Full Circle Concert

Tonight, I experienced the music of folk/rock singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill.  It was likely the seventh time I have seen her live, having begun the circle in 1999 in the same city -- Grand Rapids, Mich. -- when she opened for dc Talk, and I reviewed the show for The Holland Sentinel.

A Look Back: Kevin Max's First Poetry Book Autographed

I sat down in my book nook the other day near the poetry section and noticed Kevin Max (Smith)'s first book of poetry, At the Foot of Heaven, for the first time in a great while.  I picked it up for old time's sake, opened it, and was reminded that he had autographed it for me.  I don't recall which of the times that I met him and his dcT colleagues that K-Max signed it but, nevertheless, he did.

A Look Back: The Time That dc Talk Wrote Me Back

As I've noted before, I was a member of dc Talk's fan club in high school.  I wrote to the "rap, rock and soul" trio at least once and -- if memory serves me -- to the "rock" factor, Kevin Max, twice, on his birthday.  The summer of 1993, the "2 honks & a negro" (or, most likely, their staff) responded in kind.  I've kept their postcard to this day.

A Look Back: Autographed dc Talk Memorabilia

As I've mentioned previously, as a member of dc Talk's fan club, the Vibe Tribe, I was afforded the opportunity to meet the trio twice at concerts.  The mementos pictured above -- with the exception of the Supernatural album -- were signed on those two occasions, in 1993 and 1994.  I met dcT a third time, between 1998 and 2000, at a bookstore in Grand Rapids, Mich.  They signed my Supernatural CD and a member of my own band, MR. levi, gave them a copy of our own demo recording, albeit with absolutely none of our contact information attached to it.

A Look Back: Tait on dc Talk's Solo Tour

In 2001, pop-rock-hip-hop trifecta dc Talk released a Solo EP, featuring each member of the trio's solo endeavors, and hosted a "Solo" tour to bring the music of Solo to life.  I saw the Solo tour on Oct. 27, 2001 in Grand Rapids, Mich. (although, according to this online tour diary, the show was rescheduled for Jan. 25, 2002) and asked the members of Tait sign the Solo booklet thereafter.

A Look Back: The Vibe Tribe

I joined dc Talk's fan club, the Vibe Tribe, in the early 90s.  My membership afforded me the opportunity, among other things, to meet the trio at concerts.

dcT signed my Vibe Tribe lanyard (above) the first time I met them, in Indianapolis, Ind. on Mar. 7, 1993.

A Look Back: Meeting dc Talk (the First Two Times)

As a member of dc Talk's early fan club, the Vibe Tribe, I was thrilled to meet the trio in person twice -- first on Mar. 7, 1993 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Ind. (above), when they opened for Michael W. Smith, and later as a headliner, very likely on Apr. 23, 1994 at Allen County Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind. (below).

A Look Back: Smash-Ups Article

I covered the Smash-Ups album for Seven Ball magazine's July/August 2003 issue.

A Look Back: Multi-Artist Events

I witnessed the rock opera !Hero live in concert in 2004 (see above).  The show's soundtrack featured a slew of artists, including Michael Tait (dc Talk, Tait, Newsboys), Mark Stuart (Audio Adrenaline), Rebecca St. James, Paul Wright, John Cooper (Skillet), T-Bone, and GRITS, among many others.  I am not certain, however, if the touring cast was comprised of precisely the same artists as the recording cast.

I also attended a mini festival of sorts in 2003 (see below), featuring Jars of Clay, Chris Rice, Sixpence None the Richer, and tobyMac.

Both events took place in Nashville, Tenn.

A Look Back: dc Talk Concert Review

I reviewed a dc Talk concert for The Holland Sentinel in a piece that was published on Mar. 26, 1999.  The show was held at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Mar. 18, 1999.

