Acoustic performance in New York CityI first heard the term “after-show” back in the fall of 2006 when I was looking for the members of Switchfoot and found out there was some sort of acoustic show at a coffee shop several blocks away.  I arrived at the after-venue to find Jon Foreman, lead singer, sharing some of his writings with Drew Shirley backing him up on guitar. A year later, when available coffeehouses were scarce, I attended two after-shows where the platform was the sidewalk outside the venue of the Appetite for Construction tour, including New York City.  Just months later, I had the privilege of attending a “real” Jon Foreman acoustic show near Greenwich Village where Bob Dylan began hitting the music scene decades earlier.

Making the decision to form a power trio can prove to be a risky undertaking. To be sure, without the aid of one or more additional musicians to fill in the gaps created by the typical guitar/bass/drums arrangement, the songs of the average musical threesome are mostly left to stand or fall on their own intrinsic merit. The good news for Scott Gordin and his fellow Southern California-based bandmates, Jesse Manzano and Chip Gumienny, is that the compositions on their debut effort, Make Me a Worshiper, fit squarely into the former category.

Nevertheless rocks ShoutfestWith the myriad of press and artists floating around at GMA week each year, a pre-scheduled interview is often delayed or rescheduled.  Sometimes it does not take place at all.  When I arrived for an interview with Nevertheless, it turned out that another interview had been scheduled with them at the same time.  Yet they graciously took a few minutes out of their lunch to answer a few questions in anticipation of a yet-to-be-titled sophomore release.  It was a short interview, but packed with a punch.  Read on.

Nevertheless
GMA Week April 2008
Nashville, TN

Josh Pearson - lead vocals, guitar
AJ Cheek - lead guitar, background vocals, piano
Brad Jones - guitar, background vocals
Adam Wann - bass
Adam Rowe – drums

Pete Prevost, the newest memberSanctus Real is not a new name to Christian Music.  We caught them on the See Spot Rock tour in 2003 when they burst into the national scene with Say it Loud.  We sat down with them again in 2004 to talk about their second release Fight the Tide that garnered a GMA Dove Award for Modern Rock Album of the Year one year later.  Two albums and band member changes later, we talked to them once more.  This time we met a well-seasoned band with much more experience than our first meeting.  Read on to hear about their latest release, experiences at GMA week, and more.

Sanctus Real
GMA Week April 2008
Nashville, TN

Chris Rohman – guitar
Dan Gartley – bass
Pete Prevost – guitar

I have been, from my youth, a "Rocker Chick." I attended every "Monsters Of Rock" tour in the '80s as well as Queensryche, G&R, Scorpions... you get the picture. I have also never been a fan of "female-fronted" rock bands. When an associate recently handed me Firelight's Unbreakable CD, he assured me, as a rocker, I'd like it. I smiled politely. Not wanting to offend, I took the CD. (Who passes up a free CD anyway, right?)

I immediately did not like the CD packaging. I don't like the pictures. If they're meant to be flattering, they fail. Already skeptical, I decide to listen anyway. That way, when asked if I'd listened to the CD, I would not have to lie and repent later.

"Dr." Mark Lee at the Music Builds tour launch partyI am a Third Day fan.  I am Gomer number 1920.  (I would be a lower number if it were not for the fact that I am not a joiner.)  I have traveled on a plane on more than one occasion to see the Atlanta rockers in concert, including a Great Gomer Gathering.  I have purchased each CD on the day of release since Conspiracy No. 5.

Yes, I fell in love with the band from the first time I saw them live not long after their debut release.  I used to call my local radio station begging them to play the latest single, hoping for others to experience the great music.  Until one day, the radio singles were overplayed and, to be honest, slow and boring.

Oh wait, did I mention that I am an old school Third Day fan?  Those in the Gomer camp know that there are those fans that came along when Offerings suddenly put Third Day on the map.  On the opposite end of the proverbial room, you would find a small gathering of old school fans that like the rougher, rockier, earlier style of Third Day.  I fit in that corner.

Early this morning, a Press Release was issued from delirious? which announced "The End of An Era".  At the end of 2009, the folks in delirious? will discontinue touring and recording as a band.  There is no information given of when or if the band will get back together and continue their journey as one of Christian music's most legendary bands.  The band has officially been in existence since 1996, but released a couple mini-albums of worship music in the three years before their official formation.  delirious?, over the last 12 years, have continued taking the message of Christ all over the world, both in churches and to the unchurched.  The full text of the press release is below:

After Edmund at GMA weekIn Part 1 of our new artist feature this year, we hung out with Article One just before their sophomore release. In Part 2, we got to know an even newer band fresh off their national debut release.

After Edmund hails from LaGrange, Georgia and the members are all musically trained. In fact, they all met while studying music in college. Playing together regionally since 2001, these five guys just released their debut national record Hello on Slanted Records in February. When we sat down with them, we met five goofy guys who also know how to be serious when necessary. Come join us as we get to know this band a bit better.

Dave Barnes is fascinated by my phone. It’s tiny and red and looks very much like someDave Barnes type of voice recorder, and when I tell him it’s really a phone, he exclaims that it’s the coolest thing he’s ever seen. He’s also impressed with my new Canon L-series lens…not necessarily because he knows what it is in terms of luxury lenses, but because it’s big and weighty and in his estimation could probably spot Jen (Anniston) and John (Mayer) in LA from where we sit on the other side of the country. We are sitting at an outdoor picnic table underneath the main deck of the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC. Barnes is sharing the stage with Matt Wertz at the Windjammer later in the evening.

Photo by Pixel Peach

GMA week, held each April in Nashville, is a place to meet up with old friends, and meet some new ones. This year we decided to bring out our two-part New Artist Feature again. We met Article One who sat down for a few minutes between time in the studio and playing at an evening showcase.

Article One traversed across Canada for a couple of years. Soon they caught the ear of Inpop Records who released their sophomore album Colors and Sounds on May 27th, after their debut release in 2007. Hailing from Canada, the four guys that make up the band recently experienced a good part of the US by touring with the Newsboys this Spring.

Join with us as we got to know the band a bit better!