So right before I left for Africa, I got an email from a friend of a friend (well, actually a friend of two friends) who just so happened to have some extra tickets for Winter Jam. Since I am almost always game for any sort of Live Music Event, I took Brody up on his kind offer and asked my sweet friend Elon if she wanted to join me.

Because, you see, Mercy Me was performing. And Elon’s a bit of a Mercy Me fan. And furthermore, she is also quite kicky and fun.

The concert was at our civic center, which is downtown, and as I have mentioned before, I am a hapless downtown driver. I don’t know where anything is, plus I get the streets mixed up, and so about four minutes before E. and I were supposed to be at the civic center, I called Brody and said, “I’m driving around in circles. I have no idea where to go. How am I supposed to park? I don’t know where to park. Did I mention that I have no idea where I’m going?”

Remarkably, I was able to park without incident (aye, and close to the arena, ohthankyouBrody), and since Brody shared some fayn-cee tickets with us, we were able to spend a chunk of our before-the-show time in an area with all the talented people who play and sing all the music.

And in case you were wondering: the few times I’ve ever been in a situation like that, I always halfway expect for someone to throw me out, and OH, it makes for some lovely, rambling conversation on my part, much like what you’re enduring right now, so you can imagine what a special treat it was for the talented people to had to put up with the likes of me on that particular evening.

Anyhoo.

Let’s talk about the show, shall we?

So this is Elon and me once we found our seats.

And I show you that picture in order to illustrate the fact that MY NOGGIN, IT IS GINORMOUS.

Seriously. I think it could win a contest or something.

We hadn’t been in our seats more than five minutes before it dawned on me that just about every single teenager in attendance was using his or her cell phone; they were texting and taking pictures and texting some more, and it dawned on me that I should, like, TOTALLY text a couple of my friends to tell them that I was, like, AT A CONCERT AND ALL, so I opened my phone and spent the next five minutes trying to find the letters for, “Hey. Listening to NewSong sing “Arise My Love.” It’s taking me RIGHT BACK to 1993.”

But I only got as far as “Hey. List…” before I gave up altogether because the texting, IT IS EXHAUSTING.

Sweet mercy I don’t know how the youngsters do it.

So for the next thirty or forty-five minutes E. and I were clapping and singing and whathaveyou, and about that time Brody walked over and told us that a band named Skillet was getting ready to take the stage.

“Skillet?” I replied. “Who is this band they call Skillet?”

I mean, I like to think I’m sort of up-to-speed with the Christian music scene, but the Skillet, they have not been on my radar.

Y’all.

E. and I were standing off to the side of the stage when Skillet started their show or their set or whatever the lingo is, and when I tell you that SOME FIRE SHOT UP OUT OF SOME SORT OF CONTAINER ON THE STAGE AND I SCREAMED, I am not kidding. There was smoke and there was fire and there were explosive-type noises, and the teenagers were TOTALLY INTO IT and formed some sort of Mosh Pit For Jesus,^TM and I have never in my life seen worship quite like it and IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Granted, I was a tiny bit afeared that my eardrums were going to need to be anointed with some oil before the night was over, but still. IT. WAS. AWESOME.

One of the unexpected highlights of the night – for me, at least – was seeing Connersvine. I’d only heard one of their songs before the show, but they are right up my musical alley: heavy on the acoustic guitar and Thoughtful Lyrics, and I really, really liked them. There was no Mosh Pit For Jesus^TM when they performed, but that is understandable since it is often difficult to rave while listening to an acoustic guitar.

The guys from Mercy Me closed out the night, and as I listened to them sing “Word of God Speak,” I looked around that arena and saw about 8,000 people singing in unison. All ages, all races, all denominations. And I took a little mental picture. Because even though I didn’t anticipate it before I went to the concert, the whole night really helped to prepare my heart and my mind for the Africa trip. The timing was perfect.

