Purple Door 2009: Day Two

We started day two off by watching Farewell Flight perform, really good band, I picked up a couple of their albums. (I'll have links to all the band websites at the end of this post.) After that we watched Reilly perform again. They were really good. They didn't have their full band the night before and they just came out to do some praise and worship songs, but they did their own songs on Saturday.

(Farewell Flight)

(Reilly)

For lunch we left the grounds and sought after food elsewhere. We ended up at Neato Burrito.


Jesse enjoyed his burrito.



Natalie enjoyed her burrito.



April enjoyed her burrito.

I was defeated by my burrito in a bowl.



Anywho, we went back to Purple Door and decided to rest in the shade of a tree and try to take a little nap. That rest was interrupted by some really bad hip-hop, I won't mention who it was. So we went to the Gallery stage to see Deas Vail perform, followed by Seabird, and then Bradley Hathaway. All great performers, although I prefer Bradley's poetry over his music.

(Deas Vail)

(Deas Vail)


(Seabird)

(Seabird)

(Bradley Hathaway)

While we were at the Gallery Stage we signed the Purple Door. Here's April signing her name:

(She broke her ankle a week before Purple Door, but she was still able to go. She was such a trooper walking all over the place.)

(Can you find our names?)

We went back to the main stage where Renee Yohe, from To Write Love On Her Arms, was supposed to speak but she couldn't make it. Then Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms was supposed to speak in her place, but he was not able to make it either. Instead, Stephen Christian from Anberlin came out to speak on their behalf. He had a lot of good things to say. I wish I could find a video on YouTube of his speech but I don't see any, sorry. But here's a picture:



Natalie and I went to the main stage merch section to look around. We spoke with the drummer of Farewell Flight. Natalie gave him Plural Form's business card and he said he would take a listen. We don't know if he ever did. We also spoke with the guy who plays trumpet for mewithoutYou. He's a new addition to the band.

We finished out the night by watching John Mark McMillan, Disciple, mewithoutYou, and Anberlin perform. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. Actually, I have some from when I went to Purple Door two years ago of mewithoutYou and Anberlin, so I'll use those. The pictures are kind of blurry, it was dark out.

(mewithoutYou)

(mewithoutYou)

(Anblurlin...I mean Anberlin)

(Anberlin)

Overall, it was a pretty good weekend. I hope to go again next year and the year after that and so on. Here's the list and links of all the artists that played on Saturday:

Oceans In Love

Farewell Flight

High Flight Society

Children 18:3

Run Kid Run

Every Day Process

R-Swift

Fireflight

John Mark McMillan

Disciple

mewithoutYou

Anberlin

Ace Augustine

Texas in July

Becoming the Archetype

Spoken

I am Terrified

War of Ages

The Showdown

Project 86

Abel

Reilly

B. Reith

Rainchildren

Deas Vail

Seabird

Bradley Hathaway

One thing I noticed is there are way too many bands with the word "flight" in their name.

Purple Door 2009: Day One

A little over a week ago I went to the Purple Door arts and music festival with my girlfriend and my friends Natalie and Jesse. There were a lot of great bands there this year. We arrived Friday evening on August 14th. We watched House of Heroes first and then walked around the grounds looking at all the booths they had set up.

(House of Heroes)

There was a booth for Compassion, The Love Alliance, Fakelife Clothing, and Relevant Magazine just to name a few. So Purple Door isn't just about music and art, it's also about activism. It's about getting God's people to get out there and make a difference because that's what true Christianity is about. Unfortunately for many Christianity has become reduced to t-shirts, bumper stickers, and music that doesn't do much more than rip off popular culture. It has become a lifestyle for many rather than a life change.

