Love Me Some Mat Kearney

For the past 4 or 5 years my favorite musician has undoubtedly been Mat Kearney. He is an amazing singer/songwriter with an incredible voice. With most bands (even ones I really like), I tend to like about half of each album they produce, with the other half just being average. But with Mat, I generally LOVE every song on every album. And now he has a new album coming out this year called 'Young Love.' I can't wait. I stumbled across this video on his website of his work in the studio and it got me really excited for the album to be done. Hope you enjoy.

In the Studio with Mat Kearney Episode II from Digital Bohemia on Vimeo.

HT:  Mat Kearney

Worst Worship Ever

I came across this video of worship today and was laughing from the first second. Train-wreck...so weird!

HT: Jesus Needs New PR

A Second Date with Bono

Most of you know that I saw U2 in concert in Vancouver, British Columbia a few weeks ago. The concert was phenomenal, by far the best show I've ever been to, and I was already looking forward to the next time I would see them live. Well, a few days after that concert U2 announced that they would be coming to Seattle during the 2010 leg of their "360 Degree Tour."

The tickets just went on sale this morning so my friends and I quickly gobbled up 10 tickets and are incredibly excited for the concert this summer. Seeing U2 in Vancouver was amazing, but it was still lacking because I was all by myself at the concert. By the time I went to get tickets to that show, there were no 2 seats available together in the entire arena. This time I got tickets early and get to see the show with some of my best friends in the world. Even our great friends Nate and Brittny from Sioux Falls, SD are flying out for the show.

The concert is on a Sunday night in late June of this coming summer, so I'm going to have to wait a while between my first and second dates with Bono. I'm already praying for good weather that evening, since the show is in Qwest Field where the Seahawks play, a uncovered field. Please NO rain!

Fairly Accurate...Unfortunately

HT: Clint Walker

My Fav Comes to Seattle

My absolute favorite musician in the world is Mat Kearney. He is an incredibly talented singer, great guitar player, and amazing song-writer, and he is performing in Seattle on November 2. I could not be more excited. I've probably listened to his cd "Nothing Left to Lose" a hundred times since it first came out and am well on my way toward surpassing that number with his new album "City of Black and White." Both are simple amazing and worth the money spent to add them to your music collection.

In addition to getting to see him, I am totally geeked about the seats I bought. I think I must have been one of the first to buy tickets because Mandy, my friend David, and I will be sitting front and center in the first balcony. These are probably the best seats in the entire theater, overlooking the stage from about 30 feet away. Now the only problem I have created for myself is that having to wait until November to see him is going to drive me crazy. This picture is the view from our seats at The Moore Theater in Seattle.

Some Christian Controversy

One of my favorite musicians over the past few years has been Derek Webb. He became relatively popular through being one of the founding members of Caedmon's Call, but has been doing solo work now for about 5 years.

Derek is a prophet for our current church culture, and has been criticized in similar ways as many of our biblical prophets. His lyrics have a beautiful way of calling out the negative issues of the church while still revealing his obvious belief in, and hope for, the church. Musically, he could probably be categorized as a bluegrass singer/songwriter, with powerful lyrics and strong acoustic guitar.

His newest album, Stockholm Syndrome, has received a great deal of scrutiny. Musically, this cd is a departure from his usual style, incorporating various genres of music including dance beats and a 50's doo-wop ballad called "Frankie, Please." The primary criticism has been aimed at the song "What Matters More." The song is critical of Christian culture for saying they affirm certain things but not backing up their words with real, practical actions, for not giving a "shit" about the "50,000 people who die everyday." Obviously it is the use of that sort of language that is receiving the negative press. I highly recommend this album and any other work that Derek Webb has done. His music has greatly impacted my life and challenged the way I approach the church and ministry. Enjoy this video of "What Matters Most."

God of Justice

I recently stumbled upon a new blogger that has quickly made his way into my blogroll. I was fascinated by his thoughts on the new Derek Webb cd (which is great by the way...check it out) but was simply amazed by his post on justice. Check out the blog entry HERE and enjoy this video of the song "God of Justice" by Tim Hughes, which has become my new favorite worship song over the past few weeks.



