VIDEOS: iloverock.ca contest winners' interviews with Switchfoot!
(UPDATE on 1st May:) The winner's interview, and a little bit of the other interviews, can be viewed at iloverock.ca/switchfoot. --
This is the first in what will hopefully be a series we'll be featuring, of video interviews by fans who won the iloverock.ca contest and got to meet and interview Switchfoot. Thanks Erin Sarsfield (Ottawa, 2nd Mar '07) for sharing this clip with us, and John Clarke for helping convert it from DVD. Stay tuned for an exclusive overview/report of the interview from Erin, later today. Enjoy!
If you are one of the other lucky Canadians to win this contest, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share your interview with the rest of us - email switchfeed@gmail.com and we'll help you get it out to us! Thanks.
To watch, or not to watch: that is the question. [update: question answered.]
(Update on 04/30:) The official word is... it's all good! Yep, the band doesn't mind you viewing this goodness on blip.tv! The uploader Alex Welgraven (who's one of our readers, we find out) continues his well-appreciated notoreity with new uploads: Feet Don't Fail Me Now (mirrorsite) and Switchfootage 2: Making Gravity (mirrorsite). Some have commented that the videos stop working halfway - well, if that's the case, maybe it's best to wait till you can buy them. ;) --
Psst... don't ask me if this is legal or official, but someone with the username "switchfootage" uploaded, well, Switchfootage, on blip.tv. If you're a North American fan and you don't own the DVD... get it, it's worth every last penny, and the band's worthy of every last penny! But if you're across the pond, then you may or may not entertain the temptation to watch this :P - you at least deserve it more, that I know. Either way, this reminds me- I know the pain of not being able to get a hold of Switchfootage and stuff like that when you don't live where they tour, and online shopping is still an alien concept for your parents. Of not getting to see them live. Of feeling left out when people refer to those "inside jokes". (...I lived in India for the first few of my Switchfoot-loving years.) My heart goes out to those fans: this one's for you.
(Edit from Phil:) Corey Vidal whose concert review we posted a few days ago emailed me the other day with some more "exclusive videos for you :)". Thanks, Corey!
He also sent us a picture of Tim and Drew goofing around in the back of Cassy's car when they gave them a ride:
Read his review here, if you haven't yet - it's not your usual concert review, his experience was a bit out of the ordinary.
A fellow blogger posted a small entry about Jon's recent performance in Nashville, and put up 2 pictures of the event:
Julie Schreiber informs us of a Facebook group she started for Andy Barron. Join up and show your love for the Barron. A while back, our frequently-commenting friends Mukta and Mabel started a Facebook group called "What is Das?!" in honor of our favorite shredder, Mr. Shirley. Join the cool kids on there too.
Oh, and, if the "Awakening" video auto-playing on this page annoys you, just turn the little volume slider on the player way down, and it'll stay muted even when you load the page later. And good work, folks, with "Week Awakening", the results are there to see, on YouTube. Also the video is everywhere else - MTV.com, VH1.com, AOL.com, Yahoo.com, name it. Keep it up! And also don't slack on the Footsoldiers assignment, fams - hit up those request lines!
Back to Gellie... --
Wooo news time! Yes, some of this is gonna be old news for some of you. But, still worth posting... First of all, since tomorrow is in fact April 28th, just a reminder that Jon will be playing at The Freedom Project (an event to benefit the International Justice Mission) in Anaheim, CA. So if you live near there and want to go check it out, you can buy tickets online OR at the door.
Item #2: If you've ever wanted to hear Drew sing onstage, or see the guys be "the whitest reggae band ever," you're definitely in luck. In observation of the fact that they were at an "Island Party" at Baylor University, they decided to modify their normal country-sounding ditty that they make up for each city they play in.
(For slightly better video from a different angle, but worse audio, view this one.)
That wasn't so bad, now, was it? Maybe they should have kept The Loser as reggae as it originally was. Heh...anyway, if you liked this song so much that you simply must have it, then thank Clifton for uploading an mp3. (But I don't know, Jon. Maybe Tim should be Sting, since he's the one wielding the bass).
Speaking of the tech-savvy bassist, here's a video in which Tim showcases his impressive recall abilities:
That's pretty good. Bass solos, Chin era material, and sausage analogies, all in one video.
Fourthly, Jon and Tim recently did an interview with Air 1 Radio, and thanks to Brittany (Mus!calSunshine on the boards), you can hear/download it here. Quite enjoyable. Stuff to think about never goes out of style.
And lastly (I do enjoy those transition words), thanks to LOBH for some scans of the May issue of CCM. There's another mention of switchfootbootlegs.com:
And an article on Jedidiah Clothing that mentions Switchfoot and has a quote from Chad:
That's all, folks! I'll leave you with a quote I saw on a Jedidiah shirt: "Where words fail, music speaks."
(Update:) This blogger had some kind words about Switchfeed and the MOTW feature. Glad you enjoy it, Dan. --
I apologize for the lack of MOTW's for the past couple of weeks - last weekend, I was in Arizona, and this weekend I was sick. But I'm back with a new band to get your music fix on. Getting their name from a C.S. Lewis poem, Future of Forestry are San Diego locals who make some amazing music, and have been for some time (previously as Something Like Silas). Ever since I heard a couple demos they'd put up on myspace, I was hooked, and started following them. The album, Twilight, that came out a couple months ago, is definitely hook-a-licious, and definitely genius.
The song this week is the title track from their debut album, and one of the reasons I love this song (and album) is the dreaminess that each track is able to capture. The swirling background has such an amazing ability to draw the listener in that I bet I could use this song as my own personal lullaby. Another big reason this song is so great is the that there is this amazing conflict that is taking place in the lyrics. 'How do I get to the other side?' is the question I find myself asking:
So, enter the other side, It sounds like a lullaby. In this twilight, We are pale, And on this frail side, Nothing else could be so real...
The singer, Eric Owyoung, has this gentle voice that compliments the song beautifully, and just adds so much more to the already great song. Another great night driving song... but this one goes out to the dreamers (sorry romantics, you had your run :p). So download the album or pick it up wherever its available, pop it into your car, and enjoy this song/album cranked up with your windows rolled down.
NEW unreleased songs! [Review: Jon's GMA Nashville acoustic set]
Hi all! Vicky here. Even though this isn't my first post (go here to check out what I first wrote about), I decided to formally introduce myself this time. Looks like I'll be teaming up with Tommy in the coming weeks for more of these posts on switchFeed, but for now, I hope y'all enjoy what I brought home for switchFeed from Jon's acoustic show on 4/23 in my hometown of Nashville, TN. I went into the venue around 7:30 (the show started at 8) and found out Jon wasn't playing until at least 10:45. I wasn't too crazy about the other bands so me and two of my friends (Gabe and Stephanie) left there and went to Cafe Coco, a cool place right behind the venue. We met this guy named Enoch who works there and used to be in the band Lovedrug. He said the Switchfoot boys were friends of his from on tour. He also said we could see him on Podcast 5 playing 'bee with the guys.
We went back to the venue and hung out there for a little while until Jon walked up. We said our hello's then Jon led the way into the venue through the same door we all had to go through, as if he was there to watch some other band perform or something. He was very gracious and humble, as usual.
He came on around 11:15 (pm) with just an acoustic guitar and mic. He opened with a song I've since titled "Wide As A Grave", but I don't really know what it's called. It was nice hearing something new.
The lyrics seemed to go like this (the first few lines are missing):
Your giving never satisfied, You open your mouth as wide as a grave, Yeah, you open your mouth as wide as a grave. Loving you is a losing fight, I wanna know where you were last night. You’ve been a terror in the middle east, And all in the name of keeping the peace, Soft foundations were being laid, You were offended but you still got paid. You open your mouth as wide as a grave, Yeah, you open your mouth as wide as a grave. Alright. (Instrumental break) You open your mouth as wide as a grave. Loving you is a losing fight, I wanna know where you were last night. Hello honey, it’s a brave new world, You stir a move with your flag unfurled, Chap stick, spandex, leather and lace, You're understanding grace as saving the face. You open your mouth as wide as a grave.
Next, he played "Betrayal", which I know many of us have heard. I think my friends and I were the only ones singing along, which was fun. Jon's voice was spot on, not a note out of tune.
Third, he played another new song, which I don't have a name for, but I'm taking a wild shot in the dark that he wrote it for GMA week. It's littered with lines from The Lord's Prayer and allusions to Jesus' parables:
(Thanks Christine!) (DOWNLOAD MP3 - right click and "save target as" - Thanks John!)
Lyrics:
Heavenly Father, you always amaze me. Let your Kingdom come in my world and in my life. Give me the food I need to live through the day, And forgive me as I forgive the people that wrong me. Lead me far from temptation, Deliver me from the evil one. I look out the window, the birds are composing, Not a note is out of tune, or out of place. I look at the meadow, and stare at the flowers, better dressed than any girl on her wedding day. So why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need. You know what I need.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong.