Anyway, I'm ranting. Back to the experience we had. And sorry for such a link-heavy post, but there's a lot of good stuff out there to see, so click on them, after you're done reading this blog of course. Just kidding, click on them now before you forget to. After looking at all the booths and merch, we went back to the main stage to see pastor speaker, and artist Eric Samuel Timm. He had a great message and painted this awesome picture:




It says "Share Your Love" if you can't see it, or you can click on any picture to see it full size. After Eric was finished a band called Reilly came out and performed some praise and worship music. I went through my rap and hip-hop phase a few years ago but I'm not really into that kind of music that much anymore, but I will say that I was impressed by an artist called Lecrae. He had some great lyrics and had some cool things to say up on stage. Finally to end the night, Family Force 5 performed. We stayed for a couple songs but my girlfriend and I both agreed that they were really obnoxious. They weren't that bad when I saw them at Purple Door in 2007. But they were just annoying this year, I'm sorry if I've offended any fans. Maybe I'm just getting old, I just turned 31 this past Saturday.

We met up with Jesse and Natalie at the hotel room that we got a good deal on. We paid the same for a suite that we would have paid for a regular room at the Wyndham hotel. It wasn't a huge room though, but we didn't spend a whole lot of time in the hotel. They had a pretty good continental breakfast in the morning though. After breakfast we went back to Purple Door for day two. I'll talk about day two another day, but below is a list and links for all the bands that played on Friday night.

House of Heroes

Nevertheless

Reilly

Lecrae

Family Force 5

Shawn McDonald

Rescue is Possible

Hyland

The Pledge

Receiving the Ghost

Pillar

The reason they were able to have so many acts in one night is because they have three different stages. They have a Main stage for the bigger acts, a Gallery stage for the up and coming acts, and a Hard Music stage for all the hardcore music.

Artsy Fartsy Wednesday ~ Earthen Vessels

I'm going to talk a little bit about a band called Earthen Vessels...uh, I mean, Jars of Clay. Although if they would have taken 2 Corinthians 4:7 from the King James Version they might have been called Earthen Vessels. They must have taken it from the New International Version or the English Standard Version, but let's take a moment to look at some other possibilities of what Jars of Clay could have been called:

Vessels of Earth (Amplified)
Fragile Clay Jars (New Living Translation)
Brittle Vessels (Wycliffe New Testament)
Pots Made of Earth and Clay (Worldwide English New Testament)
Unadorned Clay Pots (The Message)

Cracked Pots Made of Earth (The Voice)
Vasija de Barro (Biblia en Lenguaje Sencillo)
Vases D'argile (La Bible du Sameur)

Okay, that's enough of that. I had talked briefly about Jars of Clay on Monday and what they are doing with blood:water mission. They are one of the few bands in the so-called Christian music genre that I still listen to because they simply make good music and the lyrics of some of their songs are very inspiring. Most people know them from their hit single "Flood" way back in the mid 90's and they are still going strong today. Even though "Flood" was the #1 single on their debut album, I personally think "Worlds Apart" is the strongest song on that album.

I also enjoyed their 2nd album, titled Much Afraid. I thought the song "Overjoyed" had a very Beatlesque sound to it. The title track "Much Afraid" is an honest song about how we're not perfect and we end up in some dark places sometimes, and how much we need Jesus in those times. I admit that I wasn't really into their 3rd and 4th albums, "If I Left the Zoo" and "The Eleventh Hour". I don't know, they just didn't have the same impact on me as the first two. But then "Who We Are Instead" came out and I thought it was a great album. The song "Faith Enough" is probably my favorite on that one. It's kind of a backwards thinking kind of song, but that's how God's kingdom works, it's backwards from the way we think it should be.The music and lyrics for that song will be at the end of this post.

I haven't picked up any albums since then even though they've released a few of them. But I was listening to the Relevant podcast one day and they had a live studio recording of some songs from their new album and it was great. They played a song called "Headphones". It was about how people have become so disconnected with each other. The first verse starts off like this:

I don't have to hear it if I don't want to
I can drown this out, pull the curtains down on you
It's a heavy world, it's too much for me to care
If I close my eyes it's not there

If you get a chance, download the Relevant podcast on iTunes for free and listen to the one from 4.20.09, it has the Jars of Clay live studio recording on it.