A Look Back: Out of Eden, PFR, and Silage in Concert

I witnessed R&B trio Out of Eden in concert more than once.  Aside from their debut, opening for dc Talk in 1994, I saw them at least one other time, where they signed the booklet above.  Although I have no concrete memory of when or where that was, it would have taken place between 1994 and 1997.  I experienced and met rock trio PFR in the mid/late 90s, possibly at Sunshine Community Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.  I can't recall exactly when or where I saw and met members of pop/punk/ska/hip-hop band Silage, but it was very likely somewhere in West Michigan in the late 90s.

A Look Back: Audio Adrenaline in Concert

As best as I can piece together, the following list represents a portion of the Audio Adrenaline concerts that I experienced.

• A Park Somewhere in Indiana, Explosion '93* - Sometime in 1993
  
• Anderson University Auditorium, Anderson, Ind. - Feb. 17, 1994, with dc Talk & Out of Eden
• Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Ind. - Apr. 23, 1994, with dc Talk
• Holland Civic Center, Holland, Mich. - Sometime Between Fall 1994 & Spring 1998, with Newsboys

NOTE: In addition to the autographed items shown here, I had an autographed Don't Censor Me poster for many years before recycling it in an attempt to downsize my collection.

* Due to flooding and mud on the premises, the outdoor event was moved into a picnic shelter, where I danced on the concrete with frontman Mark Stuart, who borrowed some of my moves.

A Look Back: AtlantaFest '93

I am not a "festival person."  However, in 1993, I was young and excited to experience a slew of my favorite bands in one place.  I was thrilled to travel to Alpharetta, Ga. with some friends to attend AtlantaFest in June that summer.  There, I witnessed Audio Adrenaline, Carman, dc Talk, Jacob's Trouble, Newsboys, PFR, Two Hearts, and White Heart live, as well as a host of others I can't seem to remember.  Although I did not see Dakoda Motor Co. (pictured) in concert, I did spot them in the crowd and introduced myself to the brand-new surf-pop band.

Concert Cataloguing

Since I began this blog, I have endeavored to capture the concerts that I have attended.  However, I enjoyed many, many shows prior to the birth of this blog in early July 2006.  I have also inadvertently failed to properly record performances, here and there.  In an effort to catalog each concert I have attended, I have located ticket stubs for shows that I have not yet posted on this blog and listed them below.  There are, of course, countless concerts for which I have no stubs or evidence of attendance.  In the days ahead, I will attempt to compile memories, as well as physical memorabilia (photos, autographed posters, autographed CD booklets, etc.) and log the missing shows as best I can.  The following, previously-omitted concert listings appear in alphabetical order, by artist.

dc Talk - Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, Mich. - Mar. 12, 1996
dc Talk - The Delta Plex, Grand Rapids, Mich. - Oct. 27, 2001

Gavin DeGraw - Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn. - Feb. 6, 2004

Eisley - Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn. - Mar. 24, 2006

Patty Griffin - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn. - May 14, 2005
Patty Griffin - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn. - May 1, 2007

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Sommet Center, Nashville, Tenn. - Aug. 25, 2007

Lifehouse - Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn. - July 7, 2003

Sarah McLachlan - Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville, Tenn. - July 28, 2004

Mute Math - Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn. - Apr. 20, 2005

P.O.D. - The Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, Mich. - Oct. 29, 2001
P.O.D. (opening for Linkin Park) - Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville, Tenn. - Feb. 29, 2004

Regina Spektor - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn. - Nov. 14, 2007

Sixpence None the Richer - Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn. - Feb. 16, 2003

Sufjan Stevens - Mercy Lounge, Nashville, Tenn. - Sept. 23, 2005

Switchfoot - Rocketown, Nashville, Tenn. - Oct. 28, 2003

Top 10 Songs of 2015

My Favorite Songs of 2015:
~ in alphabetical order, by artist ~

  1. Stay in My Corner - The Arcs
  2. Remember the Music - Empire: Jennifer Hudson
  3. Whatever Makes You Happy - Empire: Jennifer Hudson and Juicy J
  4. You're So Beautiful - Empire: Jussie Smollett and Yazz
  5. Tell Me Now Tennessee - Leigh Nash
  6. Too Far From You - Nashville: Aubrey Peeples
  7. Feel Right - Mark Ronson Feat. Mystikal
  8. Changing My Major - Emily Skeggs (Fun Home)
  9. Love Feels Like - tobyMac Feat. dc Talk
10. Ferris Wheel - Torres