HT: Brad Ruggles

A Creative Re-Mix

My favorite musical artist over the past 2-3 years has been Mat Kearney. He's a singer-songwriter who lives in Nashville but is originally from Oregon. He has an incredible voice, plays some great guitar, and his lyrics have been deeply meaningful to me. The following video is a creative rendition of his great song "Closer to Love", the highlight of his new cd "City of Black and White." Enjoy!

A Tragic End for the King of Pop

I debated whether to add yet another Michael Jackson post to the blogosphere, but I couldn't help but unload a few thoughts. I grew up idolizing MJ. I can remember sitting on our basement couch with my best friend Ryan listening to the "Bad" cd for hours. I can remember my amazement at seeing the "Thriller" music video for the first time ever, captivated by Michael's dance moves and creativity. I even dressed as Michael for Halloween one year in grade school, white glove and all (sorry no picture included...but I'm sure my mom has it somewhere).

Michael Jackson served as a pioneer in the music and entertainment industry. Without his innovative breakthroughs, popular music in its current form would cease to exist. Without MJ, you have no Justin Timberlake, NSync, Backstreet Boys, and so many others. I'm not sure you can watch a Jackson music video and not tap your toe and think dancing is cool. He has meant so much to so many people.

The tragedy of the story, however, seems to be in the inward, mental, and emotional battles Michael must have been waging. Maybe more than anyone we've ever seen, he wore this war outwardly, as we all watched his physical appearance morph throughout different seasons of his story. Its hard to imagine that a man admired and emulated by so many could feel so inadequate in his own skin. The following video seems to capture well these battles he was waging. My thoughts are on MJ and his family today as they grieve this terrible situation.

Michael Jackson from taynjaymyangels on Vimeo.

Funny Christian Album Covers

With the help of Pete Rollins's blog, I came across a website that has incredibly funny album covers from old Christian bands. These things are stinkin' hilarious. I've included a few to pique your interest, but see the rest of them HERE.

One Off the Bucket List

Last year, when the movie The Bucket List came to theaters, I took my youth group to the movie and we all made our own bucket lists of things we wanted to accomplish before we 'kick the bucket.' One item that was near the top of my list was to see the band U2 in concert. Well...the ticket is purchased.

U2 just came out with a new CD (No Line on the Horizon) a few weeks ago, and now have begun selling tickets to their upcoming tour. I was initially upset that they were not coming anywhere near Seattle, but have now announced a concert in Vancouver, BC as an addition to the schedule. They just opened ticket sales yesterday and are almost sold out already, but I managed to get one of the last tickets. So, on a Wednesday night this coming October, I will have the fantastic opportunity of seeing one of my favorite bands live, and beginning the process of marking off my bucket list.

Is That Him?

I work at a rock climbing gym here in Seattle and yesterday we had a fairly famous visitor walk through our doors. I must admit that I didn't recognize him, but when he said his name was Daniel Bedingfield (in a British accent), I instantly began to wonder if I was speaking to the singer/songwriter. I knew that he was from Australia and England, and we don't get many British accents through our doors, so I actually thought there was a chance.

After doing some research, I found out that it actually was him. I am not a huge fan of his music, but still think it is pretty sweet that I was chatting with a celebrity yesterday. The thing that makes him most famous, however, is probably the fact that his sister is Natasha Bedingfield, a really famous female pop singer. Daniel has a month pass at the gym, so maybe I will be able to talk with him again. He is not a part of the "Christian" music scene, but supposedly he is a Christian. I am interested in chatting with him about what it looks like for him to navigate the tension between honoring his faith while remaining true to his art. I commend Christian artists who can find a way to move with integrity through the mainstream market.

Here is a YouTube video of Daniel's most famous song, "If You're Not the One":

The Foo Fighters

Growing up in rural Montana, I didn't attend my first concert until in was in college and really have lived a sheltered existence when it comes to the concert scene ever since. That being said...I think I'm really going to enjoy the big city.