The Kingdom of the Heavens is now advancing, Invade my heart, invade this broken town. The Kingdom of the Heavens is a buried treasure, Will you sell everything you are for what you've found?
Two things you told me, That you are strong and you love me. Yes, you love me.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong.
My God in heaven, hallowed be thy name above all names, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us wicked sinners, Lead us far away from our vices, and deliver us from these prisons.
After that, he played a song I call "Southbound Train," which I've listened to at least 50 times since last night. It speaks for itself:
I'm headed home, yeah but I'm not so sure Home is a place you can still get to by train. I'm looking out the window, and I'm drifting off to sleep, With my face pressed up against the pane, With the rhythm of my heart, and my sleepy girl's breathing, it's the rhythm of the southbound train.
Oh, well the wind starts to look like her hair, And the sun in her bright blue eyes, as the sea and the shore fall and rise, like her breast as she breathes by my side, And the moon is her lips and the sun is headed on down in the sea, Like her head as she lays down on me, Until we reach Oceanside, Over and over, I hear the same phrase, It's the rhythm of my heart, and my sleepy girl's breathin', and the rhythm of my southbound train.
Oh, I suppose they'll say I should have known, Or maybe I'm just feeling old, Like a lawyer with no one to blame.
I'm headed home, yeah but I'm not so sure That home is a place that'll ever look the same.
We gather up our things, and we head out in the cold, And your eyes are where you carry the pain, And I hear the whistle weeping, it's crying to the sky, It's the rhythm of my southbound train, It's the rhythm of my southbound train.
He played "Revenge" next, upon request. After that, he gave a short speech about the tragedy at VA Tech, and then played "Sorrow" in their honor.
It was a fairly short set, but definitely worth the three hour wait. We spoke to him for a bit afterwards and he seemed in good spirits, very pleased to have his wife there and happy for the coming break.
It was a wonderfully appropriate way to officially end an incredible Spring tour. See you all at Bro-Am! [Credits: Gellie, Rose, Cookie & Phil for lyric-deciphering help. Phil for MP3s.]
"Oh! Concerts." - a reader's special multi-concert experience.
Switchfoot in Toronto (Ontario), London (Ontario), and Buffalo (New York)
Part 1 (Toronto, Ontario)
Where oh! where should I begin? And not only where, but how exactly do I express and convey what could possibly have been one of the coolest experiences of my life? Let me start off by saying that Switchfoot is my favourite band, I own all of their CDs, and have managed to hunt down all their singles floating around the internet.
With that aside, it was with sheer excitement that I purchased tickets with my friends to see Switchfoot perform at the Kool Haus in Toronto on February 28th, 2007. I’m not going to waste time reviewing the concert (you can find concert reviews all over the place), I’m going to share with you something else. Something wonderful. Something that could only be described as: Oh! Switchfoot.
My friend Brian and I are big media fans. I work full-time at a video production company, and it only makes sense that I want to be able to capture as much of this great night as possible. With that in mind, we brought two digital cameras, as well as a full miniDV camcorder that we managed to sneak into the venue. On the way in, we see a stage hand hanging up posters around the venue, and she has tons of them, so I ask her for some, and we get three. The concert begins, I am on ‘picture duty’ (as well as our friend Andria) and my friend Brian is on ‘camera duty’. We go nuts.
Brian films the whole time, always keeping the camera low so no one spots us. Half-way through the show, during Ammunition, the crowd got rowdy and Brian had to hold the camera up higher to keep filming. This attracted attention, and Brian got attacked by a security guard who first took his tape away, then brought his camcorder over to coat-check and told Brian he could retrieve it after the show.
So the concert ends, people leave. Brian and I split up. He goes to coat-check to retrieve his things, I hang around the stage to see what I can get. I managed to get an itinerary of the day (pretty boring), but then I walked up to the stage and asked a stage hand if I could have a pick. So he went and grabbed a pick laying on the ground where Jon stands, and gave it to me. I was pretty happy.
Brian and I find each other outside. Brian explains to me that while retrieving his camera, they actually gave him his tape back! Hoorah!
So we proceeded to hang out around the venue by the tour busses in hopes of seeing the band. We were standing outside in the cold along with 30 or so other people, and even after awhile there was no sign of the band. With time to kill, I ran to our van and grabbed my acoustic guitar, then Brian and I proceeded to play and sing Stars outside in the cold. Finally, Jon came out. He was swarmed by people, so we gave him some space and kept playing. He noticed, said it sounded good, then we passed him the guitar and he signed it for me. He wrote his name, and also drew the Switchfoot Bolt on it. We waited around some more, and then Tim came out. I was standing right by the door, so he signed it, we made room for other people, and with all the attention turned to Tim, I went over to Jon and started chatting. He ended up taking my guitar, and I just so happened to have the pick that he used from that night’s concert, so I loaned him his own pick, and he began to play ‘Twenty-Four’. Afterwards, he told me he liked my guitar, then played ‘Betrayal’ for us. After that, he was cold and tired. He tells us they filmed the music video for ‘Awakening’ that day in Toronto, so goes to relax on to the bus. Then Drew, Chad and Jerome all came out and they all signed the guitar.
We went home happy.
Part 2 (London, Ontario)
After such a successful first night, how could the next night be any better? We arrived in London at Cowboy’s Ranch, and had the same setup for capture: me (and my friend Cassy) on picture duty, and Brian filming again. As the band walked out on stage, Jon and Tim noticed us immediately, and gave a “hi!” kind of look. Unfortunately, this night, filming not so successful. Cowboy’s Ranch is a lot smaller than the Kool Haus, and security spotted us immediately, and started flashing our camera with flashlights. Brian was like “Crap.” but I said “No man, let me handle this.”
I leave the crowd and go over to the side where the security guard is standing. He doesn’t seem happy. I tell him “We were in Toronto last night at the Kool Haus. One of the security guards took our tape away, and it made the band really unhappy. We’re going to film this concert.”
He was not intimidated. He said “No way.” I said “The band doesn’t mind that we’re filming.” And he responded “I just do what I’m told. Come with me.”
At this point he takes me backstage, and suddenly I find myself back in the hallways behind the stage! He finds the tour manager, and explains the situation. The tour manager doesn’t care, no filming, and asks us to bring me our tape. We return to the concert area, and I should for Brian (NOTE: if you listen to the live bootleg of London, Meant To Live, at exactly 3:25 you can hear me shout “BRIAN!” from the right speaker). I tell him “Listen, I am not selling this concert or anything bad. I just want to film it so I can remember this night. I’m a huge fan.” The guy says “Hold on.”
At this point, I have completely missed song 1 and 2 (‘This Is Your Life’ and ‘Meant To Live’). As Meant to Live ended, the guy I’ve been dealing with grabs a guitar, and walks onto stage and swaps guitars with Jon. I look closely, and notice that he whispers something in Jon’s ear, who looks over at me and nods.
The guy comes back, and says “Alright! You can film!” Could that be any cooler? He asked Jon during the middle of the concert, and he gave us permission. We filmed the whole show.
After the show, as they were walking off the stage, Jon noticed us and said “Hey, come hang out by the tour busses.” So of course we did.
This night Brian brought his guitar, got the whole band to sign it, and Jon played ‘Love Isn’t Made’ for us. It was a good night.
Part 3 (Buffalo, New York)
Two weeks pass. We go home, Brian edits all the footage, and makes a nice custom DVD with a menu and chapters. Now, something as cool as that, we would definitely want the band to see all of our hard work, right? Of course! So we have to see them again.
This time Brian, Cassy (again), and Paige come with me to the Town Ballroom, in Buffalo, New York. We have a plan. We show up at 3 pm, way too early for the show. The busses are there, and you can see people setting up. We see Jerome walking down the street, and say hi. He remembers us, and we tell him we would like to attend the sound check. He says he’ll see what we can do. We wait around, and eventually one of the crew let us inside through the back, through backstage, and we enter the venue at about 4:30, and see guitars everywhere, all the lights on, and the band on stage playing. Again, Jon and Tim notice us and smile/nod, and they play a few songs (Easier Than Love, Lonely Nation, and Crazy In Love to name a few). They argue about the chords on Crazy In Love, and Jon insists he plays an A while Chad and Tim say it’s a B. They eventually figure it out.
Coming down from sound check, Jon walks over to us and starts chatting. We notice that he seems to have a tattoo! He says that it was a stick-on that he wore for filming Awakening that is slowly starting to fade/peel. He described it as an earth with some symbols around it. “The kind of thing you’d see at a tattoo place and say ‘I want that one.’”
He’s really happy we made it again, and we chat for a bit more. He leaves, and Tim comes over. He chats with us for a bit, signs Cassy’s iPod, and walks away. As we’re leaving, we talk to the tour manager. We say “We’re the guys from Toronto and London, we’d like to film tonight’s show.”
