r.i.p. newsboys.

i know that i have mentioned my intense love for phil joel (multiple times) and the newsboys before but i thought i would just take a moment and delve into how deep my love for them really runs. i'm sure there are people out there who have seen them countless times more than i have but i do consider myself more than just your average fan. over the course of the last 12 years, I have seen them perform 18 times.
a fair number of those shows were at good ol' summer festivals. but also thrown in was the traveling air dome tour (sonicflood and bean bag opened for them), a random show in a random town (superchick and between the trees graced that stage), and even going so far as driving across international boarders (oh canada!) to see them. the canada show was an extra delight because thousand foot krutch was the opening band.
i followed them religiously. at one point i even knew all of their birthdays and the names of their wives. i was shocked when jody davis left, crushed when phil joel took his leave and absolutely devastated when, just over a year ago, it was announced that peter furler would be stepping down as lead singer.
i tried to be supportive, i really did. despite the fact that i think that michael tait is about the dumbest option to put in as lead vox. hello clash of my 90's christian music world. and he sounds nothing like my favorite bald, eyes lined, always-in-black aussie. but i really did try to be for about the whole changeover, i mean, peter practically handpicked michael. i even made an extra effort to see their show last summer at sonshine.
but i failed miserably in my attempt at optimism. when tait came out and started singing "shine" two giant tears rolled down my cheeks. i tried to blame it on lack of sleep and too much sun to my friends who gave me weird looks but it was honestly because my heart was breaking. there i was, a 23 year old girl, standing in the middle of the pit on a balmy july evening crying because my once favorite band would never be the same. oh to be young and in love.
xo

favorites.

i firmly believe you can have more than one favorite. it's oxy-moronic and doesn't make sense but i've come to embrace it. these are some of my favorite song lyrics of all time....these words moved me for one reason or another and they are stored in the special compartment in my heart, right next to the one reserved for phil joel.

"the beauty of grace is it makes life not fair"

"can i break the spell of the typical?"

"washed by the sun, dried by the rain, to be my Father in the fatherless days"

"i'm not brave enough to conquer love"

"i'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies" (this one may or may not be tattooed on my person somewhere)

"prone to wander, Lord i feel it, prone to leave this God i love"

"all these minstrels through the ages, that is really all we are"

"i'm finding each time that you fall, you're just becoming who you are"

"hope's not giving up"

as i'm typing i realize this list could go on and on, so this will be part I.......part II to be revealed later...sometime...
xo

korn.

korn was one of those bands i was never allowed to listen to. they swore in their songs, and talked about drugs and sex...we didn't even say 'drugs' or 'sex' in my house. now i'm not the type of girl to rebel against my parents just because they didn't want me to do something so it the whole korn phenomenon passed me by without a second glance. i briefly heard about their guitarist becoming a christian and probably thought some really jaded thought like, "we'll see how long that lasts." end of korn story. wrong!

just a few weeks ago i got the incredible opportunity to interview brian 'head' welch from korn. when i first heard that i was going to get to talk to him face to face i went into scramble mode trying to learn everything i could about him, his past, and his former band. i borrowed korn cd's (not as bad as i was expecting!), read his book and watched interviews online. i was a sponge for everything 'head'.

the day of the interview i was so nervous! i mean, i've met rock stars before in my life but this guy was a legit rock star who had millions of fans around the world, i have one follower on my blog (thanks doc!). instantly i was put at ease when he asked to sit to my right during the interview so his good side would be on camera. not gonna lie, i wanted to sit there too because you could see my lip ring better but who was i to deny the guy?! oh vanity!
the interview went well despite the fact that i'm a "hand-talker" and i looked like a frickin' windmill. he was really intense but very eager to share his story and what God has done in his life. he talked about his tattoos, his daughter, life since korn and twitter.
if you don't know his story you should definitely check it out, it's one of hope. it shows that God is moving in lives still. it shows that God is bigger than anything in this world. it shows that you're never too far gone.
xo

baby you're all that i want....

i admit it, i love american idol. i have a friend who calls it crappy karaoke, another friend who won't watch it purely because it was the "it" show for so long, and i'm sure i have friends who are closet fans and will never admit it. i, on the other hand, think it is an absolutely phenomenal show! on what other show do you have a paint salesman, a high schooler, a glass blower and a mother turn into celebrities overnight? and all for the love of music.
every season i have a favorite (much like everyone else who watches does). a couple of seasons ago daughtry was my numbero uno. last season i pretty much could not get enough of adam lambert. and this season my heart belongs to a boy named casey james. (does anyone else think he looks even just a little like phil joel?????)
watching this season has been interesting being that i don't currently have a tv. so on tuesday nights i kick it at my parents house (gotten them hooked as well, awesomes) to watch and on wednesday i watch at the gym while i walk on the treadmill. it's worked out decently and i've probably improved my health along the way-bonus! anyway, early in the season it was girls on tuesday, boys on wednesday before they whittled it down to the top 12, so i was at the gym on wednesday watching the boys compete for one of those spots when i dang near fell off my treadmill.
sitting on a stool, casey sang "heaven" by bryan adams and i nearly ate it in front of the entire gym. i'm not entirely certain if i sped up or slowed down or what but i do know that one minute i was walking normally and the next minute i was doing some fancy footwork in a vain effort to stay upright. i don't know that he has the vocals to beat out lee or crystal (they are both ri-dic-u-lous-ly good) but i do know that casey will never classify as a "don't."
xo
ps. if you don't watch idol that last sentence will make zero sense to you and if you do watch idol i apologize for being such a cheeseball.

where's waldo?

so i occasionally pride myself on being able to spot rock-stars when they are just out and about living life. i lived in nashville for a year and was constantly on "stalker watch" everywhere i went. i spotted the lead singer of emerson drive in the park and two days later saw the guitarist of rascal flatts in a cafe, that was a great week. but the best week of the year for me was GMA week. for those who may not know, GMA week is the magical time of year when all of my favorite people gather in one little city for some showcases and an awards ceremony (someday i'll get to that ceremony, i think i can, i think i can).
anyway record store day happened to fall at the beginning of this week and mute math was playing at grimey's! for free!! of course me and the roomies went. while we were standing waiting for the show to begin i leaned over and said to one roommate, "wouldn't it be great if jon foreman was here?" and as i was finishing that exact sentence i look up and who should be standing on one of the back balcony but one mr. philip zach! haha, i know, he's not jon foreman but he runs a close second! i elbowed my roominator and pointed, mouth agape. first words out of her mouth, "before this night is over i dare you to get a picture with him."

see, i'm a huge stalker.

the whole night i kept one eye on the show and one eye on my dare (creepy? maybe a little but i was on a mission now!). once the show ended and some people cleared out i saw my moment. he was walking alone across the parking lot where the concert was being held, i ran over and said, "you're in remedy drive right?" he confirmed that indeed he was and i asked if he would take a picture with me and explained why. believe me, saying out loud that you were dared to take a picture with someone sounds even dumber than reading it in a blog post. but he was gracious and took the picture with me and even chatted for a few minutes before heading off for the night.

so the question of the day: truth or dare?

xo