Good Art

Switchfoot announced this week on their website that their next album would in fact be four albums and would be releases over a period of time.  80+ songs are said to be coming from the band.  This follows their decision not to re-up with their record label and follow in the footsteps of Radiohead into the world of independence.

Last year Radiohead released their album “In Rainbows” from their website and set a “pay what you want” price for it.  You could literally purchase the album for 1 cent or 1 million dollars.  Later the album was released in cd format and on iTunes via a distribution deal with ATO records, a label that Dave Matthews is involved with.

The pay what you want format didn’t seem to hurt In Rainbows.  Late in 2008 the album had already hit triple platinum status, released as the #1 album on iTunes, and had sold just over 1 million physical cd’s indicated well over 2 million digital albums had been purchased.  They also later released individual stems or tracks for each instrument for the song Nude so that fans could make their own remixes of the song.

Now, I’m pretty sure none of this creativity or freedom would have been explored within the confines of a recording contract.  We can only hope Switchfoot takes the same kind of liberties, freedoms, and risks with their first shot at the indie release.

Like Radiohead they also have a distribution deal through ATO.  The dying record labels only mean new life for artists and fans and new excitement around the art of making music.  We’re waiting to be moved by art again, not industry made robots.  Burn.

MuteMath does is so well.
MUTEMATH - Spotlight

It’s nice when churches don’t take themselves too seriously.

It’s nice when bands don’t take themselves too seriously.

I’m not sure about you, but Christmas absolutely slayed me this year.  After the Let It Be Christmas run and our regular weekend schedule and 6 Christmas Eve services I was done.  I think I’m just now recovering from it.

I did take the weekend after Christmas off and I hear it was pretty much awesome.  We did the first, that I can remember, Family service where there was an element in the service for every age group.  Darth Vader even showed up.  Not sure what age group that was for.  I think the 30 somethings.  We had kids on stage singing, two teaching pastors, and from what I hear this wasn’t the longest service in the history of the world.  That’s pretty impressive.  Here’s the pics to prove my ramblings.  Thanks to everyone who worked really hard so I could sleep for three days straight.

Band - Chris Puchi, Sean Lueders, Scott Thornburgh, Josh Sherman, Andrew Sutherland, Ray Simpson, Noah Ice

Tech - Bill Terrill, Ralph Cahn, Ryan Sudol, Gary Schuller

Community Christian’s new musical “Let It Be Christmas” opens tonight at the Yellow Box in Naperville and runs through Sunday night.  The rehearsals have been fantastic and I promise you won’t be dissapointed if you brave the weather tonight and come to the show.  Tickets are free and I’m pretty sure you can get in even if you don’t have one.  Make sure you get there early though to get a seat.  I think most of our campuses totally ran out of tickets.  See you there.

Fallapalooza came and went last friday night and early returns say it was pretty much awesome.  The gymnatorium was absolutely packed with people by the time the curtain opened.  We ran out of chairs and some of the audience had to start pulling in seats from the cafe.  If you didn’t make it, you missed it, but here’s a quick recap for you.

Music

Yellow Box - I Love Trash - Originally Oscar the Grouch, but covered by Aerosmith

Montgomery - I’m With You - Avril Lavigne

Plainfield - Falling Slowly/It’s Not My Time - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova/3 Doors Down respectivley

Shorewood - The Scientist - Coldplay

Pilsen - Santo Poderoso - I have no idea, ask Sam Menesses

Romeoville - Forgive Me - Group 1 Crew

Downtown - Lose My Soul - Tobymac

Arts Directors - Viva La Vida/Coldplay and Bohemian 3C Rhapsody/Freddie Mercury-Eric Bramlett

Videos

Burger King Of Kings

Group With No Name

Blue Mime Group

Frosted Wisdom Wheats

Lies Are Stranger Than Fiction

Timmy & The Professor

My Baggage

The night also featured an amazing improv bit by Eric and Elic Bramlett where Eric just could not figure out that he loved to squeeze his socks.

Big props to the Arts Directors and the campus bands for doing such an amazing job, the video team for another incredible year of videos, Tony Germann for pulling it all together, and to Eric for being the monkey.  Below are some blurry pictures for your enjoyment.  Let’s do this again next year.