Just an initial explanation: RTB = Rock the Boat. RK = Relient K. I like to keep my titles short, so acronyms serve me well.
So as I was saying...Mp3's. If you saw Switchfoot's performance of Rock The Boat, either live or online (streamed by Hollywoodjesus.com), perhaps you wanted mp3's of the songs. Well, our good buddy, Job, made some for you! (If you didn't get to see the concert, they are still streaming it through June 30th...which I just realized is really soon. So if you want to watch it, go sign up here!) Since the online streaming cut out a few songs, there are only mp3's of:
1. Stars 2. Oh! Gravity. 3. Gone 4. This Is Your Life 5. American Dream 6. Shout-Outs 7. Dare You to Move 8. Evan Almighty Song 9. Meant to Live 10. Send-Off
Click here to download the zip file from Rapidshare. If that doesn't work, he also put it up on esnips. Thanks, Job!
And now unfortunately I have some bad news. Relient K, friends of Switchfoot and upcoming fall tour buddies, apparently had a fire on their tour bus yesterday. As this article mentions, instruments, merch, laptops and more were lost in the fire. Definitely not cool. Please keep the band in your thoughts or prayers. Hopefully something good will come of the situation.
Today in Shirleysburg Pennsylvania, the Creation East festival took place as scheduled. Switchfoot attended the event and most likely rocked out as scheduled. Thanks to our friend Luke (photographer extraordinaire), we already have some news about the events that took place before the concert, complete with a few snazzy pictures. Luke had this to say about the press conference:
Just got back from the press conference. Some of the questions posed by the media were "What does it mean to be a Christian band?", "What song has impacted your fans the most over the years?" , "How are you involved in missions?" , "What future plans do you have for the Bro-Am?" , and mine was "In which market have you faced more persecution? The secular, or the Christian?"
Jon's answer to my question was really convicting. He started talking about the weight of the word "persecution" and how the band hasn't faced anything near what Christians in Nepal, or Indonesia have. He also said that sometimes people's negative words and negative comments about their faith "smart"/[hurt]
Tim's answer to the question of which song is most impacting was "Dare You to Move" and that upon finishing it, they all knew they had really created something powerful. Jon said that sometimes it still can move him to tears, and that he's glad it got a second chance (on the Beautiful Letdown)
Here's a sample of Luke's soundcheck photos. This one's my favorite because I'm not quite sure what Chad's head is doing on the ground.
To see Luke's other pics from before the set, visit his Flickr page. Thanks so much, Luke!
Hopefully more news soon on the outcome of Creation East.
Backtracking to previous festivals, LOBH has put up some great interviews that were recorded at the Alive festival. Jon talks about relationships, magical song-writing, grocers, turtles, oblivious rockstars, and lots of serious stuff, too. Check 'em out: Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3 Clip 4
Thanks, Megan and LOBH.
That's all, folks!
P.S. Word on the street is, the Awakening video has made it to over 1 million views on Youtube! Alright, Footsoldiers!
If you've been enjoying the music of the 'Foot for many years, these will bring you back. If not, you'll still enjoy these. So without further ado, here are 2 Live Nation interviews with Jon and Tim from right after the completion of Learning To Breathe. Thanks, Aki! Video 1 Video 2
...Aaaand our friend Aki also found an "old" (old = 2000) interview with Drew (yup, Drew Shirley) and one of his All Together Separate bandmates (who likes golf). Check. it. out. HERE.
Hello everybody! We apologize for the lack of postage recently (postage meaning the existence of blog-posts - nothing to do with the mail system...although if we're somehow responsible for any lack of postage stamps, I guess we apologize for that too). Phil is out of town and has little to no internet access, so I get to manage the postage (non-mail-related) this week.
First up, another little bit about the Ichthus festival on June 16th. The same blogger whose interviews were featured here previously has posted another short article about Switchfoot and Relient K. Read it here. He also has a nice photo gallery from the festival, in which you can see pics of the guys, other artists, and the day's events.
Also along the lines of summer festivals, Switchfoot recently performed at the Alive festival in Ohio (which Andy informed us of in the Daily Foot). I found a partial video of Only Hope from that night, and although the quality isn't the best, I thought it was worth sharing:
Lastly, a fellow Myspacer informed me of the fact that Jon is featured in a Sanctus Real podcast. Sure enough, the last 30 seconds or so of episode 2 shows Jon playing a bit of Betrayal at the GMA Awards. Thanks, Alex.
We've kept putting off updates on the "Awakening" video for some reason, but good news: the video is still going strong at #1 on the FUSE countdown. Since we've embedded the votebox on the switchfeed.com page, you guys have found it easy to consistently vote - a steady source of support for the FUSE countdown... thanks! So we thought maybe it's time we gave some attention to the video on VH1's Top 20 Countdown. While the video isn't on the countdown yet, we could together help get it up there by voting for it as a wildcard here. doitdoitdoit
One of our readers, Job, an example of someone who's been relentless in supporting the past few singles, has started a new blog in support of "Awakening": check it out. As a fellow fan, it's inspiring to me - let his example remind us to support the song/video in every way we can. Thanks, Job.
So it's nothing new for people to point accusing fingers at or be disappointed in Switchfoot. Many folks with good intentions and firm convictions simply misunderstand their approach. This blog is just one of many examples.
Where I take an issue...and where you and I can take an issue in our own lives...is that I've seen situations where Switchfoot has actively avoided being associated with Christian groups and that raises a question about their level of faith and their commitment to being a part of God's family. Just because you want to make an impact in the world doesn't mean you turn your back on the church or its people.
What is new, though, is seeing the same person reach an understanding of the band, and apologize to them up front. After apparently having a conversation with Chad, the same writer posted a second blog for the day, admitting that he was wrong to jump to conclusions.
Today, I'm asking the forgiveness of Chad Butler of Switchfoot for my blog today where I questioned the motivation of the band and if their hearts were really in the same place as years ago.
The reason? I talked to Chad today and a lot of issues were discussed.
Let's hear it for integrity.
If you weren't able to watch the streaming of the Rock The Boat concert provided by HollywoodJesus.com, you're in luck - they're extending the showing until June 30th. So go here and sign up to see a great performance!
The site also posted an interview that they conducted with Romey, Jon, Drew and Chad. The link hasn't worked the past few times I tried it, but fortunately a cool myspacer named james quoted the interview in a blog he wrote. As usual, Switchfoot has plenty of insightful words to offer.
The following Jon-quote from the interview, which is currently posted on the HollywoodJesus.com front page, is totally quoteworthy:
if you believe in a transcendent God, suddenly you can find yourself worshiping to Radiohead, because you feel that there's truth in that music as well.
Lastly, two videos from a couple of our YouTube friends, gzusdrvn and kblast. Thanks, guys. The first one is a backstage moment from "Rock the Boat", and the second is a "backstage" view of Switchfoot performing at that Apple Store recently.
