The following concert review was emailed to us by Rebecca V. (who comments here as xbeccamariex). Thanks, Becca! --
Cornerstone Festival is something I’ve always wanted to go to as soon as I heard about it. So when the opportunity presented itself to go, I seized it. I went to see Switchfoot but the experience was a whole lot more than just them.
After a long seven hour drive up through the farm land and highways in Missouri and Illinois, and about a couple hundred thousand rows of corn, we made it to our hotel. We started towards Cornerstone, and I honestly had no idea what to expect. After paying a 45 dollar a person day pass, we parked and went into the festival to find my friend who was there. He was going to make sure we didn’t get totally lost, and was going to go see Switchfoot with me later on that night. Right away, you could hear a band playing in one of the smaller tents, and people came up and gave out CDs from their bands and flyers. I could see it’s a great way for smaller bands to get fans and exposure. My friend showed me the way and all the stuff Cornerstone has to offer. Besides the bands, this included about a million camp sites, random people asking for hugs and yelling corny jokes from the side of the road, golf carts that you can hitch rides on, a huge dirty lake, people dressed up in banana and gorilla suits (:D), and my favorite was a huge crane with people dropping (safely harnessed) and swinging back and forth. It was pretty amazing.
We went to the merch tents, three times as a matter a fact, and nobody was at the booths that I wanted to buy stuff at (To Write Love On Her Arms, and Anberlin). I later met the guy that was doing merch for Anberlin at my hotel, and he said he was probably just down talking to the Copeland guys while I was there. But in the end we just gave up and went back to the main stage to watch the concert. The main stage…is huge. Walking toward it, you can barely see more than the roof of the stage, until you get to the top of a massive hill. It’s a steep incline into a huge flat area where the stage is. It was an awesome site, and seeing so many golf carts parked on the top of the hill and what seemed like thousands of people sitting on the steep incline was quite the sight.
My friend told me that none of the bands that he had seen had been able to make it out on the runway that came out into the crowd, at least not with a microphone and continuing sitting. I told him Jon would, and would do it well. I almost was going to make a bet with him on whether Jon would or not, and I would’ve won the money. My friend also told me that the people that just wanted to listen sat on the hill, and the people who were really into the band went up near the stage. Needless to say we went up to the stage.
We settled near the railing on the far left side in front of Jerome, and though we had a railing it wasn’t really first row. Later on it sucked because all of the photographers were in front of the railing and decided to stand up in front of us to get good pictures. Of course we didn’t know that then. We waited for awhile, and a guy came out and played Amazing Grace. After about seven minutes after that, Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms came to introduce the band. I got took a video of him speaking.
Switchfoot came on and started with Oh! Gravity, then straight into Stars. I’m not sure what exactly was next, but I’m almost sure that they played Dare You To Move for the fourth. Throughout the concert they played Ammunition, American Dream (crazy good pause), Gone, Meant to Live, This is Your Life (personal favorite of the concert), Dirty Second Hands, and Awakening. I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting but that’s all that comes to mind. During the concert, Jon talked about the hardships that Relient K was going through, and for everyone to keep them in their prayers. He also said that they were bringing them on tour this fall. I’m glad that Relient K will be able to bounce back quickly. After they ended with Meant to Live, we were all shouting "one more song!" They came out and played We Are One Tonight/The Shadow Proves The Sunshine. It was amazing; I had never experienced them mixing the two songs together:
Thanks ktlouuu!
They ended with a bow still rocking out on their instruments, which I absolutely loved. Besides the really loud speakers that vibrated my throat and my ears, and the intense cold as it got later, it was an absolutely amazing concert. I did enjoy the Springfield show better because of the intimate setting, but this concert was filled with intense energy and was a whole lot of fun.
After everybody was clearing out, we went up to the stage to see if I could get a set list. Unfortunately the lady I asked looked and said there weren’t any more left. We stayed up there for a few more minutes, my friend got a free Frisbee from somebody who he had played ultimate Frisbee with sometime in the week, and then people from the stage started throwing hand towels out into the crowd. My friend caught one and gave it to me. It was a tad wet…Gross? I guess it’s just good memorabilia.
We were starting to go up the hill to find my mom, but then I wanted to go see if there was a merch tent down the hill on the other side of the stage, so we started back down. I am forever grateful that we did. I spotted Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms in line to get coffee. I was wearing my TWLOHA shirt, and when he saw me he smiled. I went up to him and thanked him for everything he’s done, and we talked for awhile about my city. It was one of the best moments in my life; he is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. I admire him so much for doing what he does every day. I got a picture after a few attempts and said goodbye.
Meeting Jamie and hearing Jon talk through the concert was worth the 90 bucks I paid for my mom and me to get in. And the added bonus was being able to hang out with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile and listening to my favorite band play. I’m probably going to camp out for the week next year, because it looks like a great experience besides the showers and mud. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget. --
It seems like a neat experience! I wish i could have been there! Those were some great pictures that you took! Thanks for the review Becca! Thanks Phil for putting the review on Switchfeed!
@anonymous their tour bus caught on fire and it burned. Everything that was in the bus burned including: laptops, ipods, instruments, 100 unfinished songs and more. To read the article go to http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=69670&r=3
jessica, thanks 4 the info. i just saw them @ Ichthus in KY. they r my favorite band and my son's favorite band. they are awesome. swichfoot was awesome 2. my son and i got 2 talk 2 them as they came off stage. they were so nice.
I was there! I was front row center and Jon when Jon came to the crowd I grabbed his hand and had to step out of the way when he got in the crowd. So we are singing and my hand is like above his knee, and he looks down into my eyes for, like two seconds, and gives me a big smile.
@chris!!! i held Jon's hand at the concert i went to too! it was amazing, we made eye contact for like a minute and...he probly doesn't remember it too!*tear* that concert/festival sounds like SWC alittle with the beautiful sunset and muddy showers and grossness!! lol that was awsome and @blake: that was amazing what he said!! ~lydia
is anyone going to Spirit West Coast...cuz SWITCHFOOT IS GOING TO ROCK THAT FESTIVAL!!!! i wanted to go the cornoerstone but i couldn't...i don't live in that state!!!*tear* but i can't waite for SPW!!! ~LYDZ
i know this sounds weird, but does Jon ever get hot??? in almost every picture he's in all black and in the daily foot he's in all black and everyone else is in short sleeves and sandles?!?!? LOL just thought that was funny.
@ anonymous: During the concert I glanced over at a close up of him singing on the big screen, it looked like it had POURED rain on his head.
@ vicky: yeahhh do it next year. we could get a lot of boardies together and have a boardie group campsite ;) but it really is intense. Insane too, the showers stink of sulfer, and there is mud and dirt everywhere. the people there are pretty insane too. I only got a taste. but it looks enjoyable to stay the entire week in the middle of nowhere.
have any of you guys seen that victoria secrets commercial with Switchfoot's 'Adding to the Noise'song as the music!?!?!? when i heard that on there i was so surprised!! LOL!
“Why are we so interested in building up walls? And noticing the distinguishing characteristics that keep us apart? We're one body. Where god has put together let no man separate us. You can take that as a marriage or you can take that as a church. But you can take to the bank that god didn't want his people destroyed by bickering and arguing.... We are one...”
Thanks for the review!I would have loved to have been there!