Today is June 20th, and sources say that not very many years ago on this day, Jerome was born. So, Romey, this post is for you.
I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who would disagree with me when I say that you are one quality fellow. We know that you do about 8 different things at a time while on stage, but you also set a good example off-stage by being a laid-back, genuinely nice guy who loves his job, loves people, and is super easy to talk to. Your musical additions to the band keep things interesting and keep listeners on their toes, and your personality always adds some fun-loving humor to situations. Thanks for all you do, Romey, and (as cliche as it sounds), thanks for just being you. In the words of Chad,
"Jerome is the elder statesman of the group. He brings a wealth of experience, a broad vocaublary, a broad musical vocabulary, an up-to-the-minute finger on the pulse of technology - just that element of electronic mayhem. He's a "fountain of sound" -- that's how we refer to him in the band. He's always working on how to make these songs come alive, both in the studio and live. Personally, Jerome is the most encouraging and uplifting seasoned veteran in a band that i've ever met. For someone who's been on tour since he was 18, for as long as he has, he's absolutely unjaded, motivated, encouraging and absolutely a joy to be around."
No matter how "seasoned" you are, we're glad that you keep rockin' hard,
This past Saturday, the 4th annual Switchfoot Bro-Am took place on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA. The weather was wonderful, the surfing was sweet, the music was magnificent, and it raised approximately $60,000 for an outstanding organization called StandUp For Kids. Sounds like an amazing day, no? Yeah, for serious. Here's a brief re-cap by way of pictures.
First, people surfed:
(pics by Shawna)
Team lowercase people (that's Jon, Tim, and Chad's team) tried to rig the competition by putting 3x-world-champ Tom Curren on their team:
After the surfing competition ended, a few guys suited up to try some surf-jousting:
but it was short-lived:
(pics by Natasha)
Then, back on the stage, 14-yr-old Austin Burns made everyone's jaws drop with his rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" :
Switchfoot ambitiously followed such an impressive act, and rocked out as usual:
(pics by Lindsay)
(photo by Jaymi Britten)
They used an eco-friendly, solar-powered stage, but several amps gave out temporarily in the middle of Oh! Gravity. Jon attributed it to a passing cloud:
(photo by Rose)
When the day at the beach ended, they moved the party to the nearby Bellyup Tavern, and played some more music. This time there were additional performances by Sean and Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek fame),
John "Radar" Cooper (formerly of Switchfoot's merch table fame),
and Fiction Family (formerly of The Real SeanJon fame),
and then Switchfoot once again took the stage:
(all Bellyup photos by Lindsay)
Thus ended a spectacular day of music and community for the 4th year in a row...Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success! (and to everyone whose photos I snagged).
Jon Foreman's SUMMER EP is available to download NOW. If you have preordered already, click here to download your copy. If you haven't, you can purchase now here.
Also, you can still PREORDER the physical Spring/Summer CD, which is coming out June 24th. Click here for details.
A note from Jon...
"When the long, golden shadows of sunset stretch further and further. When our skin is dry and salty and brown and red. When the wind gently blows the sand along the pacific's edge, from the dead, brown lands into the bright blues."
This is the final season for the yearly journey I've been on. Summer, (for me) is bitter sweet; a season for cowboy prophets to mingle with mariachi bands over the dry grasses with just a hint of beach boy salt. These EP's have been an incredible ride for me and I've been overwhelmed by the folks who've decided to be a part of this. I've got a few things coming up, (vinyl, home-made merch. and such...) but for now the musical journey is coming to a close. I'm hoping to take a few friends out and spread these songs around sometime. Till then, thanks for being a part of these songs.
According to this article from paste magazine.com, Switchfoot will be involved in the upcoming film, "Call + Response: A Concert To End Slavery." This movie "uses music as a jumping-off point to explore the issue of human trafficking, calling attention to the millions of people living in some kind of bondage." This is an issue that most people don't realize is still just as real and present today as it has ever been. As Jon says in the article,
I think that's the thing that shocks me. Of course you expect this sort of thing to happen in the darker, less-controlled areas of the world, but it's happening here in the States. In my hometown, San Diego, there was just a big bust. It's the type of thing where I think there should be a public outrage, that we should all be very, very alarmed that [human trafficking] is happening in this day and age.
Another recent movie featuring the guys' music is the film "Walking On Water," which is about 2 kids who get the opportunity to travel the world and surf in some amazing locations. In the process they learn about other people around the world, and that there's more to life than just surfing.
I was able to see this movie the other night, and I really enjoyed it. It is put together very well, and is a great story - not to mention the good soundtrack and awesome surfing. Switchfoot's song "Awakening" is featured in the movie, and I have to say that hearing it set to high-quality surfing footage makes it sound even cooler.
To read more about the movie, watch the trailer, or find a screening near you, check out the official site.
Speaking of surfing, the Switchfoot Bro-Am Surfing Contest is coming up in less than a week (Saturday June 7th!), and SignOnSanDiego.com posted a short article about it.
It's easy to sign a check to support a charity and many successful touring bands do just that. The effort highlights a cause, generates good publicity and offers the added benefit of a tax write-off.
But Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman and his bandmates have another motive behind giving back. The North County-based rock group hosts a Bro-Am beach event every year because they like to switch places – as the band's surfing-move handle suggests.
One way to do that is to elevate a cause they believe in while extending a hands-on approach to helping.