So thanks, Brody, for the way cool tickets. And thanks to all the way cool bands that performed: Newsong, Skillet, BarlowGirl, Connersvine, Mercy Me – what an incredible night-o-worship.

And finally, internets, I wonder: has there ever been a concert – and it doesn’t have to be Christian music, ohmyword, because I have had some Major Life Moments while sitting in an outdoor arena and listening to James Taylor – that hit you just at the right time? Or is there a CD that you go back to over and over again when you’re Dealing With Stuff? Or when you need some musical encouragement?

Can’t wait to read your comments.

Hey.

Remember that giveaway back in the summer when a bunch of you signed up for free copies of the Monk & Neagle CD?

Well.

If you are a blogger who lives in the U.S. and would like a free copy of Michael W. Smith’s (oh-so-great) It’s A Wonderful Christmas CD, click (QUICKLY! TIME’S-A-WASTIN’!) on the button you see below.

There are 150 free copies waiting for the blogging internets…oh yes there are.

And if you get one, come back and let me know!

All righty, internets – we have ten winners!

And if you’re one of the ten, just email me with your name and mailing address so I can get your CD in the mail ASAP.

Comment #30 – Kathy in WA
Comment #146 – lisa (email @ embarq)
Comment #163 – Kelly in Michigan
Comment #189 – Amy
Comment #194 – Misslisslee
Comment #210 – Just Randi
Comment #234 – Cindy
Comment #250 – Amy (wanted to offer the CD to someone else if she won; we’ll get to that in a second)
Comment #278 – Jennifer
Comment #366 – Lynette

Since Amy (Comment #250) already owns the CD, I drew for one more winner.

Comment #138 – ANOTHER Amy (email @ msn)

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Congratulations, everybody!

A few weeks ago someone mentioned that I seem to stay pretty up-to-date with Christian music, and she went on to ask me how I manage to keep up with all the new music when, after all, I’m old.

OH, she didn’t really say that last part.

But it would have totally rocked if she had.

And the answer is that I stay up-to-date with Christian music because I love it. Plus, I realized a few years ago that something as simple as listening to Christian music throughout the day – whether it’s on my iPod or in the car – really impacts my thought life, my patience and my perspective. It’s pretty difficult to get bent out of shape in traffic and then scream a series of, um, colorful adjectives when you’re singing “Savior, He can move the mountains / My God is mighty to save / He is mighty to save” at the top of your lungs.

I’m just sayin’.

ANYWAY, the bottom line is that Christian music – whether it’s an old hymn like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” or a song that’s a little newer – has been a tremendous source of encouragement to me.

Which leads me to this past Friday night.

A couple of months ago my friend Brian at Provident Music asked if Melanie, Shannon and I would be interested in doing sort of a “girls’ night out” for a Casting Crowns show here in this lovely city where I live. The three of us were immediately all over the idea – because in addition to really, really wanting to see each other, we really, really wanted to see Casting Crowns.

And that is how our get-together this past weekend came to pass (thanks, Provident! thanks, Casting Crowns!).

But it actually occurred to me Friday night that we weren’t at a Casting Crowns “show” at all. We were in a worship service, and it just so happened that our worship leaders were John Waller, Leeland, and Casting Crowns. There was no flashiness, no self-aggrandizement, no self-righteousness – just some talented musicians who were doing their very best to get out of the way and give God all the glory.

At the end of the night, when the girls and I were talking about the show, Shannon mentioned how great the lyrics to John Waller’s song “The Blessing” are. And she was so right. In fact, I’m sitting here listening to his CD right now, and I think I’m going to put it on repeat – the lyrics are strong. And there’s a song called “While I’m Waiting” that’s REALLY speaking to me right now, but we won’t get into all my waiting on all the stuff related to all the things, because that is another story for another time.

And besides, the bottom line is that I really want to share some of this John Waller musical goodness with y’all.

So here’s the deal: I have ten copies of John Waller’s CD. And if you’d like to have a chance to win one of them, all you have to do is to leave a comment on this post.

HOW SIMPLE IS THAT?

