(pic by Andy Barron, from the just-updated Daily Foot)
A song bursting with angst. Not of the my-girlfriend-dumped-me-so-life-sucks variety, though. A song full of layers... of brooding, meaning, of rage against the machine. They give the live version something that I think would make a great addition to the studio version (as an "extended remix", maybe?): an outro with a screaming guitar-solo in characteristic Drew style: squealing, restlessly spinning. A dark bassline that provides catchiness to the chaos. A crowd caught up in the moment. A lead singer for whom the words he'd written a while ago and had been singing night after night suddenly became fresher than ever as he screams it out. He picks up a drum stick and begins banging away at the cymbal, in sync with the music. This is metal, except, by that word you're not talking about a genre of music. More like the ability of sounds produced by metal objects to pierce like only metal can. Maybe we're just a bunch of kids that are hard to understand, maybe a product of our times, maybe the little group that's always been and always will until the end. But at the moment you're on stage and maybe it's the camera flashlight from the crowd that hit your eyes. In that blinding fraction of a second, for some reason, you drop your drum stick and pick up your guitar. You didn't even blink, let alone think. All of a sudden it's a beautiful guitar you're smashing the cymbal with, not a drum stick. You're breaking the protocol, not merely a guitar. You might get bad press. "He's trying too hard to be cool." "Try something that hasn't been done before." "What a waste." Or maybe good press. "That's so f***ing cool." But you don't care. There's nothing new under the sun anyway. There's no thing that isn't eventually gonna go to waste anyway. And you've even written a song about how nothing is cool. But of course, you're not thinking about all that - these things happen so fast and only afterwards do you realize what you just did. A rush of blood to the head, and you're tapping into that whiff of a strange beauty that there is in breaking, in letting go. Maybe it's symbolic. Even if you may not have intended it to be.
Whether it's dancing naked in celebration before the sacred Ark like King David, or tearing your cloak in a moment of desperation, this biblical, psalmist's style of expression, one of passion and honesty, of wearing your heart on your sleeve, is a lost art among many a folk these days. So, it is much to my pleasure that Jon seems to embrace it. As a lover of rock shows, I'm not always sure when artists smash their guitars, but I also try to keep the context in mind. The song, the moment, the feeling, the execution. If it's kept real, I must admit it can be quite a moment.
Anyhow, file that under "operating costs", Mr. Accountant... all for a job well done, a good evening well-provided, Mr. Entertainer.
If that rockish guitar-smashing was any other band I'd be seriously scared. And maybe a little freaked out too. And I was a little freaked out. But only a little. That's passion to the core. I mean, rock your heart out, signed-in-blood passion. Heh. Amazing.
eh.... honestly...I'm not that impressed. Isn't that the second guitar that he's smashed in the last year? The breakdown of dirty-second hands is awesome...but jon should mix things up a bit. thanks to the internet even people who haven't been to an SF show have seen him cymbal-bashing half a dozen times. I don't want to sound negative...I guess maybe I'm just not in the mood for it right now. The first time jon smashed a guitar I thought it was awesome.
@x3beccamariex- haha thanks! and no I didn't think that that's what you thought about the last paragraph... :D
@jonathan- i think the first time he did it, it wasn't deliberate, i think it slipped out of his hand or something? either way, breaking a guitar twice in a year is not really a huge deal, considering they play 200 shows a year.
and yeah it's unfortunate that the internet makes things like the cymbal-bashing get old pretty fast, but i'd rather keep the internet. either way, you can't blame the artist, because traditionally, even before the internet happened, artists have had a more-or-less rehearsed performance (which the cymbal-bashing is part of), and they may even make it seem natural, but all that is part of the showmanship. they can't do a whole new thing each time, especially if it's something that fits the song as great as in the case of DSH. the cymbal-bashing isn't purely showmanship, it's part of the music. it actually makes the music sound better to me, besides just being a great spectacle to watch. but yeah, I guess you could say it might help to adapt to the internet age...though I personally don't think it's worth complaining about.
