From the Inside Out

We went downtown tonight to catch a concert with one of my favorite alternative Christian bands, Switchfoot. They were playing at the House of Blues in Dallas, and it was an awesome show!

We arrived early with tickets in hand, but there was already a long line of concert goers waiting to get into the venue. At first, I thought they were in line to get tickets, so we went to the box office area to evaluate the situation. When we got there, we realized it was in fact a line of people waiting to get inside. Before leaving, we confirmed it with one of the event staff, but instead of directing us to the back of the line, he started talking about their VIP Lounge, the Foundation Room. And then he did the unexpected…he walked us to the VIP entrance and gave us entrance into their special lounge to wait for the show!! It was SO cool!

The Foundation Room is a lounge with a number of small gathering areas uniquely decorated with art and artifacts from around the world. You can hang out there and grab some food before the show. I’ve been in the Foundation Room at the HoB Chicago and Las Vegas for corporate events, but usually the space is dedicated for “members” only. Needless to say, we were thrilled to be there. Gary and I arrived about 90 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin so we lounged in one of the private rooms (pic below), grabbed some food, and enjoyed our evening.

The concert began at 9 pm. Switchfoot recently released a new album (in early November), so they decided to do something different during this concert. They performed the entire album — start to finish. Afterwards, they came back for a 2nd set and performed some of the “fan favorites.” It was really funny when they left the stage for a quick break, they said whatever song the audience was singing when they came back would be the song they would play next. Soon, the audience began to sing, “Oh Gravity,” and the band kept their promise. They strolled on stage and began to play the song.

It was a fantastic show! Not only did the band play some amazing songs, but they let us have fun too. Their stage presence was entertaining — natural, not overdone, just right. They also had fun with the audience, interacting with us and drawing us into the performance. I will definitely go see them again the next time they are in town, and hopefully they’ll be playing at the House of Blues again. It’s a great venue!

Below are some grainy cell phone pics from tonight’s show:

Hanging out in the Foundation Room before the show

Gary and the Buddha

Ah, so much better than waiting outside in the cold in a long line!

Audience waiting for the show

Switchfoot!!!!

Gary’s cell phone camera is much better than mine — here’s another, less grainy, shot of the band.

This one is for you, Mom. The guy on the right was playing an accordion! Never heard that before in a rock band, but it was great. The lead singer was also playing a harmonica…pretty cool!

The grand opening celebration for the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas’ Arts District has been in full swing all week and will culminate with an “open house” festival on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 11 am - 8 pm.

Free and open to the public, the day will include family-friendly activities, venue tours, and indoor and outdoor “spotlight” performances by the Center’s resident companies and national, regional and local talent spanning dance, music and theatre. It will also feature free admission to exhibitions at Arts District museums and other venues, giving access to special programming they created just for this occasion. The grand finale will be a fireworks show at 7:45 pm.

If you are in the area and have an interest in the arts, it’s a great opportunity to get a sampling of what’s to come at the new PAC…best of all, it’s entirely free. So join in the excitement and check it out on Sunday. For more info, visit: attpac.org/grandopening.

We trekked downtown last night with a few friends for a unique Tuesday treat. Terry Scott Taylor was in town for one night, and he was performing in Deep Ellum. For those who don’t know Terry, he founded the CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) band, Daniel Amos. He was also a member of the Swirling Eddies and the Lost Dogs — all bands from my youth. Their music brings back lots of great memories.

Terry also happens to be an amazing song writer and composer. Many of his songs are limericks, and others “include allusions to and reworkings of material ranging from Elizabethan poets to modern authors.” Some are funny; others are moving — all are enjoyable.

Last night was billed as an “intimate evening with Terry Scott Taylor.” The venue was small, but a good crowd packed in to hear his music. Terry was joined by his son, Andrew, and Steve Hindalong (Lost Dogs’ member, founding member of The Choir, creator and producer of the ‘City on a Hill’ series, and co-writer of ‘God of Wonders’). Armed with a guitar, bass, and small drum set, the three entertained the audience with a collection of songs from years past and from Terry’s more recent solo collection.

Terry offered humorous commentary and insights between songs. He closed with a poignant song called “You Lay Down” which chronicles the final hours of Jess’ life. Here’s an excerpt:

In a garden of thorns
my Rose of Sharon
bleeds till she’s the color
of the moonlight
and though the angels wrap her
in their feathered arms
they cannot conceal her from
the darkest night

And you didn’t say a word
when they accused you
You did not fight back when the whole world used you

When hate was crowned King
your love never diminished
You stood meek as a lamb there
without blemish
and we laughed when you cried out,
“It is finished”

So you lay down
you lay down
and I’ll step upon your back
up high enough
above the fence
to see all the way to glory land

Powerful, huh?

After the concert, Terry stayed around for an open Q&A session, fielding questions from the audience and offering insight into his journey as an artist and song writer. It was a neat ending to a fabulous night of music.

Tonight we trekked out to Dallas’ Deep Ellum to see one of the guys from our church perform at The Door. If you’ve never been there before, it’s a unique club that offers a clean, alcohol-free environment for Christian bands.  Back when I was growing up, there was a similar place we frequented called “Footloose”.

Kyle at The Door

The Door prides itself on finding up-and-coming talent. They feature both local and national original live bands. Their scheduling agents found Kyle through his MySpace page and booked him to play at the club.

We had a large group from our church show up to support him — providing a built-in cheering section. Kyle was the first musician to open tonight. He played a 30 minute acoustic set and did a great job.

Afterwards, we walked over to the Twisted Burger to grab a bite to eat and fellowship with friends.  It was a fun evening and a good way to start the holiday.  Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

It was an extraordinary day at Abundant Life Church (ALC). We had an amazing morning with the Clark Brothers, winners of the Fox TV show “The Next Great American Band”. These guys are really talented, yet anointed of God. I was blown away.

The Clark Brothers at ALC

They recently performed their version of “This Little Light of Mine” on American Idol. You can check it out on their official MySpace site here: www.myspace.com/clarkbrothers. It’s available for download from iTunes also.

The Clark Brothers are incredible musicians, but they are more than that. They didn’t just show up at ALC to perform; they came to minister. Before wrapping up, Ashley Clark delivered a heartfelt message about Jesus and His healing power.

If the day had stopped there, it would have been great, but wait…there’s more! This evening, ALC held a baptism service at a local natatorium. Thirteen people made a declaration of their face and were buried together with Christ in baptism.

Pastor Hennigan and Assistant Pastor Manning getting ready to baptize Greg (one of our “One Lifers” and drama team member)

It is so exciting to see new souls following Christ! This is what living for God is all about…it doesn’t get any better than this!