He said “Absolutely not. Toronto and London was enough. No filming at all tonight.” But hey, we don’t want to be greedy, so we say that’s fine.
Next , Drew finds us. We start chatting, and I told him that we brought back my guitar and we’d like to get him to play it after tonight’s show. His response:
“Yeah man, I can do some shredding! We’ll totally rip it up hardcore. I’ll get like this big electric drill with guitar picks on the end, and I’ll just be like vvvvvvv-” and he starts making random drilling noises and miming defacing my guitar with pics. Oh Drew. (During this, Chad walked up, saw that Drew was being nuts, and smiled and walked away).
We have to leave, cause they’re getting ready for the show. So we leave. An hour later, we see the show. Following that, we go hang out by the busses, again waiting for the band. It’s raining, so I don’t get my guitar out, but all the guys came out and chatted for a bit.
So we’re talking to Jon, and we’re like “So what are you guys up to now?” Jon says that there’s a band called ‘The Appleseed Cast’ that Copeland mentioned was really good, so Jon, Tim and Drew wanted to go see them. We said we’d hang out with them, if that was cool, but the only problem is, the tour busses can’t exactly drive around town, this concert is like 9 blocks away, and it’s raining. That’s when Jon looks at us and says “Hey, do you guys wanna give us a ride?”
So the most unbelievable thing in the world happened. Switchfoot wanted to hang out with us, and needed a ride across town. So Cassy (the owner of the vehicle, and driver) did her best to contain herself and not pee all over her car while Tim and Drew got in the backseat, and Jon sat in the front. As Jon ate chicken wings and started going through her CD collection, Cassy managed to keep her cool and drive the boys across town. They arrived at the bar, and Cassy then needed to leave the band and turn around and come get us. Obviously concerned about leaving the band and potentially losing them, Jon reassured her, and then unclipped from his belt his 'Switchfoot All-Access Pass' with his Photo ID on it, and gave it to her, saying that it would get her back into the bar later. She quickly came to pick up Brian, Paige and I, and we rushed back to the bar.
So we drive the band around town, find the place, go in, and check out The Appleseed Cast (who is very good by the way). We stand and sit around for awhile, and after the show Jon introduces himself to the band, and the band invites them back stage. They hang out for awhile, and by now it’s 1am. Finally ready to call it a night, we drive the band back to the tour busses, and head home.
We went to a concert to see Switchfoot, then we went with Switchfoot to see a concert.
Oh! Switchfoot.
- by Corey Vidal --
Thanks for sharing that, Corey! (I'm sorry I took so long to get around to posting it.)
"Awakening" added on VH1.com! About time. Hope you all are observing Week Awakening... it's good to see the video getting out there in spite of the low-pro release. :)
DOWNLOAD video: 'Yesterdays' (live in Cincinnati 03/16/07)
To help our wait for an absconding Arpit and his MOTW:
One of our classics, previously YouTube-d here, this quality live video of the song (from the first time it was performed in concert) now in downloadable format...
PS: Reminder... did you comment on the 'Awakening' vid today? Got a YouTube account so you can rate/favorite it? *peer pressure*
(Update:) I realize the whole list for "Week Awakening" can be overwhelming, especially for those of you with busy lives, but you don't have to do it ALL to be part of it - any contribution you make will add up. Also, check the LP boards for a little surprise. ;) --
I just saw this page on YouTube's help section saying that they consider members' suggestions for which videos make it to the 'featured videos', and have provided an email (editor@youtube.com) where we can write to them. If we can get the "Awakening" video featured, that would be some major attention! As with the call to email FUSE tv (fuseinfo@fuse.tv) in my previous post, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to type out the contents of the email, even though I'd love to make it easier for you guys by doing that - because we don't want to make it seem like a campaign, it would be best if you could write in your own words. But here's what would be good to include:
(in the email to YouTube:) + the song and artist name, and maybe a mention that it's switchfoot's new music video. + a link to the video + say how much you like it in your own way, whether subtle or straightforward (but don't go "I LOVE SWITCHFOOT!!!!!") + a kind suggestion that they consider making it a featured video + title it well, so they know even before starting to read, that it's a request for featuring a video.
(in the email to FUSE:) + either make it sound like you're wondering why the awesome new switchfoot video isn't on FUSE (or on their site), or sound like you're informing them about the video and requesting them to add it to their database. this will mix it up a bit - so not everyone is writing in with the same thing. + either way, provide a link to the video on YouTube, including the video title (band and song name, basically). + again, title well. i'll leave that to your discretion.
Try to curb any fan-like over-enthusiasm and also be polite. Let's do this, fams, it should just take a few minutes of your time! Keep spreading the love this week, and beyond. Some have asked if 'Week Awakening' starts next Monday - well, although I was thinking of it in terms of 7 days starting from that inaugural post, it'd be a good idea to have it start this coming Monday, ALTHOUGH I say we assume it's Monday already and begin this project. :) peace out, amigos - thanks for your help.
PS: Also, I hope you guys don't mind that I've put the video on autoplay at the top of the sidebar - I know this may be an annoyance for some (although, there is a pause button on the player), please bear with us, it's temporary - just part of our collective effort to encourage viewing and giving the video more hits to help it up the YouTube charts.
[This post for what 'Week Awakening' is all about.]
When switchFeed invades a Switchfoot dressing room...
Hello friends, it's Tommy (Tparker) here for my first 'official' switchFeed post. Rumor has it that I should be back again soon...but we'll see.
For this short yet amazing post - I've decided to give you all a look at something you may have never seen, maybe something you've always wanted to see! Below are several photos I took of Switchfoot's dressing room when they were at Campbell University last week, for this switchFeed exclusive. Check it out!
Half of the kitchen counter...
Some cards and baked goods...
Switchfoot towels...
"The Essentials"...
Before they arrived...(can you identify every item?)
Update:See Part 2 of this post, with more details on #6 below, and more. --
I haven't found the time to give as much attention as I would've liked, to the Awakening the Airwaves campaign we started a few posts ago. But I hope you all have been viewing, rating, commenting and favorite-ing the video on YouTube meanwhile (200,000 hits now, by the way - good work!), but if not, this reminder is for you! I was thinking, why not have this week be 'Week Awakening'? So if you'd like to do the following, every day of this week (and hopefully beyond), and don't think you're too cool to admit it, please sign in the comments section saying you will - as that would encourage others, too. :)
_ 1) I will view the "Awakening" video at least 5 times every day, this week. (Don't hit "watch again" after you finish watching, but refresh the page.) _ 2) I will leave at least two comments a day on the video's YouTube page, rate it and favorite it (if you haven't yet, that is. For those of you who don't have an account at YouTube, this is the perfect time to get one! Do it. Seriously. I'll give you an e-cookie.) _ 3) I will embed the video on at least 2 places this week. (your MySpace, sharing on Facebook, embedding on your website, blog - they all help. If you don't have enough sites to do this, or you've already embedded it everywhere you could, then request someone with a website to embed it! the wider the range of their influence, the better. I googled some sites and wrote to them and they put it up - so it does work. Maybe you could tell them you're part of Switchfoot's Street Team, and they'll do it for you, cause Switchfoot street teamers are hotshots, right? Right.) _ 4) I will show the video to at least 3 friends who haven't seen it before, this week. _ 5) I will request the video on TRL every day. (enter '96718' as the zip code while registering, if it says yours is invalid. Scroll down the list of videos, and you'll have to enter 'Switchfoot' and 'Awakening' manually.) _ 6) I will email Fuse (fuseinfo@fuse.tv) and request them to add the video to their database! (Remember to link the video in your email.) _ 7) I will request the video at at least one of the radio stations listed here, at least once a day (if none of those are in the area, try the ones that have e-requesting. And I'll be updating that post soon, meanwhile the comments section of that post should give you a few more requesting links.)
(signed) Phil
PS: Thanks for teaming up with us to help get the video and the song out there!
Remember the good ol’ days of 2003 when Arrested Development was still on the air and a little band was daring you to move? Now they are both back (sort of) and together in this video. Apparently Buster asking price is so high that Switchfoot couldn’t even afford the licensing fee for Guitar Hero. And if there were an video equivalent to jumping the shark (okay that was a blatant AD reference) it would be when the dead chick from Heroes goes all eighties.
I know the guy was trying to be funny, but I'd bet part of the reason for not having the real Guitar Hero was so the video wouldn't come off as a part-advert for Guitar Hero, besides, leaving the real Guitar Hero out gave them a lot of scope for creativity.
This ring that made it on the Daily Foot was presented to the guys by Emily, a veteran switchFeeder who comments on here often.
(( NEWS ))
I had the chance to speak with the lead singer of needtobreathe a few weeks ago in Toronto, and he told me of how Jon was gracious to join them for a show with an acoustic performance, on 23rd April in Nashville. Check out a poster here, courtesy WeAreMadeOfLove.