Alright people, I know you missed me. Vicky and Faye decided that harassing me in regards to the MOTW would get me to post again. Well, it worked, ladies, so great job! :D
This week's artist will be introducing a lot of you to a genre you might not have heard of before: Shoegazer. Now, some people hate categorizing music, but I'm very anal about my collection that currently showcases 123 genres (no joke)! So now you must be wondering (at least some of you): what is shoegazer? Well, this genre of music got its name because the artists would use so many pedals that their eyes focused mostly on the pedals, shoegazing. Aaaah!
The band's name is Dirty On Purpose, and the song is 'No Radio' from their very successful debut, Hallelujah Sirens. How successful? They were nominated for Best Indie Rock album at the Plug Independent Music Awards this year. What do I like about them? First of all, their sound is so volumetric that it in itself is an experience. The near-falsetto voices and the beautiful harmonies do wonders too. And to add to that, the lyrics are perfect for anyone that enjoys driving or riding in cars:
You fell asleep, You drifted off, And left me all alone, No radio, No radio, Just dashboard glow...
I don't know about you, but I have moments where I love turning off the music, turning the air low, and just enjoying the sounds of the car. Or when I'm driving with a friend and though there are no words, there's this unspoken bond or acceptance that everything is okay, that in that moment the silence speaks more than words could express. In those moments, it's hard not to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of life, and I love how wonderfully this song expresses that.
The chorus, in addition to the verses, conveys this picture of the journey of life that, though vague, does well to express what life is about. We'll go to new places physically, emotionally, spiritually. There are places we never will visit no matter how much we would want to. We will be of assistance to someone, as will others to us. And some things, we'll just have to loosen our grasp and let go of. Beautiful in its simplicity, like I said.
So there you have it: a new band, a new song, a new genre. I think I did well for my first week back on the job. What do you think?
Full lyrics: The sun came up, The sun came up, And we left home.
You packed your bags, Said your goodbyes, We hit the road.
No radio, No radio, Just one good friend.
Our eyes collide, You look away, You know that this will end.
There are places we've never been before, There are places we'll never know, There are times, when you'll need to help someone, There are times you'll need to let go.
The sun went down, The sun went down, We headed home.
You fell asleep, You drifted off, And left me all alone.
No radio, No radio, Just dashboard glow.
I'll visit you, I say that now, But no one knows.
There are places we've never been before, There are places we'll never know, There are times, when you'll need to help someone, There are times you'll need to let go.
...Mr. and Mrs. Fontamillas were in a hospital room. Over the past 9 months, Mrs. Fontamillas would hear weird noises coming from her belly. She thought it was something digestive, but we know better. Especially on days they went to church early and happened to be around the rehearsing worship band, there would be much rhythmic movement in her belly, and the weird noises would escalate. And, much to their intrigue, the noises would complement the music. Fast forward many months... and she was about to give birth. This was to be a big moment, as history would go on to prove. The baby emerged, and to the utter astonishment of everyone around, he was born wearing shades. What could this mean? How could it be possible? But then again, such questions would go on to be the hallmark of baby Jerome's life. Little Jerome once took his uncle's guitar, which was bigger than him, and somehow began banging out an "experimental" riff. At his uncle's quizzical face, Jerome uttered his very first words: "I like NOISE", with a scary emphasis on the word 'noise'. His uncle had learned not to be too surprised by a baby who was born wearing shades, but this was a little ominous. A few years later when his parents bought Jerome his first piano, no sooner than he played the first few notes, he began hitting the keys with a baseball bat, and soon climbed atop the piano and began jumping on it. He got grounded. But wasn't discouraged. Because it's been decades since that day that baby was born, yet he still continues to astonish. People often ask me, how does he do that? Is that even possible? Is he a guitarist or a keyboardist or a backup vocalist or a life-coach or just WHAT?! I never know what to say except, "I don't know man, it's Jerome...."
Happy birthday, Romey. We love you. Have an awesome day/year. (And I hope you were very touched by all that cheese I made up.)
Good news everybody: the Daily Foot is back for the summer festivals! Andy started us out with an entry about the guys' performance this past Saturday in Kentucky. As always, a few quality shots of the event accompany his writing.
Thanks, Mr. Barron!
Also concerning the Ichthus Festival, a Kentucky blogger posted a small review of Switchfoot's set, along with a two-part interview he conducted with the band. You can hear them at his blog, or click here: PART 1, PART 2. Try not to be too distracted by all the background noise - the guys have some good stuff to say.
That's all for this one, folks. Have a good (rest of the) day!
Hola amigos, happy father's day. We're sitting here in an airport in Cincinatti, flying home for a few days, and I've just had a shocking revelation: 10 years ago to the date, our debut album "The Legend Of Chin" was released. 10 years is a long time. Wow, still letting that sink in. For those of you who've never heard our first record, we've uploaded one of our favorites from that album to our myspace to commemorate the occasion.
I'm so thankful to be in a band with my best friends, and so thankful for all of the people that have supported our music over the years, and given us a floor to sleep on. June 17, 1997 -- the release date of our first record -- came just 4 days after I graduated High School. We celebrated with a CD release concert just down the street from our house at a little theater named La Paloma. Then we headed across the street for an afterparty at the coffee shop that I worked at, 25 East E (now extinct, like many other fine independant coffee houses). One of our favorite local bands, Lamont (also now extinct), played in the corner as we enjoyed a surreal evening surrounded by friends, dreaming about our upcoming first tour -- a scrappy 2-week run of shows in Europe. Fast forward 10 years... we've shared more memories than I could ever recount. We've laughed, cried, hurled, and lived through many near-death experiences. We've driven to Canada on accident. We've slept on the streets of London. We've watched the sun set on 7 continents. We've seen the sun refuse to quit in Alaska. We've been cheered, and we've had things thrown at us. We've been welcomed by some, and misunderstood by others. We've felt the joy new life, and we've shared the sting of death and loss. Simply put, we've been through everything together. I've heard it said that faith is remembering. It's moments of reflection such as this that I'm reminded of just how small we are, that we are merely a short sentence in the midst a much bigger story still being written. And I am also reminded of God's faithfulness. Thank you Jesus, my sweet Lord. You have been so good to me. I remember, and I am humbled. -tim
A fan-written essay based on the 'Oh! Gravity.' bonus track "Revenge".Disclaimers & Notes: (a) The following argumentative essay on the Switchfoot song "Revenge" comprises my thoughts and opinions, not necessarily Switchfoot's. The band has had no involvement whatsoever in the writing of this essay, nor have I talked to them about the song, nor did they read it until it was posted here. (b) Some of the ideas expressed in the essay below were shared by me (username: born2xl) at songmeanings.net (just so you don't think I stole it off of there.) (c) While reading, it might help to know, that I have tried not to assume anything about you, the reader, while writing this - whether about you being a Switchfoot fan, or a Christian, as the essay was attempted in a style that would hopefully appeal to people of all backgrounds. Because of this, some parts may seem too introductory to some people. (d) I respect the fact that my readers are from various religious and non-religious backgrounds, and it is not my intention to impose my beliefs on anyone. This is NOT an evangelistic work. This only aims to be an honest work, for anyone who likes to read a (hopefully) well-argued essay. (e) A preview to this essay was posted in January '07, click here to read it. (f) Art is often best left unexplained. While I appreciate that, writing is therapeutic for me, and I had so many thoughts on this song that I decided to organize it into an essay, for those who wish to read it at their own risk. I would hate to ruin the song (or the beauty of it's abstractness) for you in any way, by nailing it down to a specific meaning. (g) Far from being a theologian, I'm just a young student of life. If you feel like my theology is flawed, I would love to discuss it with you. In any case, I would love your feedback (by email or in the comments section of this post). (h) This particular post is intended as free information; if you like it, please feel free to share it anywhere (I would be honored), as long as there's no changes to the content whatsoever, and there's a link back to this page, and it's credited to the effect of "by Philemon Thomas (switchfeed@gmail.com)". (i) To read previous posts in this column, click here. Thanks for reading. --
Introduction: The New Revenge
Why does it bother us so greatly when someone who doesn't deserve to be wronged is wronged anyway? When he slaps you on your face, why is your basic impulse to turn his cheek a bright red in return? I think when Christ instructed his followers to show the other cheek[i], what’s more relevant than whether or not he actually expects us to do that, is that he was hinting at a great truth. I believe He was teaching us a higher form of revenge that He later epitomized with His death at the cross: a revenge that absorbs. A revenge that steals away rage. A godly revenge: where, by absorbing sin, and thereby nullifying it, you are exacting revenge not against the guy who slapped you, but against the hate in him which made him do it in the first place. You kill that evil (true revenge), rather than multiply it with a slap of your own (foolish revenge). “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”[ii] That instruction from Christ was a brief look into the deep-impact psychology of the Kingdom of God, that is baffling at times in how it characteristically turns common sense upside-down (“How can someone’s death on a cross save me?!”), yet amazing in its genius when you pause to think about it.