^I didn't mean to sound rude or anything in that last bit, ha... you weren't really 'complaining', and I do understand where you're coming from. just trying to put it in perspective. :)
I was in front standing, holding my camera. and DSH is not one of my favorite SF songs, but its cool. but as jon started to pound the cymbals, it thought it was awesome. and when i saw him smashing his guitar to the cymbals, it was one of those *gasp* very awesome things. pretty head-turning for a festival such as SWC. pieces flew over my head, one even hit me in the head. wasnt able to keep it though. but it was an awesome show. kudos to SF!
why'd you have to cuss man??? jk ummmm...well im speachless and i was there @ the concert front row. i dont' think it slipped, i think he did it on prupose...but what do i know hahah you guys maybe this is more than meets the eye....what if it meant something to smash that guitar for him. im not sure cuz, and, what do i know.....im JUST a fan[a BIG one haha] ~lydz
In regards to the cymbol bashing getting old 'cause of the internet - I guess it's kind of true but when I see them in just over 3 weeks (=D=D=D=D)and if they play DSH I would be disappointed if he didn't do it. It just sounds awesome anyway.
...and I reckon the guitar smashing was pretty rad.
@lydz knowing how "into the moment" Jon can get..... it probably was one of those over-excited Jon moments. at del mar, he spun himself in so many circles s quickly while doing the cymbol bash, that he had to stand on the side of the stage for a minute to regain his composure. and balance. haha. Jon gets really into it at concerts and sometimes he just does the craziest stuff. but idk, for any "fo sho" answers we'd have to ask the man himself. lol. oh well. who knows.....
Well written post Phil. I'd say passion and honesty sums up SF music especially live.
I've always wanted someone to ask the other guys what they are thinking when Jon does something like smashing a guitar. When it happens with a single show unplanned(not like on a tour where there are shows one after another) Jon can easily get a replacement guitar in time for the next performance. But if that passion hits him in the middle of say Montana (no disrespect to Montana)it won't be exactly easy to have it replaced quickly. Wonder if Jon thinks to himself "oops I did it again didn't I" :)
This comment is not about the song or the video. It's about the symbolic use of the "6th letter of the alphabet" word in the writeup. When did it become okay to say that word? I've been to 2 concerts recently, of very popular bands, and every time the band members spoke to the crowd, that word came flying out of their mouths! It makes me really appreciate Switchfoot shows!!! I've been to 7 of their shows and I've never had to worry about my 6 year old hearing that word, or any other profanity. Switchfoot shows are always amazing!
There is never a need to demolish a guitar. I don't care how caught up in the moment you are. I pay for my Switchfoot CD's and concert tickets all 8-9 of them. They get their money from their fans and they buy stuff with that money. To just completely obliterate a... seemingly expensive guitar is an insult to your fans. He could have been burning the cash it took to buy that guitar for all I care, it is the same thing. I am very disappointed....
People... It's not about money and it's not about the guitar. Unfortunately, I guess that's what it is to you. I sure can appreciate it. Phil I loved the post. The paragraph under the video explains it all nicely.
Phil, you have such an awesome way of placing one right there in the moment! My husband is a musician and he has affirmed that yes, there are times when your so moved that you do something that seems crazy or wild or out of control! I love that Jon gets so moved that he would smash his guitar (but I loved that guitar EECK)! Thanks for bringing us right there! Jenn's Klan
@stacey: yupyup iv seen it before! he is crazy and when your on stage entertaining amillion ppl you get into it! i mean i would!!! hahaha! it is getting old but we dont' care, WE'RE THE FANS!!! WE LOVE EVERYTHING THEY DO, RIGHT
@ anonymous - well, he earns the money he gets, we pay for his tickets and shows because we want to see them and listen to them. its his money, he can do what he wants. i know what you mean tho, i have the naffest guitar in the world with no tuning pegs, i have to use a pair of plyers but i cant afford a new one. watching him smash that is annoying. but its his, he can do what he wants cos he earned it with his own efforts.
it could have been his most favourit guitar ever, that he's had for ages. the one things thats stuck with him, thats always been there for him, that has so much character and loyalty. and he was showing God hes better than his most favourit thing by smashing it in. you never know...