Post for Posterity

dc Talk performs "Jesus Is Just Alright" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

I am posting this link for the sake of posterity.  I remember feverishly taping this off of my TV onto a VHS tape as a high school senior.  dc Talk was my absolute favorite musical act and this was an epic moment in my pre-Internet, young world.

My Two Cents: Mute Math - Armistice

It happened to dc Talk after Jesus Freak. And now it seems to be happening to Mute Math. From what I've read about both dcT and MM, during the writing process for Supernatural and Armistice, respectively, Toby McKeehan's (of dc Talk) and Paul Meany's (of Mute Math) bandmates demanded to have equal input into the songwriting. Some bands thrive in that kind of creative democracy; others, not so much. Some musical outfits succeed most when an extraordinary front(wo)man takes the lead, calls many of the shots, and then relies on his/her bandmates to fill in the blanks to craft a great batch of songs. McKeehan and Meany are visionary artists whose work is best when it is allowed the opportunity to be fully realized.

dc Talk's Supernatural was fine, but it lacked the fire that Free at Last and Jesus Freak delivered. Similarly, Mute Math's Armistice seems to suffer from the democratic process. Meany's passion is missing, as is the band's explosive musical energy. Gone are the rock anthems MM has served up in the past -- "Control," "Chaos," "Typical."

 

While I understand the complexities of band personalities, individual creative needs, the art of compromise, contracts, industry survival, etc., I am an ultimate champion of "the song." That being my focus, I hope that the wizards once again take the helm and rescue me from the middle-of-the-road mush that oftentimes results from democratic dilution. 

 

In the end, Armistice is not a bad record. It's just not a great record; certainly not the album that I expected to follow its brilliant predecessor.

Extra! Extra!

Here's something I never expected to report: Inpop Records announced today that Michael Tait is now officially the touring frontman of the Newsboys. According to the 'boys' Web site, "...Tait will be touring with the band as lead singer with [22-year veteran singer] Peter [Furler] making special appearances throughout the year. Peter will continue with the band and his trademark songwriting production will remain as he focuses his professional career toward future Newsboys recordings." Never in my wildest dc Talk-fan days would I have imagined this pairing. The surprising news awakened dozens of memories of my concert-crazed adolescence, during which I attended many a dc Talk and Newsboys show.

Jesus Freak Special Edition: 10 Years Later

My favorite band/group, dc talk, is releasing a 10th anniversary special edition of the groundbreaking album Jesus Freak on Dec. 26. According to Forefront Records, the two-disc set will include both the original Jesus Freak disc (remastered), as well as a 14-track CD with exclusive B-sides, remixes and rarities.

New Albums

FREAKED! - A Gotee Tribute to dc Talk's "Jesus Freak"
After the initial spin, my reaction was, "Why?" As much as I like to support Toby & Co., you're better off just popping in the original Jesus Freak. Trust me.

Phil Wickham - Self-titled
One of my favorite new artists. Sounds like: Jeff Buckley (minus the vocal shenanigans), Josh Groban, Coldplay & a smidgen of Kevin Max.

Ayiesha Woods - Introducing
Going into this purchase, I knew it was a gamble, but I was counting on the comparisons to Tracy Chapman and Lauryn Hill that I had read about (not to mention the fact that Mr. McKeehan himself discovered her during a visit to Jamaica). Needless to say, I was poised to be wowed and inspired. While Ms. Woods is not bad, she's no Chapman or Hill; that's for sure. While the reggae-infused "Crazy" may make it on my party mix, unfortunately, this disc is already in my "sell-back" pile.