Coming back to the question at hand, why do we feel the urge to have that daughter’s rapist condemned to death, to have that wrongdoer brought to justice? When bad things happen to good people, why does that discrepancy bother us? I believe it’s because, deep inside, we feel an innate need for justice to be met, and when we rarely see that happening, or when our pride is hurt, we become short-sighted and are pushed to take matters into our own hands; and, in the process, while we may achieve an earthly standard (mostly an illusion) of justice, we understandably fail at achieving the higher, pure, complete justice (or ‘revenge’)—Kingdom justice, if you might—on our own strength. If we’d succeeded at forgiveness, mercy, grace, humility and such, our world would be a much better place, but the tit-for-tat justice-system of this world we instead resort to, instead of alleviating our problems, often multiplies them. Which is why I believe we need help. Someone Else who can accomplish a perfect, permanent revenge for us, someone who can settle the scores for us, on our behalf—for the wrongs we’ve committed and for those committed unto us—on a path to redemption.
A case for morality and retribution
Our aforementioned desire for justice reflects an innate sense of right and wrong, of good and bad. This urge for revenge, I believe, is proof against the postmodern contention that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are merely ideas created by society: you don't seek revenge except because you think justice is good, or because it makes you feel good—just like no one seeks injustice or wrong purely because they delight in the idea of badness in and of itself, but because they have something they think is good to gain from it, whether it’s the pleasure or the loot. This reveals an inbuilt, involuntary ability to decide between ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’—even if only through our subjective understanding (or lack thereof) of them—making a compelling case for such value judgments.
When there's ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, it only follows that there be a reward system, as incentive to seek right over wrong. For 6 billion free wills to coexist in harmony, screw-ups need to be paid for. So, a perfectly just God's (if He may not seem so right now, look at His justice as a process that will one day be completed and revealed to all) universe was created with the principle that we are responsible for our actions – that goodness would be rewarded, and the opposite should have consequences. Keeping with His just character, He wisely decided retribution would be necessary (unless we were all perfect beings).
The weight of a world seeking revenge
Now, we may originally have been perfect, as beings created by a perfect God (in His own image), but something went wrong somewhere. According to the Bible, it was Adam & Eve’s disobedience because of which we exist as imperfect beings in an imperfect world, where we enter the world bringing pain—that of childbirth—and leave it with the same, i.e. suffering and death: all terrible things that Adam and Eve would never have had to endure, had they obeyed God’s instructions to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge.[iii]Their disobedience brought death, labor pain, AIDS and all kinds of entropy into the world as consequence, when they could have lived forever in a perfect world with each other and God. For some of us, all that is myth—fair enough—while some others view it as fact, but there’s one thing we can all testify to: that the world is in a fallen state, crying out for redemption, for a savior. That not everything is hunky dory—the very reason why most people question the existence of a perfect-by-definition God. As Dan Haseltine laments, “If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep. / While I lay, I'd dream we're better, scales were gone and faces lighter, / [But] when we wake we hate our brother, we still move to hurt each other…”[iv] Can all this wrongness be avenged, and the world be brought back to perfection again? St. Paul once said, taking our tsunamis and natural disasters into consideration as well, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves … groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”[v]Can this groan-filled period of perennial “revenge” (curse and consequence avenging sin) end? Can it be paid for, once and for all? Can we have a new world order?
Witnessed by those who later recorded the event, God’s selfless genius set out to answer those questions, through this ‘higher form of revenge’ I’d mentioned above: if His instruction to turn the other cheek was a footnote, then this would be the book; if that the trailer, then this the movie; that a hint, this everything He ever hinted at. Allow me to elaborate, using Jon Foreman’s (lead singer of Switchfoot) song “Revenge”, which I believe masterfully tells the story of how this ‘godly revenge’ was executed, through a murder. A story that he or his bandmates didn’t feel like putting a price tag on [click here for a free download of the song on the band’s website]. Maybe they felt the story was priceless. Maybe because it’s a story about the greatest free gift ever. “About a specific murder,” said Jon once, while introducing the song.[vi]
The Song: identifying the speakers, and a pattern
As I set out to dissect the lyrics of this song, to understand it (that experience inspired this essay, hence my academic focus on it), it was difficult to identify the speaker in the song. I think it’s pretty obvious, if you read the lyrics, that they indisputably refer to Christ’s crucifixion. Sometimes it seemed like it was from the perspective of the thief hung on the cross next to Christ (to whom He said “today you will be with me in paradise”[vii]), at other times I wondered if it was Jon’s voice, while some lines, though it seemed a stretch, sounded like it could be Christ’s. As I chewed the cud some more, I found holes in each of those arguments, and stopped looking for one voice, realizing that it needn’t have just one speaker, but may be a cocktail of multiple voices. Like in a movie, where the director captures the subject through different lenses—the subject in this case being the image of Christ hung up on the cross. But to be reasonably sure that this was the effect Jon was trying to achieve, I needed to find a pattern, some kind of structure in the song. And find a pattern I did: with a new character in the fray – the Roman soldier whose conversion experience at the foot of the cross brings to mind the line “that’s when the irony hit me, [that] this was revenge”.[viii] All three voices in the song—the thief, the soldier, Jon—were hearts that were forever changed by the experience of witnessing Him hanging on the cross. The first two were the only ones in the Bible who experienced such revelation through being physically present at the crucifixion of Christ (pattern, anyone?), while Jon, admittedly a believer, represents everyone that can bring themselves to visualizing and appreciating the magnitude of what was taking place on that hillock some 2000 years ago. The speakers of the first six stanzas of the song also revealed a looping pattern: thief-soldier-Jon-thief-soldier-Jon. The last stanza, while somewhat continuing the pattern by leaning towards the thief’s voice (the words “Think of me, Lord” allude to the thief's plea, “Remember me, Lord”, in the biblical account of the crucifixion[ix]), seemed to blend all the voices, for a fitting conclusion that voices the cry of many hearts, not just the thief's. Over the next three sub-headings, I will attempt to substantiate my claim that the aforementioned speakers are the main voices in this impressive work of poetry.
