't take long to see why Yeager was the winner. His music combines substantive songwriting with memorable hooks, and excellent musicianship with intricate musical detail. In their 30 minute set, the band played 6 songs from their upcoming release. (Plus, the audience wouldn't let them leave without an encore!)
Yeager's songwriting reflects his deep spirituality and the many paradoxes of the Christian life. In Giving It Up he acknowledges, "The battle ends in surrender/ but surrender is the start," and "I'm ready for my sentence/ It begins when I walk free. " The lyrics of Won't Let Go include deep spiritual truths ("I sought you/ I caught you/ I spent my blood and I bought you"), while Light of the World the ponders the challenges of being a Christ-follower ("How can I be the light of the world/ I stumble in dimness and dust").
Soaring violin riffs, passionate vocals, and tight harmonies are all hallmarks of the music of DYB. Yeager switches effortlessly between lead vocals, guitar and violin duties. The other highly-skilled band members include Matt Chandick (drums), Jon Chavez (bass, bgv's), and Steve Wick (guitar, bgv's).
Here's hoping David Yeager Band will soon be playing a Count Me In Concerts show. The band's CD releases later this month. Check davidyeagerband.com for details.
It didn't take long to see why Yeager was the winner. His music combines substantive songwriting with memorable hooks, and excellent musicianship with intricate musical detail. In their 30 minute set, the band played 6 songs from their upcoming release. (Plus, the audience wouldn't let them leave without an encore!)
Yeager's songwriting reflects his deep spirituality and the many paradoxes of the Christian life. In Giving It Up he acknowledges, "The battle ends in surrender/ but surrender is the start," and "I'm ready for my sentence/ It begins when I walk free. " The lyrics of Won't Let Go include deep spiritual truths ("I sought you/ I caught you/ I spent my blood and I bought you"), while Light of the World the ponders the challenges of being a Christ-follower ("How can I be the light of the world/ I stumble in dimness and dust").
Soaring violin riffs, passionate vocals, and tight harmonies are all hallmarks of the music of DYB. Yeager switches effortlessly between lead vocals, guitar and violin duties. The other highly-skilled band members include Matt Chandick (drums), Jon Chavez (bass, bgv's), and Steve Wick (guitar, bgv's).
Here's hoping David Yeager Band will soon be playing a Count Me In Concerts show. The band's CD releases later this month. Check davidyeagerband.com for details.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Nashville Meets the Count Me In Concerts Team!
Seven days, hundreds of artists, dozens of concerts, lots of coffee and little sleep can only mean one thing: GMA Week in Nashville. On April 17 the "six chicks" of Count Me In Concerts headed to Nashville for a week of music, worship and laughter. (GMA Week is the Gospel Music Association's conference for artists, promoters, managers, media and anyone else involved in the Christian music industry.)
I can't count how many concerts we saw, but here's an incomplete list of artists we enjoyed, in no particular order: Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Francesca Battistelli, Rush of Fools, Downhere, Remedy Drive, Seabird, Sanctus Real, Tenth Avenue North, Aaron Shust, Mercy Me, Chris Sligh, Group One Crew, Sonicflood, Abandon, Michael Sweet (of Stryper fame), Reuben Morgan (Hillsong), Mandisa, and many more.
We also found some new artists that you should get to know. Bluetree is a worship band from Northern Ireland whose current hit , God of This City, is getting tons of airplay. These guys will be touring the US a lot in the coming year. Press Play is a high-energy ministry band hailing from California. Check out their songs Life Is Beautiful and I Give My Love which debuted on itunes last week.
MIKESCHAIR, known for their song Can't Take That Away, impressed us with their passion and talent. Stephen Petree, formerly of Shiny Toy Guns, makes his solo debut and will rock your socks off. Another new solo artist to be watching for is Danyew, a great guy out of California with a fabulous EP recently released on itunes. Check out Beautiful King.
We also enjoyed some memorable moments: playing ping pong with Remedy Drive, sharing a snack at Panera with Chewbacca, bowling with Jordan Mohilowski (of The Afters), and hangin' with friends from Shine.fm.
After a week of fun with friends, we had to return home to our families, but we brought back some great ideas for future Count Me In shows... keep checking the website for upcoming events.
I can't count how many concerts we saw, but here's an incomplete list of artists we enjoyed, in no particular order: Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Francesca Battistelli, Rush of Fools, Downhere, Remedy Drive, Seabird, Sanctus Real, Tenth Avenue North, Aaron Shust, Mercy Me, Chris Sligh, Group One Crew, Sonicflood, Abandon, Michael Sweet (of Stryper fame), Reuben Morgan (Hillsong), Mandisa, and many more.
We also found some new artists that you should get to know. Bluetree is a worship band from Northern Ireland whose current hit , God of This City, is getting tons of airplay. These guys will be touring the US a lot in the coming year. Press Play is a high-energy ministry band hailing from California. Check out their songs Life Is Beautiful and I Give My Love which debuted on itunes last week.
MIKESCHAIR, known for their song Can't Take That Away, impressed us with their passion and talent. Stephen Petree, formerly of Shiny Toy Guns, makes his solo debut and will rock your socks off. Another new solo artist to be watching for is Danyew, a great guy out of California with a fabulous EP recently released on itunes. Check out Beautiful King.
We also enjoyed some memorable moments: playing ping pong with Remedy Drive, sharing a snack at Panera with Chewbacca, bowling with Jordan Mohilowski (of The Afters), and hangin' with friends from Shine.fm.