(( CONCERT REVIEWS ))
"c" emailed us a brief review of the Springfield concert:
We went to the Springfield, MO concert 4-16-07...it was awesome!!
It was at Missouri State University and there were a lot of college students... however i was a little disappointed at the turn out...the place should have been packed... but no matter how many people are there...SWITCHFOOT always plays their hearts out...and Jon is always so personable w/ the crowd. I loved it that he commented on the situation at Virginia Tech (since it had happened that day... Monday) and how he and the guys had been watching the news on TV. So... they sang SORROW and YESTERDAYS in memory of the students. As always.. it was a great night!!!
An organiser's review of the Campbell University concert on 4/13/07
Below is Thomas Parker's review of the Campbell show, exclusively for switchFeed (thanks Tommy!) - 'tis good to hear from an organiser, with some more backstage glimpses than your usual review. Enjoy!
April 13th 2007 was a culmination of 6 months worth of preparation – all beginning back in the fall semester when our Campus Activities Board’s Concert Committee agreed to pursue Switchfoot as our spring concert headliner. We had various artists and bands to sift through and choose from, but Switchfoot made sense for more than just the obvious reasons. Because we didn’t get the contract officially signed until early February, our time was short and there was so much to accomplish in two remaining months. The whole process was exciting, but especially stressful for me – mainly due to my longtime love for these guys and all that they do. I wanted everything to be perfect; every small detail seemed to be of amplified concern.
On the Thursday before the show, me, Lance (our CAB graduate assistant and close friend of mine), and Dusty (the committee chair) spent the morning and afternoon shopping for and picking up the remaining things we needed to complete the dressing room requirements and specialties that we planned to include. The rest of that night was consumed by cleaning up and furnishing the bare apartment home that was to house the band the next day. The fridge was stocked, and the living area was decorated with surfing magazines and posters, Switchfoot towels, Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero, and of course Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It seemed fitting that my official job was “hospitality”, so I was especially enthused and also concerned about the final product. My good friends and fellow Footsoldiers, Erica Gardner and Vicki Chiri made long journeys to make it into town that night. We stayed up late talking about all sorts of things, mostly Switchfoot related and other chatter concerning the next day’s happenings. I finally went to bed around 3:30am.
Friday finally came. The morning was spent adding a few final items to the dressing room, checking on the ticket operations, and then preparing for the big bus arrival. The guys rolled in around noon. First, their driver got off and chatted a bit, then the tour manager, Guy. Jerome came off and inquired about feeding his coffee addiction, so our runner gave him a lift to a little place on the other side of campus. Jon came out and said hello to everyone, then grabbed a couple books and took off for a walk around campus. Tim came and said hello and thanked me for having them, to which I thanked him for coming (which seemed much more appropriate). He then prepared for a jog, while Chad was helping with the load in. A little later, Lance and I took Drew and Guy to the dressing room. This was one of the best parts of the day. I was anxious to see how they would react when they saw everything we had for them inside. Thankfully, they were blown away with the towels we had made, the Guitar Hero and DVDs, as well as the abundance of requested food and drinks in the kitchen. Immediately, Guy radioed to the bus, enthusiastically telling the crew of the great facility. Drew called Chad to tell him about the surfing magazines, then told me he was stoked and on his way over soon. It was amazing to see all of their faces when they came into the room. The guys have always been so gracious, but I was able to experience that even more directly on this day. They continually thanked me for everything – shedding the few remaining layers of “celebrity” that I viewed them with. They seemed so much more like friends, and always genuine.
At this point in the day things were starting to come together. Dusty informed me that Dan (SF’s current merch guy) needed some assistance. I went over to the bus to see what was up. This was Dan’s first show doing merch, so he had to re-sort all of the t-shirts into bins with the correct counts etc. I called Erica and Vicky and they came to help out. So at this point, I would just like to thank Erica, Vicky, Paige (Erica’s younger sister), and all of the other F-soldiers who helped out. Sometimes helping with merch doesn’t involve a whole lot, but today was a completely different story. These girls worked hard all day assisting Dan, and for that I am very grateful. After getting them squared away with Dan, I went to help a few committee members set up tables for tickets, merch, and concessions.
Jon, Tim and Romey all filtered back to the dressing room from their various afternoon ventures. After another loud stir in the dressing room over the Guitar Hero and other amenities, the guys had a long band meeting in the back room. I don’t think I heard a sound from them for over an hour, even when we stepped in to drop off their food orders. Then, around 4pm they moved toward the stage for sound check. Jon stopped to say a few words to one of my best friends who was standing around the fence behind the stage. It was nice because Bryan (my friend) had won a VIP contest we had a few weeks earlier, Jon hadn’t known that at the time, nor did he know he was my friend. Sound check was fun. I can’t remember everything they played, but I believe it included “Yesterdays” and “4:12”, both not on the set list. After sound check, Drew and Andy played Frisbee in the yard outside the dressing room (see the Daily Foot for a great picture). Then I had to guide Romey around campus via Drew’s phone. Our security worker had given him false directions to a Wi-Fi location. After watching Andy (Barron) absolutely destroyed my Guitar Hero game (he started a new career called “The Switchfeets” and unlocked all sorts of songs, characters, and guitars), he also inquired about getting to some Wi-Fi. I drove him over to a dorm lobby across the street so he could catch up on watching “Lost”. At this point we had just started letting people in the gate, and the local opening band was about to begin.
I spent the first hour and a half of the show running back and forth checking on things – everything seemed to be going great. I went back to the dressing room one last time to wish the guys good luck. They all thanked me for everything again. On my way to the stage I saw Jon walking back to the dressing room. I told him good luck as well, and that I was on my way to get a good spot down front. I squeezed up there front and center with Vicky, Erica and Luke. I caught the second half of Reeve Oliver’s set. They were amazing, great guys, musicians and fantastic entertainers. Seriously folks, if you haven’t check out RO yet, you need to! They exited the stage with most of the crowd asking for another song – they were worth an encore.
The set change was relatively short. I had a few conversations with our security workers (fellow students) about photography privileges, and what to do when Jon entered the crowd. Then, the lights when down and the cheers went up – that moment of pure excitement that we all know so well. They opened with “Stars”, then “Politicians” (see the Daily Foot for the full set list).
After “Learning to Breathe”, Jon starting chatting with the crowd. Then, he said “I want to thank my friend down front here for his amazing hospitality”. At this point my friends near by knew what was up, and started yelling my name. Then Jon said “Yeah, Tommy why don’t you come up here for a minute”. So, I hopped up on stage and gave Jon a little hug. He told the crowd that I was the reason they were here tonight. I was flattered to say the least, but I had to quickly reply that there were many people responsible for it, and I couldn’t take all of the credit. Regardless, it was one of the most fulfilling experiences to have him recognize me like that. Then he asked me to introduce the rest of the guys. So, I went through and announced them all. I can’t remember exactly what I said, I think I made up some nicknames – mostly, I was just trying not to forget anyone. Then Jon gave me a little hug, but before I exited the stage I wished a friend of mine a Happy Birthday. This was especially funny because he had started a Facebook event page – trying to play it off like his birthday party was the SF concert, as if they had come to play for him. Jon adapted well, as he always does and they sung happy birthday for him. Needless to say, he was ecstatic when he found me afterwards.
The rest of the show was amazing. The set list was great (so glad it included Faust). During “Shadow”, Jon took off through the crowd towards the sound board. The security guys in the front just stood there, so I yelled to them to follow him. He sung the whole song up there, as well as the beginning of “Awakening”. At the end of “M2L” he climbed the huge stage rafter. Basically, the guys were on top of their game and put on a wonderful show for everyone.
After the encore, they got cleaned up on the bus for a few minutes before coming out to sign autographs and meet people. Jon came out smiling at me; I thanked him again for everything and pointed him towards the massive crowd of picture hungry college students. They were all so great – staying out to talk to people for what seemed like an hour or more. We took a great picture of Jon in a Campbell t-shirt that we got for both bands – we’re planning to hang it up in the bookstore on campus. I walked each of the guys back to the bus and thanked them again for coming. Tim was so kind; he thanked me over and over for having them. Romey was the last to board the bus, I wished him well in Knoxville and said goodbye. I had never been more tired in my entire life. My legs and back ached and I hadn’t eaten anything since 3pm. None of that really mattered at the time. It was such a wonderful day.
There was a lot that took place in order to make it all happen. The process was extensive to say the least, but it was more than worth it to bring the pure joy that is “Switchfoot” to my peers and local community. Everyone I’ve talked to since has said nothing but good things about the show. Nothing short of what I anticipated – the guys were genuine, gracious and amazing entertainers. I hope this marks the beginning to a new season of supporting all of the remarkable things that Switchfoot is all about. I love you guys, thanks so much!
-Tommy aka tparker
Also check out Luke Sharett's (our resident-photographer-in-waiting, 'cause we haven't yet worked out how to integrate his work into the site) pictures from the same show. He's pro and just amazingly talented. Click here.