Tonight I trekked down the big, steep Queen Anne Hill to Key Arena to watch the Foo Fighters in concert. Over the past year they have quickly become one of my favorite bands and it was amazing to see them live. They started out the show with "Let It Die", rocked amazing songs like "Pretender" and "Learn to Fly" in the middle, and ended the night with "Best of You". All in all, one of my favorite shows ever in my limited concert career.

A Sweet U2 Cover

Mandy and I are pretty avid American Idol fans, so this past week has been exciting for us as we watched the finale. While I thought that David Archuleta deserved to win after his performances this week, David Cook's cover of the U2 song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was amazing. I love U2 and thought that David Cook did Bono justice in his rendition.

Sad About LifeLight

Amongst a long list of things that Mandy and I will miss when we move to Seattle can now be added LifeLight Music Festival. This is a free, Christian music festival held in Sioux Falls during Labor Day Weekend each summer. Over the past few years I have started to get tired of LifeLight, but I will really miss this amazing event when Labor Day rolls around this summer and all I can look forward to is the first day of class the next day.

This year's headliners are...Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, and Switchfoot. What a lineup! I have drifted away from the "Christian" music scene in the past 2 years, opting instead for music that displays artistic integrity, beauty, and truth, in whatever genre it appears. These 3 bands are a great lineup, though. I will especially miss seeing Switchfoot. I so admire them for staying true to their roots and the foundations of their faith amidst huge mainstream success. This seems hard to do. I have seen them in concert 2 times and each one was a great experience. They are incredibly talented and have a knack for creating an 'experience', a way of drawing the whole crowd into something bigger than themselves.

So, for all you Sioux Falls natives, I warn you not to miss this great weekend of entertainment and worship. I am jealous of you all.

We Don't Give A S*#^

My previous post was regarding a Derek Webb song that I had preached about in anticipation of seeing him in concert at LifeLight Music Festival. Now after hearing Webb sing and speak at the festival, I am all the more encouraged about the ministry he is trying to accomplish and the way he is staying authentic to the way God made him through the process.

Near the end of his set, Webb began to talk and I knew he was going to say something controversial. He did. He was talking about knowing that God's will for our lives is that we 'love God and love our neighbors' and that right now in the world, our neighbors in greatest need are the people in Africa. He went on to state that by looking at the church today, it is apparent through our actions that we "don't give a s*#^ what is happening in Africa." Derek just let the phrase ring out silent and you could obviously tell that there were a lot of people offended in the crowd. He went on to say that the problem with Christians is that we get angry about the wrong things, that we were angry with him for saying a word, but not angry that thousands of people die in Africa everyday.

While I am not inherently a huge fan of swearing and choose not to swear in my own life, I thought it was brilliant how Webb got our attention and then hammered us with the gospel. We DO get angry about the wrong things. I get offended if a Missions committee meeting at church goes 5 minutes late, but I don't get angry that thousands of kids go to bed hungry every night in my own hometown.

I want to be someone who doesn't just think about helping the poor and doing God's work, but who actually joins God in ending the injustices of our world. I want to know the poor and oppressed of my community and actually fight on their behalf. I want to actually live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Goodbye Audio A

Last evening I had the opportunity to go to a MercyMe, Audio Adrenaline, & Aaron Shust Concert. The concert was great and it was fun to hear a ton of familiar songs and sing along with some of my favorite Christian artists. I had never seen MercyMe in concert, so that was definitely a treat.

Now as I write and reflect, however, I am filled with a bit of sadness as I witnessed one of the final Audio Adrenaline concerts ever last night. This April they will call it quits after 16 years of amazing cds and jaw-dropping performances.

Audio Adrenaline has been a staple in the Christian music industry for almost the entirety of the "Christian Rock" era. I have been listening to them for over 10 years now, almost half my life, and have 8 of their cds. Their music really catapulted me into the realm of Christian music, something I am very grateful for.

I suppose there are no need for tears here, but I am really just trying to say thanks and goodbye to a fantastic band. I wish them the best and know God will continue to use them in amazing ways for the Kingdom.

Audio A Info: http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/AudioAdrenaline.asp