The ice is thin enough for walkin'
The rope is worn enough to climb
Throat is dry enough for talkin'
The world is crumblin', but I know why
The world is crumblin', but I know why

Storm is wild enough for sailing
Bridge is weak enough to cross
This body frail enough for fighting
I'm home enough to know I'm lost
Home enough to know I'm lost

It's just enough to be strong
In the broken places, in the broken places
It's just enough to be strong
Should the world rely on faith tonight

Land unfit enough for planting
Barren enough to conceive
Poor enough to gain the treasure
Enough a cynic to believe
Enough a cynic to believe

Confused enough to know direction
Sun eclipsed enough to shine
Still enough to finally tremble
I See enough to know I'm blind
I See enough to know I'm blind

Should the world rely on faith tonight


Visit the official Jars of Clay website here.

Artsy Fartsy Wednesday ~ Caught in a Webb

Poverty is so hard to see
When it’s only on your tv and twenty miles across town
Where we’re all living so good
That we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood
Where he’s hungry and not feeling so good
From going through our trash
He says, more than just your cash and coin
I want your time, I want your voice
I want the things you just can’t give me

So what must we do
Here in the west we want to follow you
We speak the language and we keep all the rules
Even a few we made up
Come on and follow me
But sell your house, sell your SUV
Sell your stocks, sell your security
And give it to the poor
What is this, hey what’s the deal
I don’t sleep around and i don’t steal
I want the things you just can’t give me

Because what you do to the least of these
My brother’s, you have done it to me
Because I want the things you just can’t give me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought I would start out this post with a song by Derek Webb. I thought I would put it first as an introduction. I have to confess that the first time I heard this song I wept. Sure, call me a sissy, but it made me realize how selfish I can be sometimes. I admit I didn't go right out and sell all my possessions that day, but I definitely have a better understanding of what Jesus really wants. He could care less about our money, not that we shouldn't give it away, but what about our time, our talents and gifts as well? We shouldn't treat God like a teenage kid that want's to bum money off us from time to time, but I think that's how many people feel when the give, when they tithe. God want's out time to be well spent and he wants us to use the talents he has given us to do good to others.

I believe this song somewhat goes along with what I was talking about on Monday. I first found out about Derek at Purple Door in 2007. He was playing the Gallery stage. He was just some background noise as I was talking with my friends and I wasn't really paying attention to the music. But then he started to speak and all of a sudden, Derek Webb became the most memorable person to me at Purple Door that year. He had a lot of great insights and he even quoted something Tony Campolo (who I mentioned on Monday) said in front of many Christian audiences: "I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." Wow. What's appalling about that is not the fact he said "shit", it's the fact that the statement is, for the most part, true about many Christians.

So that was my introduction to Derek Webb. I was hoping he would be at Purple Door this year, but he's not on the line-up. I'll get the chance to meet and talk with him some day I'm sure. After listening to his podcast I found that we think a lot alike on many issues, mainly art. I took a few audio clips from the Derek Webb podcast and posted them below so you can hear what Derek has to say about certain issues. The first one is about 12 minutes, the second is about 3 and a half minutes, and the last one is about 13 minutes. If you want to hear more of Derek Webb, subscribe to his podcast at iTunes. It's been well over a year since he's done any, but I recommend listening to the ones he has. There is even a four part series of a conversation he had with Donald Miller. Enjoy these clips.

I'm going to end this post with a video and the lyrics to the song "Wedding Dress" which is the song he mentioned in the last audio clip. See you all tomorrow.







If you could love me as a wife
And for my wedding gift, your life
Should that be all I'll ever need
Or is there more I'm looking for
And should I read between the lines
And look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that really what you want

I am a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
And I run down the aisle
I'm a prodigal with no way home
But I put you on just like a ring of gold
And I run down the aisle to you
So could you love this bastard child
Though I don't trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
And with the other in your side
I am so easily satisfied
By the call of lovers less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood

Because money cannot buy
A husbands jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife



You can find Derek's website here. However, it seems there is something strange going on there right now.

Freakin' Funny Friday ~ CCE: Jesus Junk

When I was a teenager I went to a youth retreat. We had classes/seminars we had to attend while we were there. I went to one on music. The guy leading the group had brought in a copy of Rolling Stone magazine. It was the one where Janet Jackson appeared on the cover topless but some dude was behind her covering her boobs with his hands. Then he passed the magazine around the room which by the way is a great idea when you've got a room full of teenage boys at a Christian youth retreat. Then he started to tell us about the evils of secular music and that we should only listen to Christian music. It was as if Christian music had God's "Stamp o' Approval" on it or something. I thought the guy was full of it.