The Song: the “thief” stanzas
I'm the failure, I'm everyone's fool And I'm losing my cool at the end I'm the loser, my number's come up I've been hung up with thoughts of revenge Revenge, revenge (stanza 1)
I watched heaven dying today And I'm gonna die here tonight I'm a villain, I deserve to be dead I've been hung up for wrecking my life Revenge, revenge (stanza 4)
The first stanza opens the song with clever subtlety, by making it hard to distinguish whether it’s Jon’s voice or the speaker is someone else—which helps artfully ease us into the story. It seems like it could be the voice of humanity: we, “the church of … the failures and the fools”[x], the soldiers who hung Him up, the thieves who made His death necessary. But, on a closer look at the song’s structure, and the lines “my number’s come up / I’ve been hung up with thoughts of revenge”, I felt I could safely assume the speaker is the thief, more than anyone else – the more repentant of the two thieves hung on crosses next to Christ’s for their crimes, the one who swallowed his pride, admitting that it was he who screwed up, aware that he was “losing [his] cool at the end”, rather than just losing it without pause and taking his bitterness out on the innocent Jesus who was hanging next to him, like the other thief did. In the fourth stanza (quoted above, which I’ve also identified as the thief’s voice), the lines “I’m a villain, I deserve to be dead / I’ve been hung up for wrecking my life”, seem to paraphrase the repentant thief’s words in the gospel account, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.”[xi]
The Song: the “soldier” stanzas
I watched you from my terminal view As you struggled to rise to your end I laughed hard at the insults we threw As the weight of the world found revenge Revenge, revenge (stanza 2)
So I stopped for a moment To look at the sun (or Son) Die in the day That's when the irony hit me This was revenge That love had descended And stolen our pain away (stanza 5)
The Roman soldier watched Christ being persecuted and led to his death, from his “terminal” view, i.e. his limited view – his point of view that lacked understanding of what was going on, or of who Christ was. As the soldier watched Christ “struggle to rise to [his] end” (after falling down when trying to carry the heavy cross amidst flogging, I would imagine), and as he “laughed hard at the insults [they] threw”, “the weight of the world found revenge.” You see, the weight of a world made heavy by its sins, was seeking revenge. All the bad deeds ever done were crying out for justice, the wrongs were crying to be righted. The voice of a murdered Abel's blood was “screaming to [God] from the ground.”[xii]But Abel's (and every other victimized person’s) vengeance was met in the most unexpected yet effective way – through someone else who led Himself to the slaughterhouse, to take upon Himself the punishment that was due to the murderers.
But, at the foot of the cross, as the spear that pierced Christ's belly brought forth gushing water, the soldier “stopped for a moment”. The gospel accounts say, when the Son (of God) breathed his last breath, the sun darkened at noon, and an earthquake broke open tombs, bringing many dead people back to life[xiii] – nature revolted while observing the brutal murder of its Maker, and the power of death was loosened, as if to hint at Christ's resurrection which was soon to come. The irony of it all may have struck the Roman soldier when he looked at the darkened sun, or when he looked at the Son, or both—Jon seems to intentionally play with these homophones—as he exclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”[xiv] But wait a minute; what’s the irony in any of this? [We would be in a better position to approach the answer to this question, the heart of this essay, after exploring the “Jon” stanzas below.]
The Song: the “Jon” stanzas
The world hung upside down I drew first blood I drew first blood With my hate for a crown I drew first blood I drew first blood, revenge (stanza 3)
We consumed heaven's Son And I drew first blood I drew first blood And my hate was undone I drew first blood I drew first blood, revenge (stanza 6)
In the above confessional stanzas, Jon points the finger at himself, rather than the Romans or the Jews or at thieves and soldiers who have killed way more people than Jon would ever as much as touch to harm. When I think of “the world hung upside down”, I can’t help but be reminded of that scene in the Passion of the Christ, where, after being cruelly flogged, Jesus was dragged along the ground by his arms, his body frontside-up and his head hanging upside-down, with the camera capturing the giddy, bloody-eyed view through Christ’s eyes. His world hung upside-down, and I drew first blood. With my hate for His crown (mine and humankind’s rebellion against God), I was necessitating His crucifixion. I necessitate His death, and metaphorically nail Him to that cross every day, because I’m not a good person. A far cry from His perfection, as I still live in my fallen flesh, in a fallen world. (Although we’re redeemed by faith, a complete, physical redemption of things is yet to come.) None of us are holy enough to have a relationship with a perfectly holy God, and we cannot achieve that holiness by our own strength, thanks to the corrupted bodies we're born with, and the corrupted world we're born into. But by His grace, and through His death, which wipes out my wrongs, God counts me as if I were good.[xv] Not only did Christ take up our sins so He was seen as if He were a sinner, but through His sacrifice, we can now take up Christ's holiness so we're seen as if we're as holy as Him. It's like we wear “Christ-masks”, because of which we can now have a relationship with a holy God even when we lead less-than-holy lives. “My hate was undone,” and gets undone still, when all the shit in me was nailed to that cross, and gets nailed to it still. “We consumed heaven’s son”, while He let Himself be consumed – a once-and-for-all sacrifice for all sins.
The Beautiful Irony…
Here's a story How a thief had been robbed How a murder had stolen my rage Think of me, Lord I'm a few breaths away As my lungs finally rip from the cage Revenge (stanza 7)
The reason for his brutal death wasn’t, as straightforward thinking (and the previous paragraph) might suggest, merely mankind’s “hate for a crown” (hate for authority/God), or merely some innate thirst for blood to atone for what we had no idea about, but it was God exacting His revenge on the sins of the world, ironically, by sacrificing Himself. In a way, we weren’t really the vengeful ones in the picture; instead, we were the ones who “drew first blood”, who caused the offence in the first place – and God was the one taking revenge, by shedding His own blood to pay for our act of drawing first blood – by paying for original sin (Adam & Eve’s), as well as all the sins mankind ever committed or will commit. He took revenge by hurting Himself, not us (the ones who actually deserved it). And this is the amazing irony, in how it was an act of revenge, yet, at the same time, an act of selfless love. Never have revenge or justice met in such perfect harmony with mercy, love or grace, as at the Cross. His “love had descended and stolen our pain away” – it wasn’t His pain, it was ours, but He stole it. He “tricked” or outsmarted the mathematical (one for one, tit for tat) system that justice is, to defeat it’s power over us: by cleverly stealing away the punishment that was due to us, while at the same time meeting the requirements of this justice-system, by taking the punishment upon Himself. His “murder had stolen my rage”. This was a story of “how a thief [on the cross] had been robbed.” By God.