Here's a review of the Awakening video from top40-charts.com. It's nothing we haven't seen before - it mentions the actors, quotes Tim's description, and calls it "fun and innovative." What I found interesting was the fact that it categorized the band under "Metal/Hard Rock." Hmm...Seems like they get a new genre attached to them every day. Even my itunes can't agree on what kind of music they are. According to my iTunes, they fit into Rock, Pop, Alternative, Gospel & Religious, Punk, AlternRock, Rock Alternative, Holiday, Comedy(?), Psychedelic Rock, Acoustic, and Other. I guess this just re-emphasizes the fact that they're a versatile band with a sound that no one can quite pin down. They're missing certain major ones like Electronica, Rap, R&B, Jazz (which they apparently tried during the recording of Oh! Gravity.), and Country, to name a few. Maybe they should remedy that...haha -- just kidding. Although, they ARE playing alongside a country artist on April 21st at the University of Texas at Arlington. Last I checked, you're supposed to be at least a little bit compatible with the other band. However, from the looks of Joe Nichols' song titles, I wouldn't choose him as the obvious choice to mesh with the 'Foot. Maybe I'm wrong...? In any case, country fans of UTA, get ready for some rock! (/pop/alternative/punk/comedy...)
On a randomer note, have you ever thought of naming your child after a band? If so, don't live in Sweden. This blogger posted a witty entry about an interesting LA Times article, and seems to think "Switchfoot" wouldn't be a bad name for your little one. Personally I think I would try to stay away from names containing body parts, but to each his/her own, I suppose.
And speaking of feet, just to spice this post up a bit, let's see what the general consensus is on whose feet are whose in this Andy Barron photo:
Slayter Hill performance: "Pretty good," or "Lackluster?"
It seems that we have conflicting stances regarding Switchfoot's recent appearance at Purdue University. On the one hand, we have Joe Larson at BoilerStation.com telling us that the audience enjoyed Switchfoot's concert,
choosing to forego a night of drinking in order to experience the charisma and musical stylings of guitar player and vocalist Jon Foreman and his bandmates.
In contrast, we have Joey Marburger (presumably a bitter student) from The Exponent. He, being utterly unimpressed by Jon's ritual cymbal-bashing, would rather have Yellowcard, Three 6 Mafia, or O.A.R play at his school. The crowdsurfers probably didn't help, but I think that he went into the whole situation with too many preconceived notions. The fact that he actually wrote,
When I first heard Switchfoot was coming, a month or so ago, I thought to myself, "Can't we do better?"
just goes to show the readers that he doesn't have a very objective point of view on the concert. An open mind never hurt anyone. (Neither did possessing writing skills that surpass a juvenile level).
So which Joe do we believe? Decide for yourself. As for me, I'll stick to liking my "crappy bands like Switchfoot," thank you.
Thanks to Jane (JD from the boards), who emailed me this translation of a Danish article about an interview with Jon and Drew:
- Handball and rain -
Friday night Febuary 2nd, Silkeborg Music House set the stage for a concert with American artists Switchfoot.
Switchfoot are well known for their songs 'Dare You to Move' and 'Only Hope' from the movie 'A Walk to Remember' and 'Meant to Live' from 'Spider 2', respectively. As with any big event, Udfordringen sends out one of its people and this time is no different. Moreover, this time it's not only to hand out newspapers after the concert either!
The waiting time is long It's about 3:30 P.M. as I arrive at Silkeborg train station. The interview has been set up at short notice giving me little time to brush up on my English. However, with a pen in my hand, a dictaphone and bunch of questions, I've feel prepared for the interview. At 15:45 P.M. I'm standing inside Silkeborg Music House where I've managed to find the man with whom I've arranged the interview. He tells me that they'll be a bit late. I sit down to wait. At 16:30 I'm told that they're done with sound check and will be ready for me in a few minutes…By 5 o'clock, I'm still waiting. But at 5:20 P.M. they suddenly come walking towards me.
Handball, is that a team sport? I've been planning to ask them about their concert in Hamburg last night and of course whether they noticed all the hype about the handball semi-finals which was taking place in Germany and also the fact that Denmark was playing in one of them. However, first I've got to ask them how many hours of sleep they've had!
Instead of sitting down the lead singer Jon Foreman jumps onto a small stage nearby and starts dancing. The guitarist Drew Shirley is sitting on a chair laughing.
Finally, I get to make my opening line:
-So, you guys just arrived straight from Hamburg. The Danish national team in men's handball played in the World Championship vs. Poland in Hamburg which they lost, unfortunately.
Now, listen closely to their answer:
-Oohh… so that's what was going on everywhere! It was on the big screens all over the place. We've never watched handball before. Is it a team sport or a single sport?
How do you respond to that, when you, like the rest of Denmark, are struck by handball-mania? It's almost unforgivable, is it a team sport or a single sport?! We then have a small chat about handball and how you play the game.
You gotta know how to surf to be in the band From handball we proceed on to surfing, and Switchfoot sure knows something about surfing! Switchfoot is actually a surfing term which means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. And according to the band, it's about change and movement - a different way of approaching life and music.
-Does everyone in Switchfoot know how to surf?
-Yes, it's a requirement! says Jon while laughing and adds:
- Pretty much everyone in San Diego knows how to surf.
However, surfing is not what Switchfoot spends most of their time doing. Approximately 200 days a year they travel around the world playing concerts.
-Is (the) music worth it?
It means 200 days away from family and friends. When I ask Jon and Drew how someone deals with being away that much, they responded as following:
-I feel incredibly privileged to be able to make a living by making music that matters to me. But it's always going to be like that after completing a record when you ask yourself: is it worth it? Is it worth being away from our families 200 days a year? So far it has. But it can't ever come to the point where selling records becomes more important than communicating, Drew concludes.
Finally, I want to know what they think about Denmark.
- I went out for a walk, Jon says.
- In the rain? I ask surprisingly, because it's been pouring down all day.
-Yeah, I thought it was just a light drizzle…But it was pouring down… I got soaked! says Jon while laughing.
- Does it usually snow in Denmark? Drew suddenly asks while looking out at Silkeborg River which has overflowed its banks.
- It does, but this year we've just had a lot of rain , I tell him and say something about global warming.
The interview has come to an end, but before letting them go, I have them promise that they'll play 'Meant to Live' at tonight's concert.
(Interview conducted by A.K. Grønhøj, Udfordringen, a Danish newspaper, February 07)
I would laugh about their lack of handball-knowledge, but honestly, I know nothing about handball either. I wish the interviewer had recorded that small chat they had about it - but I guess that's what Google is for, right?
The pluses of Buster's antics, and some words from Drew
Update: Thanks to kitty who left a comment informing us about an mp3 of the Drew interview to be found here. There's a lot more in there than in the written interview. --
Here is just 1 of the many online postings I have seen about the Awakening video. This one, which is from BestWeekEver.tv, is less of a review and more of a complaint about the fact that he (the writer) was finally conned into hearing a Switchfoot song. I find humor in these things. Maybe you will too.
Some of you may already be aware of this, but Rose pointed out the fact that Switchfoot is mentioned in the "Family" section of Macbeth Footwear's website, with a little bio by Jon, an Andy pic, and a Jeremy Cowart pic.
And last but not least, I found a small interview with Drew, conducted by Purdue's Student Newspaper. Drew admits,
I have to be honest with you though, colleges are one of my personal favorites to play; I just relate to college-age people the best. It's like peers that I can hang with.
Even though the article is short, it's always nice to get to hear from Drew.
Radio sessions, more bootlegs, and Awakening video updates
(Update @ 8:14am India time:) Don't forget to rate "Awakening" on YouTube today! ...and every day. --
Hello amigos and amigas! (My college has engrained a gender-inclusive writing style in me now...) Switchfoot recently played TWO radio sessions, one for KWOD (scroll to the bottom of that page), and one for FM94.9. Thanks to lcp from the boards for the info. The KWOD set included Oh! Gravity (full-band and acoustic), American Dream, a Bob Dylan cover, Let Your Love, and Dirty Second Hands (acoustic). Here's the link for pictures. The FM94.9 session includes Dirty Second Hands, Betrayal, Dare You To Move, Yesterdays, a full-band version of Sorrow (!), Meant To Live, and 4:12. (This station has an apparent love for the fish-eye camera lens) :
You can view the rest of the photos from that session here. And, Clifton was awesome enough to upload the mp3s from both the KWOD set and the FM94.9 set to esnips for us. Thanks, Clifton!!
Also, thanks to everyone who has been sending in the bootlegs, and thanks to switchfootbootlegs.com, we now have 2 more dates added - Tucson, AZ, and Ventura, CA. I recommend listening to Faust, Midas & Myself from the Tucson show - the guys finally decided to play all the songs the audience was requesting, while even incorporating a Bette Midler tune. Impressive.