IT IS SO SIMPLE.

I’ll close comments (and the giveaway) this Friday around 9 AM and then use Ye Olde Trusty Random Dot Org to select the winners.

Happy Giveaway, y’all!

About a week ago I emailed some questions to the Monk & Neagle boys because I wanted to do something SPESHUL to commemorate the release date of their CD. I mean, I’ve blogged about the CD at least once a week for the last two months, and it wouldn’t make much sense to abandon my obsession now that it’s finally, you know, IN STORES.

But the M&N guys were not content to do a somewhat impersonal Q&A, OH NO – and they suggested that we actually sit down and talk in person since I was going to be in my hometown for their show this past Saturday night.

I thought about it for about five seconds, said yes, and then made them promise that they would not make fun of me for my complete and utter lack of any interviewing skills whatsoever.

So what I’m saying is that I was completely professional from the get-go.

Saturday afternoon I parked around the corner from the tour buses, gathered my trusty computer and microphone (NERRRRRD!), and met Michael Neagle in person for the first time, though you’d be surprised at how comfortable you are around someone who has been playing in your car non-stop for about eight weeks running, to the point that your little boy does not know how to respond if anything different is playing and will say, “Mama! Mama! We need NICKEL NEAGLE to sing!”

Really, it’s a wonder those boys haven’t filed some sort of restraining order against me.

Oh! Here’s a tender memory for you: when Michael and I were about to walk through the theatre door, another guy was coming down the sidewalk, and Michael said, “Hey man, this is BooMama BlahBlah. BooMama, this is Shane Everett.” As we were shaking hands I realized that he was one of THE SHANES, and here is what I said:

“Hey! Good to meet I was just listening, uh, CD in car and LOVE ‘Beg’ want me sing it?”

Thank you. Thank you so much.

So for better or worse, this is my “interview” with Trent Monk and Michael Neagle, two fabulously talented guys who love the Lord and made me laugh a whole bunch.

Also: Trent drinks diet Coke.

SCORE.

Here’s part one:

[much blathering on my part about how the theatre used to be a clothing store]

[I even used the phrase “it’s a little jewel” in regard to the theatre]

[and yet they did not flee]

Do y’all hang out when you’re not on the road?

TM: We do some – but I tend to become a hermit when I’m not on the road.

MN: I do, too.

TM: We’ll do couples’ nights where we all get together.

Do your wives ever get to come on the road with y’all?

MN: They did before – they don’t anymore. They meet us sometimes – we met in Austin a couple of weeks ago.

I bet that’s hard.

TM: It can be – but God gives you grace for what He’s called you to do. Both of our wives are very strong – they’re not wilting lilies. We’ve kind of committed now to not going for more than two weeks without spending time together. In the past we’ve been on a run for six weeks and were kind of like, “Well. Hello.” when we got home. So we see each other more often now.

Now I have a few questions from “the internets,” so I’m going to run through the list, okay?

TM: Aw, I love that.

So when did y’all first start to realize that this CD is really special? Because it is, you know. So you’re not being arrogant if you say it’s special.

MN: Aw, thank you.

Well, it’s true. It’s totally special.

TM: It was in the studio when we were recording it. We’d finish a song, and we’d be so excited about it. When we finished “The Twenty First Time,” we thought, man, the Lord really did something special with this song. And then we started working on “What Soldiers Do,” and when we got that one done, we were like, MAN.

So do y’all write as you go?

MN: “Soldiers,” definitely. It started a long time ago. Trent had a melody, and he and our producer, Ed, just knew there was something special there. Trent talked to a buddy who was in the military and was getting ready to leave for thirteen months. That’s what inspired it – and in the studio we’d write, get a version done, like it, and the next day, we’d be like, Oh, it’s gotta go. We’ve gotta change it. We can do better. That was the one that was kind of the monster in the studio. We wanted to get every word right on.