@ jj: haha sorry dude, that was way cryptic, I know :-) basically, I was trying to urge people to be careful with how they respond to this (on the basis of being careful not to test others' faith) because there are many to whom this would seem a bit unnerving (smashing an ‘axe’ and all). However, let me clarify my own stance now that I'm this far into the thing: @ anonymous (after pop): the idea behind the guitar smash is that youth and the youthful see it as, well, read these posts to get an idea, man!, and I think it is "legit" in a sense because SF also uses money to look nice in pictures, sound good (better, in my humble opinion) in comparison to the worldly music scene, in which countless youth are trapped, etc. …the entire idea of SF in to be "ninja," or else, to appeal to the youth through (perhaps) 'unconventional means,' which could very well (and now does) include smashing a guitar. Before I sound like I’m saying Jon did this to “fit,” let me clarify that SF’s “fitting” is somehow (seemingly) natural, and that it’s more that Jon did not hold back on the motion for reasons explained in Phil’s eloquent post, rather than purposely acted out to “be cool.” Nothing is (truly) cool, amen?
This reminds me of the story when Mary broke the ointment that was worth a years wage to wash Jesus' feet with and all the disciples had to say is "to what purpose is this waste, when it could have been sold and given to the pour." only Mary and Jesus saw the meaning. These things that you find worth in, That lovely guitar, The precious ointment... they won't get you into the gates of heaven but only burn in the world you leave behind you. Jon knows this. Mary knew this.
@ z: how about we just say he smashed his guitar cuz he wanted to, huh? sonnd good? haha i was just trying to make it sinple but i guess this "conversaion" isn't going to be lol lol all i have to say was that it was AWSOME live!!!! ~lydz
PPL B QUIET! JUST ENJOY THE DUDE SMASH HIS GUITAR, IT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. U GO 2 CONCERT, U LISTEN, U WATCH CRAZEY MAN SMASH GUITAR, U LAUGH, U LEAVE! END OF STORY!
@lydz hecks yeah we do! we love everything the boys do no matter what. and besides, people shouldn't be all worried..... i don't get it. he smashed a guitar. doesn't mean he's got an anger problem or anything. and it certainly doesn't mean he was upset. stop fussing for no reason. some people are way too prone to starting discussions about their assumptions that Jon isn't okay. what is that?? it bothers me like major.....
@everyone who says to stop talking about the guitar!!! yayayay!!!! LET TALK ABOUT TIM! OR ROMEY OR DREW OR SOMEONE OTHER THAN JON JUST FOR NOW!!! HAHAH!!! did anyone see drew do his funny "air drumms" @ SWC in line for the signing?!?!?! he started drumming in the air cuz he heard the Disciple conert and it was soooooooooooooooo funny! i got it on tape...PRICELESS!!! ~lydz
ha ha. well to that jonathan dude up there.. sum ppl havent seen him smash his guitar live or smash the drum cymbals live. I havent!! the last concert i went to, oh gravity wasnt even started yet!!
nice dudee that was awesome do it again sumtime but dont ruin too good of a guitar. rock on
Elyse...well put. I agree 100%. Beautifully written post, Phil. Jon IS a modern day psalmist, no doubt. And as for Tim, Drew, Jerome and Chad, they are amazing people, too! (And by the way, isn't is a dobro that he smashed?)
wow Jon is a beast lol. and guys, you don't have to worry about Jon smashing you in the head with a guitar. im sure he just got caught up in the moment and had to do something crazy....
Ok, so I've waited a REALLY long time to actually post to this. I loved that guitar. Every time I'd see him play that, the thought would always pass through my head "What a beautiful guitar!" And knowing how much I cherish my own guitar caused quite a shock when I saw the video. And seeing the disc from the front of the guitar laying on stage in Andy's photo almost made me cry.