After a week of fun with friends, we had to return home to our families, but we brought back some great ideas for future Count Me In shows... keep checking the website for upcoming events.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Worshiping with Chasen
Last Sunday I got up for church, but instead of heading to my home church, I decided to drive 1-1/2 hours to worship at my friend's church in DeMotte, IN. Why? So I could enjoy the band Chasen leading worship.
After the pastor welcomed the congregation, Chasen launched into some familiar praise tunes, including "All Because of Jesus" and "Everlasting God." They also played some original music from their CD, including "Doubts and Disbeliefs" and "Drown." Lead singer Chasen Callahan shared about writing the latter song in a time of being overwhelmed, and how God redeemed him in that situation.
I enjoyed this opportunity to experience the band as they shared their musical roots. They got their start in the church, writing praise and worship choruses for Sunday services and youth group events. Lead singer Chasen Callahan pulled in friends Evan Silver and Aaron Lord to help him with worship at a summer camp. With the addition of bassist Stephen Adkisson on this Sunday morning, it was obvious that they genuinely love bringing people closer to God with their gift of music.
Kudos to First Reformed Church of DeMotte for bringing in these talented musicians and worship leaders to offer something different to God's people on this Sunday morning.
After the pastor welcomed the congregation, Chasen launched into some familiar praise tunes, including "All Because of Jesus" and "Everlasting God." They also played some original music from their CD, including "Doubts and Disbeliefs" and "Drown." Lead singer Chasen Callahan shared about writing the latter song in a time of being overwhelmed, and how God redeemed him in that situation.
I enjoyed this opportunity to experience the band as they shared their musical roots. They got their start in the church, writing praise and worship choruses for Sunday services and youth group events. Lead singer Chasen Callahan pulled in friends Evan Silver and Aaron Lord to help him with worship at a summer camp. With the addition of bassist Stephen Adkisson on this Sunday morning, it was obvious that they genuinely love bringing people closer to God with their gift of music.
Kudos to First Reformed Church of DeMotte for bringing in these talented musicians and worship leaders to offer something different to God's people on this Sunday morning.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
All 4 Love Tour Rocks Naperville
I have been anticipating this tour for months! Ever since I heard from Article One that they were heading out on the road I have been anticipating seeing one of my favorite bands play more than a 15-minute set (which is all they were alloted on the Rock What You Got Tour, much to my dismay).
The All 4 Love Tour hit the midwest last week, and I took advantage of both the Kankakee show and the Naperville show (2 are better than one...). Julian Drive and Article One each played 45-minute sets at both venues. The added bonus in Naperville was the addition of local favorites, The Least of These, who opened the evening with a great 30-minute set.
Julian Drive followed TLOT with their energetic rock and worship music. I wasn't familiar with them before this tour, but I am a new fan. I love their cover of the Hoobastank hit, "The Reason," which I always thought was a very spiritual song. Lead singer Shane Bowers explains that he sings the song to God, our reason for all we do and have. Their current radio single, which I wish was played in our market, is "From Your Hands, " a powerful song reminding us of Jesus' constant love for us, even in the midst of His suffering. Check it out at myspace.com/juliandrive.
Article One opened with their hit single, "Without You," with Nathan Piche's strong vocals and brother Matt Piche's amazing violin skills, which continued to be showcased throughout the evening. The man never stands still! And he sings while he plays! Bassist Mark Laidman and drummer Dave DeSmit round out this amazing quartet.
The band played mostly songs from their current cd, Colors and Sounds, but there were also a few tracks from their first cd, including crowd sing-along favorite "Say It Again." And no Article One show is complete without Matt Piche's lead vocals on the playful "500 Miles."
This was the first show for The Underground at Alleluia! Lutheran Church, and it's only the beginning for this venue. The youth center was designed with a stage surrounded by a coffee shop-lounge-gameroom-internet cafe, so it's a very inviting venue. There are seats and there is standing room, so everyone can be comfortable. Look for more shows to come to this new hot spot.
The All 4 Love Tour hit the midwest last week, and I took advantage of both the Kankakee show and the Naperville show (2 are better than one...). Julian Drive and Article One each played 45-minute sets at both venues. The added bonus in Naperville was the addition of local favorites, The Least of These, who opened the evening with a great 30-minute set.
Julian Drive followed TLOT with their energetic rock and worship music. I wasn't familiar with them before this tour, but I am a new fan. I love their cover of the Hoobastank hit, "The Reason," which I always thought was a very spiritual song. Lead singer Shane Bowers explains that he sings the song to God, our reason for all we do and have. Their current radio single, which I wish was played in our market, is "From Your Hands, " a powerful song reminding us of Jesus' constant love for us, even in the midst of His suffering. Check it out at myspace.com/juliandrive.
Article One opened with their hit single, "Without You," with Nathan Piche's strong vocals and brother Matt Piche's amazing violin skills, which continued to be showcased throughout the evening. The man never stands still! And he sings while he plays! Bassist Mark Laidman and drummer Dave DeSmit round out this amazing quartet.
The band played mostly songs from their current cd, Colors and Sounds, but there were also a few tracks from their first cd, including crowd sing-along favorite "Say It Again." And no Article One show is complete without Matt Piche's lead vocals on the playful "500 Miles."
This was the first show for The Underground at Alleluia! Lutheran Church, and it's only the beginning for this venue. The youth center was designed with a stage surrounded by a coffee shop-lounge-gameroom-internet cafe, so it's a very inviting venue. There are seats and there is standing room, so everyone can be comfortable. Look for more shows to come to this new hot spot.
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