Crunching numb3rs; supporting the 'Awakening' video
It's 4:12 on 4/12. And I'm listening to "4:12".
switchFeed just crossed 100,000 hits. :) Thanks for sticking with us through thick and thin!
"Awakening" is already climbing up YouTube's weekly charts, in it's 2nd day on the site, with 5 days in the week remaining...
#21 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Entertainment - All #19 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Entertainment - English #71 - Top Rated (This Week) - Entertainment - All #78 - Most Discussed (This Week) - Entertainment - All #42 - Top Favorites (This Week) - Entertainment - All #66 - Most Linked (This Week) - All #19 - Most Linked (This Week) - Entertainment - All
Keep viewing, commenting, linking, and rating the video! Remember, you can rate it once every day. So go back every day to rate it! And leave a comment while you're at it. ;)
there are a few alternative stations that are lighter-leaning, that have been very supportive of SF, that will probably try Awakening out in light rotation. I say any station that is playing the song is fair game, regardless of genre. Let's support this song where-ever it's playing, regardless of format.
...so please let us know if you hear the song play at any mainstream station!
Lastly, I've rehashed some thoughts I'd posted on the official boards about the "Awakening" video as an attempt to explain why I thought the video is a good move from Switchfoot, to those who think otherwise.
I think some of us may be kind of forgetting that the #1 purpose of music videos is to be popular and win the band new fans who wouldn't listen to the music otherwise. For example, people who aren't into serious music, in this case. It's why the record industry began doing music videos in the first place - to expose the music in a new way for those who wouldn't hear it otherwise. Even it's role as an attempt to respresent the song is secondary to the primary function of the music video as promotional material. They don't really make money off the videos - even though now, in the iTunes age, you can buy them for a meagre buck - nor do they make it primarily to reveal some 'deeper meaning' (though that may be done in a balanced way), but the vids are like advertisements, you invest on them hoping for future results, hoping to have new people sucked into the songs. Even though the guys are wisely trying to spread this one in an understated, grassroots way, I'd say 'wide appeal' was on the minds of those who thought up the video, and why not, isn't that what you spend extra money from your pocket on a video for? I mean, they're not doing this in ways unworthy of respect, like some artists who need to show skin to sell records, for example. Instead, they're attracting the gaming audience (a HUGE market, which closely overlaps with the music industry), and the fans of the featured actors' shows. Well played, Switchfoot.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Switchfoot's about the numbers, they've never been about the numbers, but there's no evil in wanting to have your music heard as far and wide as possible, for the sake of the music and the message itself. Besides, regardless of Switchfoot's stance on the matter, I personally think they're a band for the masses - they have something important to say, and it's worthy of as many ears as possible - even though I also identify with the temptation to be selfish by wanting to keep the band all to ourselves. Here's to hoping they get bigger even amidst fears of how it might change things for us fams if they do.
Responding to someone who said that the video's comical images could ruin the deeply meaningful song for fans, and other thoughts:
The deeper meaning of the song does not depend on it's video. Like Tim said, the video cannot take away or add to the song. 30 years later, nobody will be talking about the video, but they'll be talking about the song. But it'd be the video that got many of them into the song... so I think they made a good decision in making it an accessible (but still quality) video.
I think Switchfoot by nature is a 'deep' band, so it's a good thing that they kept it fresh with a video like this - that they don't take themselves too seriously. It makes their message more palatable, less pretentious. Not everything has to be 'deep' always ya know, sometimes it's a simpler thing that does the job better. In fact, I know some people consider Switchfoot too serious for their liking, so I think this video is a great move as far as their image in the public eye is concerned, too.
I think one thing that's great about the video is that it doesn't draw too much attention to itself and lose the song in the process - which was probably the one weak point about the "Oh! Gravity." video. The simple, fun approach of this vid helps you appreciate the song more, while not distracting you from the song itself. I think it was a wise move to bank on the song to carry the video, instead of the other way round - because "Awakening" is such a great tune.
In conclusion:
Either way, ANY video they make would elicit opposing viewpoints, because their fanbase is so diverse. So we can just agree to disagree - it's not a big deal, it's just a music video intended to get the word out. We all know their music goes way deeper than all of this, nobody's denying that - a video cannot change that.
A new poll is up... vote and let us know your verdict on the video! Feel free to elaborate in the comments section. The Quote Hanger's found itself a new coat too, finally. Thanks for reading.
To say that last Thursday night was the highlight of my week would be a little bit of an overstatement in light of everything that had been happening that week. However, I will say that it was the highlight of that day without a doubt, and most definitely contributed to what made that week great. It'd been a long day with LA traffic at the absolute worst I'd ever seen it. I'd driven over a hundred miles before 4pm, and I was over a hundred miles away from the concert in Ventura, California (which I realized that morning was NOT in or around LA). I was supposed to meet some friends at 5 so we could hit the road with ample time to get there on time (doors opened at 7pm) without a problem. Of course, with the traffic, I met up with my friends closer to 6pm and after getting some food to go, we got going.
With almost 90 miles to go, we knew we were going to be late. Little did we realize that we would still be on the road at 8pm, when the concert was supposed to start. At 8:20pm, we finally reached the venue and parked. Phil had said that I should have a photopass waiting for me, and so I inquired before I went in, but the guys at the door knew nothing of it. So I went to the merch table, and on inquiry found that they wouldn't be handing out any photopasses because they were filming a DVD that night. Now, this might have been a bit disappointing, but I was honestly a little relieved (which felt weird). When we got in, Copeland was just getting on stage, and so I was even more relieved to find that we hadn't missed a single minute.
Now, I really enjoy Copeland's music, but I found their live show to be a just a little lacking. It was good, but I think I was just a little too excited for Switchfoot. Plus I was messing around with my camera to see what lenses would work so that I could get some good pictures for Switchfoot's set. After the Copeland set, we tried to move as close to the stage as we could (the venue was huge... one of the bigger concerts I've been to - probably as big as Incubus when I saw them 5 years ago). I made it a point that I'd try to take some shots through the first 2/3rds of the set, and then move around for a whole bunch more. But I wasn't going to do that in the first part of it so that I could enjoy the concert, which I was there for. After about 45 minutes of setting up and testing/tuning guitar after guitar, Switchfoot finally took the stage.
They started off the set with 'Stars', which was the first single after Drew joined the team. I honestly can't think of a better song that they could've picked to start the show. Like I said, it was a big venue, so they brought the "big" right from the start. 'Politicians' was next, which Jon described as "a song about the kingdom of the heavens". It was interesting (and not the sucky kind of interesting :p) because I'd heard the song many times before, but just hearing that context opened up the song like never before. The chorus resounds in my head even now:
I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians... I am broken, I am bitter, I'm the problem, I'm the politician, Watching for my sky to get torn apart, C'mon and break me, c'mon and break me...
They followed the song up with 'Oh! Gravity.', the title song from the newest album. It was the first roar the audience gave that night. I hadn't seen one video of Switchfoot performing or read a single live review (outside of Phil's), and so I was just taking it all in, and tapping my feet furiously and singing along whatever parts of the songs I knew (and there's quite a few I don't know). The guys then took the audience back several years by playing a little song called 'Company Car' at which their older fans cheered yet again. In the bridge, Jon asked everyone to grab someone next to them, and sway back and forth "in brotherly love... and sisterly love". And so we were all swaying, although I wonder what the people in the balcony sitting down were doing.
When they began the next song, I saw Jon doing something that made me do a double take. I was pretty sure he was playing the guitar with his teeth. But I wrote it off thinking that he was probably looking at something close up. 'This Is Your Life' started, and as they were playing and got into the interlude, I saw Jon do it again, but this time was able to see a little more clearly: he was screaming into the guitar. Well, that was new. I guess when you have that much amplification, you get a pretty sweet sound out of doing that. The next song, 'Dirty Second Hands', found Jon dancing around with the hi-hat in circles (should've reserved it for 'Circles') and having as much fun with it as a 4-year old would doing just that.
Jon introduced the next song as "the song you guys picked for this show", while introducing the string section for the first time that night: 'Learning To Breathe'. Now, this was the first Switchfoot song I'd ever heard in my life, a little over 3 years ago. To date, it is still my favorite Switchfoot song, and if they'd just played that song over and over again, I would've been just fine. :D Jon introduced the next song as a song about loss, one that him and Tim wrote about two different things. As much as I was still reeling from the high of having heard 'Learning To Breathe' live, I was engrossed in 'Yesterdays' even more. It was amazing how that song took me elsewhere... to a place where I was mourning yet rejoicing all at once as Jon sang:
I remember you like yesterday, yesterday, I still can't believe that you're gone, Oh, I remember you like yesterday, yesterday, And till I'm with you, I'll carry on...