Jon has said the theme of their album “Oh! Gravity.” is the rarely-asked question “why do good things happen to bad people?” (not the oft-asked “why do bad things happen to good people?”)—a question they have also raised in explicit relation to the idea of grace, when discussing the previous album “Nothing Is Sound”.[xvi] Evidently, he was pondering this mystery: how could such grace, such goodness, such love and selflessness from our Maker, be meted out to undeserving, “bad” people like us? In another Switchfoot song, Jon wonders, “Is this fiction, or divine comedy? Hope has given Himself to the worst … Where the last of the last finish first.”[xvii]This ‘amazing grace’, this unmerited favor, is the very heart of the Christian faith.
Conclusion: Have hatred and gravity won?
In conclusion, I think it’s fitting to consider the only line in the song “Revenge” that doesn’t fit into the stanza structure laid out above: “have hatred and gravity won?” Since the line is made to stand out in the song’s structure (and it’s not the bridge, but between stanzas 2 and 3), Jon might have intended the line to have extra importance. Interestingly, when explaining their song “Oh! Gravity.”, Jon referred to gravity as the force that binds everything, and said he was asking gravity why we couldn’t keep our relationships—our social world—together, like it kept our physical world together.[xviii] In this sense, “hatred” and “gravity” are opposite ideas – one pulls apart, while the other binds. So, in light of the “Revenge” story, where other similarly opposing ideas like justice, mercy, revenge and love meet, I think Jon might be asking, “have hatred and gravity both won?” At the cross, in a way, they both did win, but briefly. The haters spat and killed and split the spoils, and love still descended. Love didn't take the hatred away, but absorbed it, paid for it, and then overlooked it because it was paid for – it was no longer messing up the equation. Just like even though we're sinners (i.e. hatred's victory), God now looks upon us as if we're holy, only because He paid for it (i.e. gravity's victory or essence now taken beyond just the physical world, through His death.) Though hatred and gravity seemed to have “won” temporarily at the cross, it was, in the end, gravity's (or God’s) victory, because Christ rose from the dead and thereby undid the work of hate, besides defeating death. The importance of this may have been best captured by Jaroslav Pelikan, right before he died, when he uttered the powerful sentiment, “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen – nothing else matters.”[xix]That question, “have hatred and gravity won?”, and it's answer, I believe, summarizes this story, in a nutshell. The mystery of it, in a line.
Celebrating the risen Christ who overcame death and sin, many Christians sing Dr. Watts' old hymn on Sunday mornings:
Blood has a voice to pierce the skies: 'Revenge!' the blood of Abel cries; But the dear stream when Christ was slain Speaks peace as loud from ev'ry vein.
Though the blood of Christ speaks peace from every vein, it is only because it afforded that peace by accomplishing the greatest act of revenge ever – the very revenge that Abel’s murdered blood cried for. The very revenge that you and I cry for when we’re wronged. When He died, His last words weren’t “I am finished”, but “it is finished”[xx]. “It” was a mission, the very reason He stripped Himself of His right to remain in His comforts as God, and came down to earth to be one among us, to save us vermins who, in our ignorance, spat on our Maker and cruelly put Him to death. But He was in control all the while, executing a selfless masterplan, becoming The Way by which we may be saved from what we truly deserve. And His name is Love.
Upset that you weren't there to see the "Rock The Boat" performance, i.e. the "Evan Almighty" premiere at which Switchfoot played? Well, there's hope. A lot of it. "It will be shown every day for a week, beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, but only on the Gospel Music Channel." And what if you don't have the Gospel Music Channel? No problem. HollywoodJesus.com will be streaming the concert online, this Saturday (16th), at 6pm PST / 9PM EST - for FREE! For more details, click here. (they say spots are limited, so sign up quick!)
We've heard great things about "Rock the Boat", as well as the Apple Store performance. While a review and more media are in the works, here's some pictures and videos to tide you over...
The Switchfoot guys looking all studly on the green carpet... Thanks, Coralee.
Mr. New-Hairdo all happy to be on the giant screen... Thanks, blue_distinction.
Jamie Tworkowski, TWLOHA dude, and writer extraordinaire, mentioned Jon in his newest blog (go read the whole thing, it's really good):
As for a new hat, who knows. Jon always says "You have to live in a place that matters" and it's true. Maybe SD, with it's trains and waves and simple small downtowns. Jon and all his songs, Dustin just north with dozens more.
Magda C. emailed us with this great bit of info:
A couple of days ago Molly Jenson was opening for Jonatha Brooke at the Coach House in San Juan. She wrote a little review after the show, including this: "My friend Carly Layne was sweet enough to document the evening with a video and she even interviewed me after the show.(...) AND, my friend Jon Foreman also came out for the evening and we played a new song that we finished a couple hours before the show. Everyone loves a new song! There's a snippet of it on the video. Check it out HERE."
Thanks, Magda.
Jason McGouldrick, a freelance writer and Switchfoot fan, asked us if he could transcribe the video interview we did with Tim at bro-am. Of course, we said yes - check out the interview in written form.Thanks, Jason.
Yes, I was decidedly vague in the previous post, about just how short exactly Chad's new haircut is, because it's fun to see some people panic about these things. (Apologies for being just a little sadistic like that. :P) Anyway, here's a shot of his Letdown-era-revisiting hairdo, as requested by many of you (courtesy Susie):
Now are you able to breathe easy? tehe. Have a great day ya'll,
PS: a little disclaimer, in response to a couple comments - That "verse" I quoted at the end of the previous post isn't an actual Bible verse - I made that up. (didn't think it necessary to make that clear when I posted it, as it'd be pretty ridiculous if salvation depended on the length of your hair, ha. Apologies if I had you wondering.)
One of our readers, Nicole, told us about how at a recent show, the venue was trying to charge extra money from underage fans. So Switchfoot argued with them, against this injustice, for the fans, and got their way. The show started a little late because of this. Where did they pick up such a for-the-people attitude? Maybe the following story shared by the band "Gratitude" will give us a clue... Thanks, Amber/lobh.
"Gratitude for Switchfoot" On the way to town last year, Gratitude's van broke down in a Ralphs parking lot about 30 miles from their show at Mira Mesa's Epicentre.
"An axle had broken on our trailer, or something odd and unfixable," says the band's former singer, Jonah Matranga. "It was a show that had been booked very last-minute, and we knew we'd be back to San Diego soon, so there was a strong argument for just canceling, but...it just seemed stupid to not make it there, being so close."
Then, a "clean-cut suburban dad sort of guy" approached them and asked if they were in a band.
"If you've been on tour a lot, especially in Middle America at some awful restaurant at 4 a.m., with the staff and clientele looking at you like you're aliens, you know that this is the most boring, annoying question ever," Matranga says. "But this guy seemed nice. We started chatting, and then came the next-most-annoying tour thing: 'Yeah, my boys are in a band, too.'... Inevitably, one of us asks, 'What band?' . . .