But, as in Philemon Thomas' reply to Johnathan, it's true about showmanship. I'm an actress and just because we do the same show night after night, doesn't mean that we think anything less than giving it our all every time. So, it may be old-hat for people who see it online, but for the artist to work themselves up to that night after night shows true passion.
And I can relate to that one moment, that sudden charge from the audiance and whirling emotions that causes something totally unexpected to occur. Those electric moments are what makes the stage so thrilling. The power of an audiance is unmatched in anything that I've experianced in my life.
(P.S. If Jon still has the guitar, he should sign the pieces and auction it off to raise money for Lowercase People or another charity.)
I can't say I like it. I love passion and excitement, but I don't like recklessness and the loss of self control. I saw Switchfoot play in London a few months ago and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. But this just seems wrong to me. And to try and compare it to Mary and the alabaster jar looks off the mark too. One was a supreme act of worship. Don't think Jon would say smashing up a dobro was the same, so let's put it in some perspective. And what's with the swearing in the blog post? What's that all about? Asteriks or not, reported speech or not. Just uncalled for. Still love the band. But if that's "showmanship", then Jon's better off without it.
Thanks for your comment. Just some clarifications...
I don't think it is in our place to judge whether what he did was wrong or right, unless you know why he did it or what he intended by it. And we also cannot define what is worship - worship is the attitude of the heart - if I'm quoting my Bible right, it says "whatever you do, do as unto the Lord", and it thereby becomes purified, it becomes worship. So, in that sense, smashing that guitar could have been a supreme act of worship. Worship isn't in the words you use (which are essentially symbols) but is in where your heart is set, and what *you're* communicating with God... which only you know. which only Jon knows. and isn't for us to judge. When the woman poured the alabaster, if you were there, just like the disciples, you wouldn't have called it worship... because the worshipful aspect wasn't evident to the eye (as is often the case): to the disciples, she was just pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet, just like to us jon was just smashing a guitar. How does that count as worship? Because God knew her heart. And God knows jon's heart. So let's leave the judging to Him.
As for the "swearing", it was intended for poetic effect. If you don't get that, I apologize. Explaining it might take away what it's worth. But: maybe it's to suggest that there are worse things Jon could have said/done from stage. Or maybe it's to say that the effect achieved by "so fucking good" cannot be achieved by "so good"... which ties in with the post's theme - passionate, honest expression. Does it really matter what symbols we use to communicate (which is all words are, just lines and letters strung together, and we attach meaning to it), or is *what we communicate* more important than the symbols we use to do it? If someone says "that's so fucking cool", there's nothing more sinful being communicated than when he says "that's so cool" or "that's terribly cool". You mean the same thing. So why not be honest and say it in the most effective way if that's how intensely you feel its coolness? It's like the other day a Christian friend of mine replaced "motherfuckers" with "mother effers", and I told him, dude, if you're gonna say "mother effers", you might as well say the actual thing! Cause it's what you MEAN that matters, not your choice of words to convey what you mean. So by censoring it, you're not being any less sinful. Saying "you're stupid!" with malice is way less Christian than saying "ya bastard!" in a friendly way - so it definitely can't be just about the words you use, is it? There is more to it. And I personally believe that's the truly Christian way to look at it.
But, I'm sorry the usage offended you - that wasn't the intention. The only biblical caution in this regard, as far as I'm concerned, is "do not be a stumbling block to your brother". So, if no one were to get offended by it, I would use it without asterisks, and beyond reported speech. But that's just me. I'm not the band - I just write/work for them. peace,
First of all, Jon should stop flipping his hair that way 'cause that alone is already hot.
Secondly, the way he smashed that guitar came totally unexpected, which made things hotter.
Lastly, I should leave this page now, or his "radiating hotness" (eh, Phil? ;D) might hmmm... I forgot about what I was about to do already. Oh, right, I have chores. :D
Wow...I play music for a long time by now, and I had never realized how amazing, liberating music can be 'till I saw Jon breaking this guitar...Absolutely, definitively what music is all about: PASSION, wow...
go to sleep, you.