I just completed a nice walk along the river near my house to view the extent of flooding. The water rose above the banks sometime between when I left for work this morning and when I came home. And the rain has not fallen from the sky in over 12 hours. I can't imagine what Agape Farm looks like!
Yes, tonight would be the beginning of the Creation East festival if it had not been canceled, er, um I mean postponed until next year. It was called off Monday due to heavy rains over the weekend and more rain expected this week. Tonight for dinner I had a hot dog and some Mountain Dew in honor of the fest. Now, mind you, it is rare for me to have such fare. Normally the hot dogs are set aside for when my friend's little kids come over. Or, when I want to re-enact backstage at Creation where I can eat as many Creation dogs as I want, and wash them down with Mountain Dew. Oh, how I will miss those dogs this year.
Last night as I was unpacking, I began to list the many positives about missing the festival this year. After all, I did not have to spend hours and hours washing off the dust (or mud) from everything I own. Gosh, even the stuff that stays in my car somehow manages to get dirty when I am at Creation. But today I began to contemplate what I will be missing this year. And I decided to share my thoughts with y'all.
Audio Adrenaline Ok, I am not a huge fan of Audio A. I used to like them a ton. I remember back in the early 90's standing in the heat of the day head banging to "We Are a Band" with a few thousand people willing to encounter the extreme heat that day. Back then, they were a little known band and had the dreaded early afternoon spot. But this year would be the last time I would see Audio A at Creation East. Despite the fact that I am tired of seeing them as one of the headliners, and that their set seems almost the same each year, I'll bet they would have done something fun for the final appearance.
Third Day: Yes, I used to be a huge 3D fan. I guess you could call me an old school fan. Back when they rocked. But 3D was absent the past two years at Creation. And several years ago, while donning a 3D T-shirt backstage, Mac Powell pointed at me from afar and mouthed, "I like your shirt!" So this became the thing each year. Sometimes he even had to go out of his way to tell me. But this year I had a fun plan. Seeing the reaction he had when I wore my NY Mets jersey over GMA week, I could not wait to try it again at Creation. Would he still say, "I like your shirt?" I may never know. Next year the Atlanta Braves may be ahead of the Mets and the joy of wearing the jersey will have been lost.
Leeland: August is not soon enough for the release of their debut album. I experienced this band for the first time at GMA this year, and was ecstatic that there may actually be a talented new band out in the CCM world. Now that I know their songs, I could sing along to the set at the astonishment of others around me. Ah, but seriously, I was hoping that other people would get a chance to hear the latest buzz they have perhaps read about.
Pillar: I just really like Pillar. And I skipped a couple shows this Spring because my life was just too busy. After all, I would be seeing them at Creation, right?
tobyMac: Well, I just wanted to see if he read my little comment directed to him in my part of the Jesus Freak feature!
Family Force 5: These guys just put on a fun live show. Happily, I believe they are scheduled to appear at Purple Door.
Disciple: I saw them not long ago with Kutless. Their live set was wonderful. I was looking forward to experiencing it again.
Flyleaf and House of Heroes: Two bands I have yet to see live. Guess I will have to wait, huh?
If only Cornerstone IL was the same week as Creation East like last year. Already packed, I would have just kept driving west. But alas, Cornerstone is next week, and it would be hard to rearrange my schedule to go out there. Some day, though. I hope to get out there some day. So instead, I am all unpacked, blogging from the comfort of my living room, while watching rented movies.