KROSS 100.3 did a podcast with a Switchfoot interview. Good stuff. Listen at their MySpace.
Jason Mraz, who performed at Bro-Am '07, did a clever shout-out to Switchfoot (and the Bro-Am), on his MySpace blog:
So I've been Bro-ing out like crazy with all my crazy Bros.
Bro-ing Out: Hanging with good friends and Brofessionals, making regular trips to the Brocery Store, night after night of healthy home grown Bromance, taking Bro-bitussin, the band Switchfoot, etc.
Someone on YouTube uploaded a video of Jon performing "Somebody's Baby" - probably my favorite unreleased Jon song - at Montreal, in 3 parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. The audio quality is much better than the video we posted (with lyrics) a while back.
So I've saved the most important newsbit for the end. [note sarcasm] Chad cut his hair. Yep, 'tis true. A blast from the past. I can already imagine the endless discussion this is gonna provoke. Of course. Because we've all read the verse, "by thine hair, thou shalt be saved". Ask Samson. ...God, save Chad from the Philistines. And return him the strength to drum.
Hello friends. It's your Switchfoot blog host Phil, with today's dose of kerosene and electric sparks. An acoustic version, that is.
Jill, my buddy who runs Ears to Hear, a lovely little indie-music podcast (she also helps with our "mp3 of the week" column over at switchfeed.com), has been somehow deluded into thinking I'm famous, and that I should be interviewed. So, when she suggested the idea, it sounded like fun and I went all "let's do it!" Then I realized she was being serious, and half an hour later I was on the phone giving an interview! Besides being unprepared, I was excited and nervous (which tends to make me ramble-y). Anyway, check out the interview if you like listening to some guy share his blog's story in a weird accent. But, much less boring, she plays "Burn Out Bright (acoustic)" on the show - the track that's exclusive to those who buy "Oh! Gravity." from Best Buy, which is where I bought my copy from. AMAZING acoustic rendition. I think I like it better than the album version, but maybe that's just me. So head over to Ears to Hear and check out the podcast - I've shared some blogthings I haven't shared in public before (listen to the whole thing - great music, especially the 'Future of Forestry' track after the interview). iRecommend: subscribe to Ears to Hear on iTunes.
I wanted to thank those of you who've been a great support from the inception of this blog, after "burn out bright" played, but then Jill didn't put me on the show after that! boo. Thanks Jill, for being so awesome. And all of you, for reading these words I type.
PS 1: If anyone has special blog-designing skills (Wordpress or something) and lots of time, please email me, I could probably use your help for a couple upcoming projects. Including any links to blogs you've designed would be helpful.
PS 2: Some of you have complained that since the blog went official, you haven't got to see much of my writings/ramblings - just Switchfoot news. While I'm touched that you'd miss those posts, I apologize - it's just a phase, promise. I shall be back to my writing ways soon. Meanwhile, if you'd let me shamelessly plug something I wrote yesterday, visit this extremely insightful thread on the lp boards. So much fun to explore questions like what separates good art from not-so-good art? What are the criteria by which we make such judgements?
PS 3: Many of you love the band "Mute Math" (they've toured with Switchfoot in the recent past, and are featured in a "conversation" on the current issue of lowercasepeople), so I thought I'd point out that they've scored the theme for the "Transformers" movie - listen at their MySpace.
Check out this unconventional concert review - a hilarious read. "Poor PCTim", you made my day. Totes! Thanks, Caroline.
Specially liked this part:
People there from little kids, to scene kids, to adults and even older people. Funny.
Testimony to Switchfoot's uniquely diverse fanbase.
One of our talented readers, Jess, made this drawing that will have many of you aww-ing:
Switchfoot will be playing at an Apple Store on 3rd Street Promenade at Santa Monica, for FREE, between 7 and 8pm, next Tuesday. You wouldn't wanna miss that, if you live nearby.
"Awakening" is still #1 on FUSE's "Guilty Pleasures" countdown! great job voting, folks. Click here to vote to keep us there! (hinthint: been looking for the right page to set as your homepage?)
If anyone has been wondering why your comment or friend request on the Switchfoot MySpace hasn't been approved since early May, we apologize: you will be seeing these things moderated sooner from now on. ;)
Anyone here like talking about the "bigger things"? Seeking the intersection of beauty and truth? Exploring art, words, justice or music? Feel free to join us in our discussions at the lowercase people boards, or even start up new threads. In all it's seriousness, it's a fun place.
"Planet X Action", a TV program I'm guessing, did a great little documentary on the recent bro-am, complete with a touching moment where Tim and a Care House kid were caught unawares on tape. Watch:
MOTW #16: Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - Quiet as a Mouse
Hey all! It's Jill again this week with a song that I'm very excited to share with you, because it comes from one of my favorite bands of all time. Margot & the Nuclear So and So's have been together for less than three years, and they have only released one record, but the quality of their musicianship and lyrics, combined with the excellent production of their album, create an impression of maturity and cohesiveness that one wouldn't expect from a relatively new band. Because of the fact that Margot has eight members, and because of the great variety of instruments they use (guitar, cello, lap steel, trumpet, melodica, etc.), you might assume that their music would be a dreary, chaotic mess. On the contrary, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's manage to combine their instruments in such a way that their music is easy, and even pleasant, to listen to. Their debut full-length album, The Dust of Retreat, has a lovely mix of slow, acoustic tracks and jaunty, upbeat songs, with a surprising variety of musical styles represented throughout the album.
The track I have for you today, "Quiet As a Mouse", is probably the closest thing on the record to a full-blown rock song. But while this song (unlike most others on the album) has its share of traditional distorted guitars, I love it for the various musical transformations that it goes through. The song's quiet, almost moody beginning changes flawlessly into a chorus of pure, unadulterated indie rock before (surprise!) turning into a jazz song. As if that wasn't enough, all of these styles then combine at the end of the track to create this beautiful combination of melodic bass lines, rhythmic guitars, trumpets, strings, and masterfully played drums that completely blows your standard rock song out of the water.
I guess a discussion of this track wouldn't be complete without mentioning the vocals and lyrics. In spite of all the intensity of the vocals (especially during the chorus), lead singer Richard Edwards' voice maintains a dreamy quality that adds an extra layer of emotional appeal to the track. I also love the lyrics of this song, because they are both well-crafted and honest. The verses paint pictures of stark reality and the emotions that accompany it, both joy and pain. As the story unfolds and changes, a sense of urgency becomes apparent through the simple, yet powerful chorus:
Wake up, you've got a lot of things to do. Wake up, the sun is rising without you.
These are the type of lyrics that everyone needs to hear at some point, and when you combine them with Margot's musical maturity, you end up with a track that is both accessible and relevant (not to mention beautiful and slightly addicting). If you like this song, I encourage you to head over to their MySpace and listen to "Skeleton Key". It is also amazing. Enjoy!!
Tourists rob you of your home In sunken boats. And you can hide quiet as a mouse But they'll find you out. And she asked me, "Why have you felt So down and out? You can stay with me at my house."
