Rock & Worship Roadshow 2010

The other night I scored serious cool points with the Nomad Kiddos. I gave in to their begging and pleading to attend the Rock & Worship Roadshow 2010. :)Sidewalk Prophets opened the show, and they were great. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I didn't recognize their name, but I did know their music. I so enjoy their song " Words I Would Say."Next was Remedy Drive, with their hit "Daylight". They are one of The General's favorite bands. He has indoctrinated Bubby into their greatest fans club. It was so fun to see my boys rockin' out in concert, to a song they have played no less than a billion times at home. (No, I'm not exaggerating.)

Fee took the stage next. They sounded great, although I have to admit we didn't see as much of them as I would have liked. There are no intermissions, just quick breaks in between acts. After noshing on a half bag of Kettle Korn, and a 16 oz. bottle of pink lemonade, Bubby needed to make a rest stop. You may not see it, but I do believe this may have put me in the running for Mommy of the Year 2010!

After our pit stop, we were treated to the beautiful voice of Francesca Battistelli. You might recognize her big hit, "Free to be Me." She was very sweet, introducing her aunt in the audience. We all laughed when her aunt held up a sign that read, "Franny, call your mom."

I think Bubby really enjoyed Francesca. He asked for my cell phone, then proceeded to wave it in the air. Bubby, age four, official christian rock concert groupie. I'm so proud. Really, I am.

Family Force Five was up next. They were very AC/DCish, and not a favorite of mine. Some people really enjoy heavy metal, so this was definitely the portion of the show for them. I sent Mr. Nomad a text saying, "David, save me. . ." I'm too old for headbanging. In their defense, they did say if you didn't want to dance, you should go get a corn dog or something. I'll take the dog next time. ;)

The David Crowder Band did indeed save me! Oh my! I have to admit, I love to listen to music, but I'm not a HUGE fan. HUGE fans like The General, Princess and Mr. Nomad know all about their favorite musicians. What they look like, where they are touring, their hometowns, and how they came to be a band. Real music fans can pick out songs by just hearing the intro. You get the picture.

Any who, I am familiar with The David Crowder Band, but I had never "seen" them. So when they took the stage Mr. Crowder's appearance surprised me. He had a crazy fro, with a lumber jack shirt, and preppy square black glasses. He looked like he just walked off the streets of my beloved Olympia, WA. Meaning, he was very eclectic. Which is not a bad thing, just not the image that I had in my head. Do you ever have those experiences? You hear a voice, create a picture, and then when you meet the voice in person it just doesn't jive?

Now don't get bent out of shape. Before you think I'm shallow and unkind, know this. . .Mr. Crowder even made a joke about he and his drummer's beards fitting right into the Pacific Northwest look.
Enough about the look. Let's talk music. Again, OH MY! The David Crowder Band ROCKED THE HOUSE! They played the favorites, but also some fun crowd songs. My favorite was when they had the whole Tacoma Dome singing, "I'll Fly Away." My kiddos were surprised and impressed that I knew the words. Shhh, don't tell them it is a really old song. Let's keep it between us. You know, I am campaigning hard for that Mother of the Year 2010 title.

Just when we were having such a great time, and you think it can't get better. . .MercyMe took the stage! Okay, that may be a stretch. We've been blessed to have seen MercyMe in concert before. I knew they could rise to the occasion, and they did not disappoint.

I'm telling you this, I am smitten with their whole new "The Generous Mr. Lovewell" theme. The look (see above) is cool. The message is even better. Bart, the lead singer told the story of their brainstorming session. They discussed how we struggle to be kind to our neighbor. We neglect to know the guy across the street, so when he needs help we may not even realize it. We also fail to turn the other cheek when someone is rude or unkind. In a nutshell, they are challenging everyone to LOVEWELL! Love it!

As I sit typing this little synopsis of our evening, it is a bit bittersweet. Bitter, because Mr. Nomad had been looking forward to this concert for months. Unfortunately, he is off on another Air Force adventure. Bummer. (I'm not complaining, I feel beyond blessed he was able to be with us for Christmas and 2 birthdays. A luxury we do not take for granted.) Sweet, because I love sharing experiences like this with my children. I'm so grateful there are great Christian musicians out there providing awesome entertainment for our family. How wonderful to be able to take my entire family, and never once worry about foul language, unkind words or immodest dress.

Now the icing on this delectable cake? When we were walking up to the entrance a very nice gentleman stopped us, asking if we were a family. Since I didn't know what he was getting at, I briefly thought "What a goof ball. Of course we are a family. What crazy woman would pick up 3 kids--one just 4 years old, and bring them to a rock concert?" So I answered in a confused voice, "Yes, why???" The gent handed me 4 admission tickets, and said, "Thanks for bringing your family tonight!"

I think that generous act of kindness really sums up the reason for this tour. MercyMe is trying to make their music ministry available to the masses. The quote I loved went something like this, "We don't just want to be Christians who simply use our talents to entertain alone. We want to inspire others to serve Christ." MercyMe and several other Christian artists work closely with Compassion International, and many other wonderful charities to help those less fortunate. If you are interested in learning more about this charity, check it out here. If you are interested in learning more about the tour, check it our here.

I hope some of you are able to see it when it comes to a city near you.

AND, hey, if you happen to talk to any Nomad Kiddos. . .a vote for Tami would be greatly appreciated!