Then one day, my mom was listening to a WOW CD, which is like a NOW CD only with Christian artists on it. There was a song on there called "Great Lengths" by a band called PFR. They kind of sounded like the Beatles so it intrigued me. I didn't care for any of the other artists on the WOW album. So I went and picked up the PFR album at the local Christian bookstore. It was then that I noticed "The Christian Music Comparison Chart" they had up on the wall. Basically what the chart does is it lists a bunch of secular artists and compares them to Christian artists based on similar music style. I don't think the intentions of the chart are to get people to stop listening to secular music and just listen to Christian music, but I think a lot of people use it that way. It's how I saw it. So that's how I started learning about some other Christian artists based on some of the other bands that I liked. So I became one of those people that only listened to Christian music, because all other music was bad. It didn't matter what the content was, is was just bad, it didn't have God's "Stamp o' Approval" on it.

I'm so glad I don't think that way anymore. I stopped listening to many of the Christian artists that I was listening too because they just sounded horrible. I still like PFR though, they were unique. I wanted to share with you some of the comparisons on a chart I found. Here's what it says:

If you like Aerosmith, then try Petra.
" " Phil Collins, " " Steven Curtis Chapman or Michael W. Smith
" " Bon Jovi, " " Stryper
" " Eminem, " " KJ-52 or John Reuben
" " Foo Fighters, " " Switchfoot
" " R.E.M., " " Third Day

...and the list goes on and on.

I think this is an insult to these musicians on both sides. For one thing it's like they're saying here's an exact copy of this artist, listen to them instead. Two, this chart is based only on the sound of the music (which by the way is way off) rather than the ideology of these musicians. So they just assume that people are going to like these other artists just because they have a similar sound. Three, it's dumb.

Why do people feel the need to have a Christian alternative to everything? It doesn't just happen with music, it happens with many other things. So I thought I would bring to you my own comparison chart, and yes, all of these things actually exist.

If you like...


...then try...

Wow, how original! This is totally different from High School Musical, they don't resemble each other in any way. Just look, they changed one word in the title, they have a green curtain instead of a red one, and there's five kids on the cover rather than six.

If you like...



...then try...

So, does this game work on the X-box 360, the Wii, or PS3? Or do we have to go out and buy a Praystation?

If you like...


...then try...

Yea, all those other mints have a sinful aftertaste.

If you like...



...then try...

With all that caffeine you'll be able to walk on water too!

If you like...


...then try...

When do the guillotine, noose, and electric chair versions come out?

If you like...


...then try...

If you can't read it, it says "with poseable arms & gliding action!" Because you know, Jesus glided everywhere he went.

If you like...

...then try...

Or would it be stinking sand in this case?

If you like...

...then try...

We'll just take the Direct TV logo and turn it at a different angle, no one will notice.

If you like...


...then try...

He's just like Batman, except he leaves a Bible tract in the villain's pocket after he ties him up.

If you like...


...then try...

Whoa, didn't see that one coming did ya? Neither did I and that's strange since I'm the one who posted it.

Here are a few products I found while browsing that I hope are not real.

They forgot to list TBN studios.



My breath is so fresh, there must be a God!

And here is a book I really hope exists because I want to read it.

Considering this book is written by a guy named Denny O. Theeves I'm going to assume this book isn't real, but it would definitely be a good read.

I hope you enjoyed today's post and got a good laugh out of it. But I just wanted to say that a lot of people, including myself, call a lot of these products "Jesus Junk". It seems harmless enough but I think all of this stuff can be dangerous. I think too many times people get wrapped up in the Christian culture and miss out on Jesus completely. If people were truly wrapped up in Christ then they would see how ridiculous many of these products are. I'll admit that I sometimes waste my money by eating out too much or buying some product that occupies my time for a few minutes before I get bored with it. But some people must think that buying a useless piece of plastic is okay if it's got the name and/or image of Jesus slapped on it as if they're doing something to further God's kingdom. I look at some of these products and I think to myself, If Jesus was in a grave he'd be rolling in it.