When I woke my back was broke from lying on the floor. Sunlight poured through all the cracks in my front door.
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do. Wake up the sun is rising without you.
Tourists robbed me of my child; They smoked him out. He was draft dodging some war Till they found him out. And he came home late in the night to his mom and me. And he said, "Times they gotta change, But so do we."
When I woke I was alive in somebody's room. I felt life and love and hope infested my bones.
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do. Wake up the sun is rising without you.
When I woke my body was dyin' and my woman had flown. I felt apathy and hate infested my bones.
Wake up you've got a lot of things to do. Wake up the sun is rising without you.
Enlisting the help of a few friends who did a fabulous job (especially Cookie and Alex), I had the pleasure of putting together this nearly 10-minute long, fan-produced video of an interview with Tim Foreman (exclusively for the 'Feed), from the recent bro-am. We used a lot of the questions you boardies submitted. We love how it turned out, and are super-excited for you to check it out! Without further ado, here you go:
In a week or two, we'll put the video up for downloading. We just want people to watch it on YouTube for now, and link to it, embed it, all that good stuff - hopefully give it some chart-exposure on YouTube, ya know? Thanks!
Also, Cookie, whose voice you heard asking questions in the video, has uploaded her pictures from the show to her photobucket, and she's written a report of her experience at the bro-am, for you guys, so check that out. (and thus ends our last--and my favorite--post on the 2007 bro-am. of course, Andy's pictures will soon be linked to.)
Cookie's Bro-Am Report:
How ironic for a fuel spill to have happened in this world, the very day before the Bro-Am 3 surf competition, in the exact same spot where it was to have been held. A coincidence? A blessing? I guess we’ll never know. What I do know is the 3rd annual Switchfoot Bro-Am, this year benefitting Care House, a local children’s charity, took place there at Moonlight Beach June 2 and what a special and fun day it was.
The morning started off with my sister’s computer crashing, which is where all the questions for the interview were. (I knew there was a reason I couldn’t stop looking at her computer as I lay in bed right next to it the night before the event, wondering if I should have pulled them out then.) Thanks to Lori for asking the front desk at the motel she was staying at for the use of their only computer, my heart was able to relax.
We ventured down to the beach at about 8am to help set up. With an unfortunate fuel spill cancelling the surf competition part of Bro-Am, the event continued... along with the quickly added dodgeball competition. The dodgeball competition began shortly after 10 am, consisting of the surfers and participants from the cancelled surf competition, as well as some of the kids from Care House. The hilarious helmets that were to have been used for the surf jousting later that day, quickly found a place on the heads of the team leader in each of the dodgeball teams. Team Switchfoot (which consisted of Jon, Tim, Chad and Tom Curren) won their first round against Macbeth but lost the second round to Jedidiah. Congrats to AKA/loserkids.com which took home surfboards as their trophies as the winner in the dodgeball competition. Great job to those who played. Many spectators got hit but all in all, getting hit was less of a worry with just the excitement of watching and the fun of it all.
The concert began at 11am and lasted until 5 or so with performances by Alex Woodard, This Holiday Life, Tom Curren, kids from Care House, Reeve Oliver, The Jade Shader, Escalera, Jason Mraz, Jon Foreman solo with celloist and appearance by Sean and Sarah Watkins of Nickel Creek and Switchfoot. An encore which consisted of most of the performers came back for one last song, “Surf Wax America” by Weezer. The very talented Drew was the emcee for the event, introducing the bands, Care House kids, raffling off prizes throughout the day and what not. One of my favorites was the surf rack which he said weren’t antlers but that could also be used as a clothes hanger. For some reason I chuckled throughout the day about that everytime it entered my mind. Only Drew. And Jerome. No he wasn’t an emcee and didn’t take part in the dodgeball competition but was there for support. I’m sure there is more to it than that. I know that each and every one of the guys had a special role that led up to this day, including the auction soiree which was held on Wed May 30. When I asked Tim how involved they were in putting this event together and if they had any specific roles, he said that they all had a part and eventually each person fell into a place to fulfill their roles, as in a band...you fall in to your roles for the instruments.
The kids from Care House are an incredible bunch of kids. It was nice to just sit and talk with some of them for a bit and get to know them. Care House Life Ministries is a non profit organization in San Diego County that assists needy and homeless children/teens. To learn more about Care House check out their website: www.carehouselife.org
The weather was overcast but nice. It was cloudy for most of the day with a peek of the sun here or there. But nothing to complain about.
It was take down time after 5 pm which seemed to go by faster than setting up.
After the beach, it was on to the Belly Up Tavern for more music and fun, which I was told was sold out. Performances by Alex Woodard, Tom Curren, Jason Mraz, Jon with Sean and Sarah of Nickel Creek and Switchfoot.
Between the auction, sponsors, vendors, a day at the beach and the afterparty, over $40,000 was raised for Care House. Many thanks to the sponsors, vendors, volunteers and the support to those who made this a huge success. I am so honored to have been a part of Bro-Am 3.
All in all, regardless about the unfortunate fuel spill, people were here for more than just the surf competition. They were here to help give back to the community, supporting a cause and with a smile on their face
It was nice meeting everyone before, during and after the event. Maybe next time I’ll meet more whom I haven’t yet, I am sure.
It’s going to be a tough follow for next year’s Bro-Am 4 with a surf competition? Surf jousting? Another dodgeball competition? We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for next year.
Here I go, feeding the buzz that began on the switchBoard back at switchFeed.com when one of our readers, Rinni, linked us to myspace.com/jonforeman. There's no official word on this yet, but I thought it was interesting enough to share. There's also some never-before-seen pictures at the myspace. Check it out, and add him.
I didn't think there might've been more pictures from that "The Switchfoots" photoshoot. But to my utter delight, the myspace contained the funniest thing I've seen all week. Hell yeah, even better than the dodgeball outfits.
Priceless, Mr. Jonyth Paltrow.
Transworld Surf magazine has posted the official bro-am report. People have asked how many were at the bro-am this time around. over 5000. Impressive. Read the whole thing here. There's a little picture gallery as well, with some shots by Andy Barron.
So all the bro-am posts so far have been highly focused on Jon, Tim and Chad (mostly 'cause Drew and Jerome didn't play dodgeball), so, while contemplating which pictures to pick from so many good ones in the albums submitted to us, I fell upon an idea. And so, this post is dedicated to Drew and Jerome. Especially Jerome. We love you, BROs.
Shawna Lea shared her bro-am photobucket with us (pictures of the afterparty start from page 10 onwards). Jason Mraz and Drew on the same stage, who woulda thunk...
Some pictures by Blake:
(see the rest here. he's got some really good shots.)
We also have some of JonnyUps' magic from the event:
(see full album here. some great shots. jonny's pro - and quite bro, as well.)
Reianna emailed us her bro-am album as well, so check that out if you haven't had your fill.
And now to end the post with some "awesome". Drew MC-ing (Part 1)...