And I can honestly say that with this record, and this time in our lives, I feel the hand of the Lord on [the CD].

from Veronica: Where do you strike the balance between artistic freedom and Christian faith? Are there areas of music or lyrics you want to explore but feel limited by the Christian genre?

MN: That’s a great question.

[laughing] It wasn’t mine.

TM: Well, the natural tendency is to feel that way. And we’ve always kind of been rebels in that…we’ve always written love songs and put them on the records, we’ve always wanted to tell stories. Like “Soldiers” – it’s not a worship song, it’s a story song. We’re hoping that we’re kind of pushing the boundaries out a little bit.

Well, I think part of the reason the love songs resonate so much with women is because marriage can be such a huge part of how we live our Christian faith. But you don’t hear about [marriage] a lot in Christian music.

TM: We’ve been really blessed with our label. They’ve just been very flexible – a lot of labels would have said, “No, sorry.”

MN: I think in the beginning there definitely was a wrestling with the thought of having to maybe keep things in the box. Just naturally, for me, I was in youth ministry for five years, and there was just a tendency to try to put [an overt Christian message] on everything. Even with “Soldiers” in the studio, we wrestled with it. Our producer had an idea to take the last chorus and put a twist on it…

…to spiritualize it?

MN: Yeah. And we ended up just saying, You know what? It is what it is. It’s spiritual just like it is. It doesn’t get much more real-life and heartfelt than that.

from The Preacher’s Wife: So, the internets would like to know about your wives.

TM: Like, everything?

[laughing]

TM: Well, I met my wife at our home church.

What’s her name?

TM: Sorry. I’m, uh, a little new at this. [laughing] Her name is Micah, and she’s a registered dietician who’s going to go to med school. She’s independent – very caring, very loving, and she’s a big dreamer. No kids for us yet. Really, I just love her to death. I miss her like crazy when we’re gone and love spending time with her. She’s awesome.

So sweet….

MN: My wife’s name is Rachael – I met her at a Bible study almost nine years ago. We’ve been married eight years now, and she’s actually pregnant with our first right now.

AWWWWW.

MN: [laughing] Yeah, we’re almost eighteen weeks along.

Are you going to find out if the baby’s a boy or a girl?

MN: Yeah. We actually have a sonogram scheduled in a couple of weeks. My wife is also really independent – very well-spoken, very gifted at communicating. She was teaching school – but had just quit teaching seventh grade science when we got pregnant.

You realize that your life is about to turn upside down in every good way.

MN: I know – my heart already hurts. It’s awesome.

from Sara: What’s your least favorite thing about being on the road – besides being away from your wives?

TM: We enjoy it so much – I think that if we have a really long run without a break, too much of anything is not good. You get worn out and burned out. Sometimes that happens, and you just get physically and mentally worn down. We try to find balance with that. Otherwise, I just absolutely love it.

Do you ever forget where you are?

TM: EVERY DAY. I roll out of the bunk and ask the first person I see, “WHERE ARE WE?”

MN: It’s like Groundhog Day.

Do you get to where you can sleep on the bus?

TM & MN: OH YEAH.

MN: It’s addicting. There’s this huge fan set up at the end of the aisle, and it blows in cold air from the lounge area, and you get in your little bunk and pull the curtain while that fan blows – it’s like a cave.

TM: OH, I love it.

So after a show, how long does it typically take you to wind down?

MN: A while. On the road, we’ll finish the show around 10:30, go hang out with the audience until 11:30, tear down the merchandise booth at 12:00, call our wives – that’s usually the best conversation of the day – and then we get on the bus, and everybody’s wired.

TM: We usually watch movies, watch TV – it’s usually 3 or 4 before I go to bed.

It’s like college!

TM: It IS like college. It’s like a big dorm room.

MN: You want to be up and talk about the show and have a good time – you don’t want to be in bed while everybody else is up talking and having fun.

Yeah, ’cause you might miss something.

TM: Oh, I’m definitely that guy.

I’m that girl!

(And I’ll post part two in the morning….)