As mellow as that song was, the one following it was quite interestingly juxtaposed. 'Gone' wouldn't have been my choice to follow up 'Yesterdays', but with the sweet solo that Drew belted out, and seeing Jon jump off the piano was quite worth it. 'Ammunition' continued the energy with Drew rocking up front. Now, for those guitarists out there that have seen Drew, you gotta agree, he's a freakin' rock star. Every time he came up front, I was just jumping and dancing. Yes, I had a fanboy moment. The energy was tapped out (for the time being) with 'American Dream' as the entire gang froze for nearly a minute with only roars of the audience filling everyone's ears. I was impressed with all of them staying still that long... takes quite a bit to pull that off.
'We Are One Tonight', a "song about unity", was another theatrical highlight with Jon climbing up the speakers in front of where I was, and just hanging out for a second before belting out "We are one" over and over with an anthemic passion that was felt throughout that 2000+ person venue. It was another song that stood out that night. They took a short little break to sing happy birthday to all the birthdays in the house: "if it's your birthday, you know the song, so sing along". They also thanked all their fans for supporting them for 10 whole years now. Jon turned to Tim and asked if he had any words of wisdom: "stay classy, Ventura". Ha!
'On Fire' found Jon donning the harmonica to accent the strings accompaniment in the back to create this beautiful sound for the venue. 'Faust, Midas, And Myself' was next and every time Jon sang the chorus, I found myself singing at the top of my lungs and dancing without a care, because after all "you've one life, you've one life, you've one life left to lead". At the end of this song, Jon hopped into the audience and started walking around with the infamous lights that anyone who caught them on this tour has seen. It was most definitely a trip to see those bright lights in a darkened room, but it made for a really good picture!
This, of course, led to the singing in the middle of the venue (that I believe has been repeated as well), which was totally radical (there's only so many times you can say 'awesome' :p). To hear Jon singing "the shadow proves the sunshine" while the single light was shining down on him was surreal to say the least. It was another song that came to life as I listened to the lyrics with a certain amount of clarity (even though in a state of near exhaustion). As he made his way back to the stage, the guys were preparing to kick it back up a notch into the brand new video single, 'Awakening'. The scream in the opener (and throughout) was absolutely perfect. I just love that part!
The final song for the main set was 'Meant To Live', which Jon introduced by saying the following: "death is nothing unusual... this is a song about living". Ranking in my top 10 favorite Switchfoot songs, I was glad to see them play this live. After the song, they had the obligatory "let's walk off the stage and wait for the audience to cheer us back on" moment (it's rock tradition man!). Jon walked back on and introduced the strings again to play a special acoustic version of a song that I only recently heard, 'Only Hope'.
The others came back on to finish the night off with 'Dare You To Move' after an acoustic intro leading through the first chorus. They finished it off with an amazing amount of energy, and left the audience wanting more even after the 20 songs they'd played that night. Un-freakin'-believable. Not having expected what I experienced probably made the night that much more exciting for me. I was simply stunned at what I'd seen and observed. I think the greatest part about it was when I was talking with them after, there wasn't a slight hint of an ego. They were thankful that I came out, I took some pictures, and enjoyed myself. And yet again I say, un-freakin'-believable.
They ended up taking their bows, and heading out. After a brief after-show meet-n-greet, I got me my bootleg, and enjoyed reliving the show all the way home. It was a great show, a great night, a great week. Oh, and if you look below, you'll find a little surprise! :D
AWAKENING THE AIRWAVES: new assignment, footsoldiers!
Howdy Footsoldiers!
First off, I just wanna say that this post is very important to me, and more importantly, I believe your attention to it (and action thereafter) would mean a lot to the guys. This is your chance to stand up and be counted - your chance to spread the movement, to take these songs to new lives and hard drives. To share what we've been given. To give back.
"Awakening", as most of you already know, has been released, after much anticipation, as the second single from "Oh! Gravity." I love the grinding guitars that sit so well with lyrics about wanting to wake up kicking and screaming. You love it too: we ran a poll a while ago for which song you wanted to be the next single, and "Awakening" won by an overwhelming majority, and Tim thanked you for your involvement.
As your fellow footsoldier, I hope you aren't content with loving it and keeping it to yourself. After all, such a powerful anthem about coming alive is worthy of as many ears as possible. Hide it under a bushel, oh no: we're gonna let it shine. Now, before you call in to your local radio station, here are 5 golden rules from industry veterans, that we would do well to follow:
1) The song is out at Hot AC... please focus your energies towards this format for now, instead of the other formats.
2) Please be respectful and low-key (no fangirliness, no fan-like enthusiasm - it's better to have them think you just casually like the band).
3) Call only your local station, and not more than 1 request every 6 hours, please.
4) We will be maintaining a regularly updated list of radio stations that are already supporting "Awakening", below (so you might wanna bookmark this post) - please call in and request only at these stations, to help build the story. We should not be calling stations that are not playing it yet, because that's exactly how stations know there is a campaign...
5) If you've heard the song already on the station, it's always good to mention that, and that you liked it.
Here's the list of stations playing the song. We would appreciate it if someone volunteers to find the phone number(s) or the request webpages of the stations (where it's not been provided below), thanks! Just leave it in the comments section of this post, and we'll add it to the list.
Wherever possible, it really helps to go to the station's website, and send an email request or web-request asking to hear the song. That way you could do it even if you're not in the same city as the station.
Last but by no means least, Switchfoot just officially released this new, self-made and self-funded music video for "Awakening" (with the video quality improved and the A/V sync issue in the earlier leak resolved!) If you've linked to / embedded that unofficial YouTube upload which did the rounds a few days ago, you might wanna update those links/codes with this proper release!
Reading through some mixed reactions on the official message boards, I was contemplating blogging my thoughts on the video and why I love it, until I saw how Tim briefly but nicely expressed what I may have needed a 1000 words to do: check out his "about the video" posting here, and spread the word about the video too! Embed the video on your myspace, blog or website, share it with your friends, and if you have free time on your hands, watch it 2351273209 times on YouTube, and leave comments - we should log as many hits for the video as possible, especially at the outset, so we can get it on YouTube's category rankings for the day and thus bring it more exposure! Let's set this snowball rolling, fellow soldiers!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section! Thanks for reading. And adding to the noise. peace,
Hey guess what? I found another review of Oh! Gravity.! This one is by an online Malaysian magazine, The Star Online. This was a very positive review, and I liked the fact that it addressed some often-debated issues (the "Christian rock" label, the band "selling out") in a short and sweet manner. It claims that Oh! Gravity. is probably their best album yet, and concludes with the statement:
We can rest assured that while Oh! Gravity may be the band’s most commercially accessible album thus far, the band has not sold out. This is a solid effort with nary a weak moment.
Also, seeing as we're lacking in the most recent bootlegs (due to...we're not sure what), Clifton and a few others on the boards have asked that we spread the word to try to acquire them. Clifton had this to say:
With the tour having been over for a week I would have thought that some of the bootlegs which we have been missing for a while would have been posted. The wonderful switchfootbootlegs.com can only do so much in making the bootlegs avaliable to the public. It is up to you our fans and concert antendees to send the files into the site. IF you have been to any of the following concerts over the course of their North American tour please email the files to Switchfootbootlegs.com
2.15.07 Medford, OR 3.22.07 New Orleans, LA 3.28.07 Tuscon, AZ 3.29.07 Ventura, CA 3.30.07 Los Angeles, CA 3.31.07 San Diego, CA
If you have uploaded any of these show and switchfootbootlegs.com is simply extremely behind, then I apologize. If you haven't uploaded these bootlegs and you have them, then it would be greatly appreciated if you would.
If you need any help or information about how to upload the files please email be at CJG6990@aol.com and I will be more than happy to offer assistance.
I hope everyone had a happy Easter! (Or if you don't celebrate Easter, then happy April 8th).
Hello all. My apologies for posting so late today. It was a busy Saturday, and family comes before switchFeed. I know you all miss Phil, but I'm trying here, so just hang tight; he'll be back soon.
First up today, a short article mentioning Jon's involvement in The Freedom Project, a benefit supporting the International Justice Mission (a human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, and slavery). This is probably old news for some of you, and if so, count this as a reminder. To read more about The Freedom Project, check out thegluenetwork.com , and to read more about the International Justice Mission, visit ijm.org
I also happened upon a review of Oh! Gravity. Hey, haven't seen one of those in a while, have we! I've never seen this one before, and maybe that's because I stopped reading them after a while, but hopefully this is new to most of you as well. Anyway, Dean from The Morning Star seems to think that the album doesn't get creative until Amateur Lovers...But he does have enough insight to peg it as "a diverse recording that is strong on ideas, sounds and moods." Alright Dean, I'll agree with you there.
Happy Good Friday to all! I actually don't know if that's what's supposed to be said, but I figured I'd at least acknowledge it. In any case, since we've been on a little bit of a slow pace with the MOTW's, we're gonna pick up the pace with a band that I absolutely love, and I've heard the Switchfoot guys dig too. So let's dive into 'Intervention' by Arcade Fire.