Drew MC-ing (Part 2):
Those MC videos, and another dodgeball video, are brought to you by our friend Coralee Johnson. She also has a video of "Sorrow" from the aftershow, though you can't see much. So we've knocked down most of the pins, and we have just one more bro-am post to go. Thought I'd try and do justice to 90% of the band this time around, since so far the other 10% have got most of the media coverage, ya know? (people need to get their math straightened out!) Thanks to all who contributed. Can't wait to share the upcoming interview with ya'll! peace,
Okay, so maybe that title was lame, but what can I do but try. :P Alright the media Andy provides us with may not have the expanse of the andromeda galaxy but how 'bout we say it comes close. He's already got us a 2-min clip (made also for the press), as a quick re-cap of the bro-am. and this DOESN'T mean we won't have a podcast in a few days - be on the lookout for that. yes, more funnies to come, friends.
He also sent me a picture he took, to share with you blog-faithfuls. I think, if the event were to be summed up by one picture, it might be this (click image to open in full-size):
More pictures to come, saith the man. That was merely a glimpse.
I don't know if any of you have wondered if the guys' niceness is for real. Maybe they do it to sell records? Ya know, build a good reputation and all that? Well, read what someone had to say about Tim in his Jr. High days, much before Switchfoot happened...
This isn't the first time a school chum has become a huge rock star. I was in band and some other classes with Tim Foreman from Switchfoot in Jr. High. He was probably one of the only "cool kids" who was nice to me during those dark, dark years. So I'm really happy for him.
How's that for testimony.
Speaking of Tim, he wrote in with a quick recap of bro-am:
day was amazing.
over $40k raised for care house (that's net! after expenses!)
correction: we did not win the dodgeball tourney. we only won our first round, then lost in the quarterfinals to Jedediah. AKA won the dodgeball event.
afterparty at bellyup was a huge success, sold out. performances by Jason Mraz (full band with horn section), Tom Curren, Alex Woodard, Jon with Sean and Sarah Watkins, and a few full-band songs by switchfoot to close out the night.
over 40,000 - that's nuts. Thanks to everyone who came out and helped make a difference!
There's more videos of TV interviews with the guys from bro-am weekend. Here's one on KUSI Thanks, Coralee., and here's one from NBC Thanks, Lauren (aka concretegirl2).
One of our readers, Shawna Lea, wrote a review of her Bro-am experience. Check it out. Here's another blog entry on the event, this one's full of pictures and heart failures.
Also, some videos from the concert part of the evening:
Ah, all this bro-am stuff seems like it's gonna take up a couple more posts. There's so much great stuff I'm yet to share, but just taking it a little slow - don't wanna be responsible for no Switchfoot-diarrhoea better to space these things out and digest well, yes?
Hello there, cyber-friends. In a couple days we'll have you a bro-am report with exclusive media and an interview the guys did for you blog-readers. But while that's in the works, here's some goodness our Canadian friend Katrina Dick (who flew all the way to SD) brought back from the event, to tide you over...
Ticket to San Diego = $350. Ticket to Bro-am = free. Getting to see Chad's tribal dance = priceless.
For another, shorter bro-ball clip, click here. And here's a clip of many of the artists together performing Weezer's "Surf Wax America". Thanks Katrina, for all the above. Also, here's another treat, watch Jason Mraz perform at the event. Thanks, bennyek.
Courtesy landofbrokenhearts.org, we have footage and lyrics of the newest unreleased Jon song (the real seanjon, I'd bet, as it's yet another murder song. Beyond excited about this collaboration.) "The Story of a Man Named Pride". For those signed up with eSnips (or willing to), they've also made an MP3 download of it available. Lyrics deciphered at LOBH's lyrics page. Thanks, LOBH.
(LOBH had also put out a recording of another unreleased song they call "Ten Years" that Jon performed at a recent acoustic set. We've been putting off posting this because a friend was supposed to review the show for us and we wanted to tag the video/mp3 alongwith the review, but it hasn't happened yet.)
I stumbled by this old Reeve Oliver blog entry that has a couple Switchfoot mentions, as well as a picture of Jon lip-syncing at the shoot of the "Lonely Nation" video that never saw the light of day.
"Seriously the land leading out to the water looked like the moon(which by the way, we never landed, on according to jon foreman, more on that later)."
I didn't know that Jon, too, believes that man never walked on the moon. Yeah, I'm not sure we did, either. Google it up if you're curious. ;)
We'd posted a video of Tim on the CBS8 news channel, but we now have a video of Jon appearing on KUSI, speaking about dodgeball, etc. For those who like to download these things for posterity's sake, right click here and "save target as..." :)
That's it for now amigos, be excited about an exclusive interview with the guys, from bro-am, coming up soon. peace out.
UPDATE: I just spoke with Tim (who had to do some 30 interviews today, and got sunburned by the end of it, poor guy) and here's what we got... the Dodgeball tournament will have the same teams as before, but some of those teams will have some fresh faces thrown in - some celebrities. yep. Tom Curren, Timmy Curran, Jason Mraz, Chris from Foo Fighters, Dave from Angels and Airwaves... to name a few. Should make for some amazing photos. People are also bringing in costumes... short shorts, headbands, the whole Dodgeball deal. The oil-spill thing and the related news coverage (which inevitably covered the bro-am, too), besides being free publicity, has thrown up the bro-am as an avenue for the beach community to rally together amidst this unfortunate situation- and it's expected to be even more fun than we'd thought!
BREAKING NEWS: The surf contest will be replaced with a Dodgeball Tournament. That's right, grab your goggles, costumes, and anything interesting you can find and head out to Moonlight Beach for an intense competition. The game starts at 10am. Check out the Bro Am site for a message from the band, and any further updates.
Tim appeared on a San Diego news station, CBS8, this afternoon to speak about the spill and the event. This is what he had to say:
I think more people will come than ever because it's a great way for the community to kinda band together, not only for Care House, which is a great organization working with homeless kids in San Diego, that's the cause, but also now for Surf Rider which is constantly doing so much great work to protect our coastline.
Check out this blatant advertisement from Andy Barron (Switchfoot's camera dude) for what is probably one of the best times you'll ever have, and all for a good cause:
guys dont worry, all the concert and festivities are still going on, and they're trying to figure out the surfing part of it as we speak, so still come down! free concert!
Now that's good news! It's the guys' favorite day of the year, and I'm sure they're doing everything to save it.
It is with a heavy heart that I have to write in with the news that this year's Bro-Am surf competition stands cancelled, due to an oil spill. Read news report here.
The Switchfoot Bro-Am surf contest, which was scheduled at Moonlight Beach Saturday, has been canceled, said Encinitas Fire Division Chief Scott Henry. It is not known if a planned concert will go on.
I have no words to express my regret, whether I say that on behalf of the band to those who came out, or on behalf of the fans to the band, who've put their blood and sweat into this.
The article does say though, that it's still unknown if the concert will happen. Stay tuned, we will bring you an update on this, and any other details, as soon as we get word from the band.
This will have inconvenienced many friends who've traveled hundreds of miles to take part in the event, and I just have no words to express my regret. “This is the worst spill I've seen in my 27 years in Encinitas,” - what are the odds? I mean, THIS weekend! :(
