Billy Graham meets Joe Cocker…
This week includes Thanksgiving and I’m giving thanks for concert season. Last Friday, Amy and I took a couple of good friends to see a new artist we’ve come to like, Ben Fuller. I’ve been listening to a lot of his music and love his voice and message. It was a sold out show and I must say… like none I’ve ever seen before. As this week’s blog title says, he’s kind of like Billy Graham meets Joe Cocker because the show resembled an old time revival combined with a rock concert.
It was a nice venue and the music didn’t disappoint. The surprise came when he started telling his story and asking the audience to come forward so he could pray for them. At this point, I wasn’t sure how things were going to go. There were a lot of people coming forward and while I was happy to see people looking for prayer, I was also really hoping to see a show. Luckily, after one prayer, the others were escorted to the side and Ben didn’t let us down. Of the artists we’ve seen lately, I’d rate him only behind Crowder.
Since Crowder has now been brought up, I just have to write that this guy can rock! We saw him a couple of weeks ago for the third time and I believe he and his band put on a must-see performance. He’s a southern Christian rocker who always has a good time, telling great stories with his songs. There are but a few bands I would travel to see, and he is at the top of the list.
Looking forward, many of our favorite bands are coming our way. Third Day is touring again for the first time and partnering with one of our favorite artists, Zach Williams.
MercyMe is coming to town as well and guess who they’re touring with? Zach Williams. This is a big win/win for me since MercyMe performs one of the most meaningful songs to my heart. As I’ve written before, the first song I heard after my diagnosis was I Can Only Imagine. And even though I’ve heard it hundreds of times, it still fills me with peace, no matter what I may be facing at the time.
A new friend of mine expressed his “concern” over my taste in music. I assured him that it wasn’t just Christian rock and southern country. As proof, I offered that just a few weeks ago we actually went to see 38 Special – and these old guys can still rock the stage!
And, to further my case, last Saturday we went to a benefit event that featured La Luz and Portugal. The Man. I’ll admit that I didn’t know their music so I asked Pandora for a sample when I was on the road last week. I can’t say they immediately made my favorites playlist, but I was willing to give them a chance.
The concert was at The Salt Shed in Chicago and the place was packed. Song One was interesting visually and acoustically. Song Two touched my heart as well as every other part of my body… not even leaving a hair unshaken. Amy asked if I understood one word and I believe I did catch “surrender” somewhere in the lyrics. Ultimately, we made it through four songs before I determined I was just too old for this genre of music. We were home by 10:30p, much to Diesel’s dog sitter’s delight.
Since I’ve mentioned Diesel, I’ll let you know that he’s settling into winter just fine (despite Amy wanting to order him a coat). He’s a huge help carrying in firewood, even contemplating whether it’s a good idea to pull burning logs out of the fireplace (don’t worry – he didn’t). When he finally settles down for the night, the fire has become a great place to cuddle for him and his guys. For those who knew Rye, this is a familiar photo.
If it appears that music has been the theme for the week, you’re right. And you can count that it won’t be the last time as well. I’ve been to hundreds of concerts since KP and I first saw Sammy Hagar and Lover Boy open up for Boston back in 1978. I’ve got a lot less hair, but we still pull into the parking lot in a muscle car.
I pray that you all have had a joyful holiday, that you’ve enjoyed time with family and friends, and that your teams win (unless you’re routing for the Eagles or LSU).
Thanks for hanging in there with me yet again.
Find joy wherever you can, then share it.
God bless.
Coach