After a very successful debut, Funeral, Arcade Fire returned to the scene with their follow-up, Neon Bible, which in my opinion is even better than the first. The single for that album is 'Intervention' which is probably my favorite track on the album (which is hard because all the tracks are just so darn good). I love the way the song starts with church organs fading in, with the acoustic guitar following not too far behind. It starts off with some amount of energy, but goes up a notch when the drums kick in after the first verse and chorus.
Win Butler's vocals are what make this song amazing (and of course the lyrics). He conveys such an amount of passion no matter if he's singing in his head or chest voice. And the backup vocals that kick in in the third verse are absolutely gorgeous. Instrumentally, everything is in its perfect place, and to add to that, the lyrics are so powerful that it makes you wonder twice about what it is that you're really doing.
The protagonist in this song is a person that's so badly beaten in life that they don't even know where to turn. Right from the start, Butler establishes that things aren't going well - king taking back the throne; they're cutting off the phone. Turns out the protagonist was "fighting as a soldier on their side". Their, as established in the chorus, represents the church, one of the leading symbols of religion in North America (these guys are Canadian). The song is, in fact, a social commentary on the ideas that religion has placed in the minds of people, and how power in religious institutions is grossly misused.
There's so much that I have seen, especially over the last several years, that helps me identify with this song in more ways than one. I've seen lives ruined by religion, I've seen religious leaders claim their power over the weak and the helpless, and then I've seen those people abandoned by what they thought was the good in humanity. All of this coming from what most people would consider the sanctuary of humanity: religion. But do we stop to think if it's religion that supposed to help man? Is it a set of rules or something more?
"Who's gonna throw the very first stone?" asks Butler, a question that Jesus himself had posed to the pharisees back in the day, demanding that he without sin cast the first stone. Unfortunately, those in the grips of religion find themselves crossing the line to throw that stone, ignoring the plank in their own eye. "Been working for the church while my family dies" is what Butler wants to hear the soldier sing; he wants to hear him confess after having denied it so long. The third chorus, however, is what makes this song truly worth it:
Working for the church while your life falls apart, Been singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart, Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home, Hear the solider groan, "We'll go at it alone"...
It's kind of hard not to go off on this considering it's Easter weekend, but I'm going to resist a page long entry on that chorus. But I will say this much: think before you do; I've seen religious zealots do some pretty stupid things without really thinking. But I believe that's not what life is about. "Love, above all" is what the Bible teaches - love expressed through grace, mercy, forgiveness, humility... And that's why I love this song: it points to the inadequacies of religion through a story, while expressing that everything worth living for is found in a home... not a house, but a home, where love prevails above all.
I could go on for pages, but I'll just let you get to the song. You can take it for what it's worth, enjoy it, argue that I got it totally wrong, etc. But at the very least, think before you do. And I really hope that wasn't too heavy for anyone. If it was... don't think about it too much. :p
Full Lyrics: The king's taken back the throne, The useless seed is sown, When they say they're cutting off the phone, I tell 'em you're not home.
No place to hide, You were fighting as a soldier on their side, You're still a soldier in your mind, Though nothing's on the line.
You say it's money that we need, As if we're only mouths to feed, I know no matter what you say, There's some debts you'll never pay.
Working for the Church while your family dies, You take what they give you and you keep it inside, Ever spark of friendship and love will die without a home, Hear the solider groan, "We'll go at it alone".
I can taste the fear, Lift me up and take me out of here, Don't wanna fight, don't wanna die, Just wanna hear you cry.
Who's gonna throw the very first stone? Oh! Who's gonna reset the bone? Walking with your head in a sling, Wanna hear the solider sing:
"Been working for the Church while my family dies, Your little baby sister's gonna lose her mind, Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home," Hear the soldier groan "We'll go at it alone.
I can taste your fear, It's gonna lift you up and take you out of here, And the bone shall never heal, I care not if you kneel.
Can't find you now, But they're gonna get the money back somehow, And when you finally disappear, They'll just say you were never here,
Working for the church while your life falls apart, Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart, Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home, Hear the solider groan, "We'll go at it alone," Hear the solider groan, "We'll go at it alone."
Installment #3 of the Etc. lyrics series. The words of high-school-Jon deciphered by Rose and me. We figured out most of them...I think. If you're a newer reader and aren't sure what's going on in this post, refer to Phil's first Etc. post.
I’ve been the one up on the wall I’ve been the one that’s looking down Been the one to push you off I’ve been the one whose been knocked down I’ve been the one whose looking back up at the wall I’ve been the one whose all alone I’ve built my wall then walked away Got nothing to prove to you, sir Got nothing to prove to you, sir And you’re not the only person To give me revelation that I’m not the perfect person don’t fit your expectations I’m just trying to live Just trying to be just who I am I won’t say that I can’t fall ‘cause I know that I can And I got nothing to prove Got nothing to prove to you ‘cause I’m not the one I’m not the one to save you When it’s only me It’s only me It’s only nothing that you can't do Got nothing to prove to you Got nothing to prove to you Don’t judge me yet Don’t judge now Don’t judge me by the things I say All the stupid things I do Don’t judge me yet Don’t judge me now Don’t judge me by the clothes I wear Or my personality You're gonna have to step inside There’s so much more to me There’s so much more to me And I got nothing to prove Got nothing to prove to you ‘cause I’m not the to who save you When it’s only me It’s only me It’s only nothing that you can't do Got nothing to prove And I can’t justify my existence based on reactions And persistence Just sit around and fall And hit brick walls Brick walls Yeah [50-second instrumental ending...woo]
Happy April 4th, everybody! I feel like it should be somebody's birthday...Anyway, here's what we have for today:
Thanks to James N who posted on the boards about Switchfoot's picture on the cover of Musician's Friend:
This is what Andy was talking about in the 2.15 Medford entry of the Daily Foot:
today started out with going over to the headquarters for 'musician's friend' to get a photo taken for the cover of their new catalog. the set up was to make it look like the guys were in a hotel room or backstage area working on a new song with a little multitrack machine. it was funny because instead of just making it look like they were working on a song, the guys fired the thing up and made one! i don't think it amounted to much, but hey, they tried.
Kat (katty_4 from the boards) has informed us that the iloverock.ca contest interviews and winners are posted finally, so you can go watch them! I like Jon's idea of duct-taping books together and sneaking them into Chad's luggage, just so he could bring more than 3. I mean, limiting yourself to only 3 books? Preposterous.
(And, the San Diego Daily Foot entry has been posted, as most of you already found out).
Behold, a video taken by Vicky at the Columbia show of Let That Be Enough. I think it's pretty neat, since I haven't seen Tim on the keys in a long time. Thanks, Vicky!
Also, resident Indie Music Master, Arpit, posted a link to his flickr account with some very view-worthy shots of the Ventura show. for example:
Nice, huh? Yeah, go check 'em out.
And of course, today is the birthday of our favorite shredder, Andrew Shirley. Happy Birthday, Drew! April's a good month ;)
Today = 1 video of Betrayal + 1 interview mention.
Video (thanks to Rose for finding it) :
and here's an interview with Relient K containing a small Switchfoot mention.
aaaand that was a really lame post because I was gone all day. It's my birthday, so I got to be popular and have no time for sitting down. (I know some of you may have thought my birthday was March 24th, but Phil was either conphused or misinphormed when he told you that...and I just never corrected him). Plus there just wasn't much to post about. Hey, it's not my fault that Switchfoot didn't do anything interesting today (good point, Rose).
And so, 2 Timless shows, 1 Jon-mask, 3 string players, 6 substitute bassists, 26 sold-out shows, 1 nasty spill, and 1 string of rope lights later, we have reached the end of the Oh! Gravity. 2007 USA/Canada Spring Tour. No, that was not a run-on sentence. Go check your English textbooks. Next up is the April mini-tour, and summer festivals. (Do these people ever rest??)
Rose, who is quite frankly an awesome person whom you should all meet, found this video from her show in Austin, TX. If you look closely, you will see a.) Jon kicking Romey, and b.) Drew shoving Romey. Stop bugging the guy - he's trying to multi-task! Still though, it's violently hilarious. And if I've learned anything from observing my brothers, it's that violence is just another way of showing love...
Vicky just created a Facebook group for switchFeed. So if you like to face books (or book faces), go join us! (Yep. I got conned into the position of officery. And I don't know if that's even a word...Just kidding Vicky! I rather like the idea of "Officer Gellie.")
Gigi (graceishighandlow from the boards) takes really good pictures. She also goes to Switchfoot shows. Put those two things together, and you get really good pictures of switchfoot shows taken by Gigi. I haven't looked at them all yet, but the Houston ones are stellar. So I recommend taking a look.
That's it for today, amigos.
(Oh, and since it's Aprils Fools' Day, I hope each of you played an elaborate prank on someone else, because I did not. And my day was definitely lacking. I would hate for you all to have experienced such a lackluster day as I.)
