Mike King

Poison and Wine

The Civil Wars were the best concert I've seen this Spring.  They appeared Friday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  I love the lyrics to this song entitled, Poison and Wine.  So good.

Rock the Light comes to Youthfront Camp South

ROCK THE LIGHT UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

Contemporary Christian Music Festival Moves to New Location South of Kansas City

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After a decade at Starlight Theatre, the Rock the Light contemporary Christian music festival is under new management and moving to a new, more spacious location in 2010. The festival is now under the ownership of Wayne Seboa and Wes Campbell, who also own and manage the annual Sonshine Festival in Willmar, Minn.

 

Celebrating its 11^th year in 2010, Rock the Light will be held on the 660-acre Youthfront South camp site in LaCygne, Kan., about 60 minutes from downtown Kansas City on U.S. 69. The festival has also been expanded to three days.

 

Performers already confirmed for Rock the Light 2010 on Sept. 3-5 include Skillet, Newsboys, Leeland, Thousand Foot Krutch, Francesa Battistelli, Downhere, Superchick, Needtobreath, Seventh Day Slumber, Hearts of Saints and Worth Dying For. More artists are expected to be confirmed soon.

 

“Rock the Light was a highlight at Starlight every Labor Day weekend for the past 10 years,” said Denton Yockey, president and executive producer of the Starlight Theatre Association of Greater Kansas City, Inc. “Even though the festival is going in a new direction this year and in the future, we’re confident that the many fans of contemporary Christian music in Kansas City and throughout the Midwest will continue to enjoy a tremendous live entertainment experience at Rock the Light.”

 

New owners Seboa and Campbell are partnering with Youthfront, a Kansas City-based organization that has engaged in youth ministry since 1943. In addition, Chuck Tilley of Tilley Associates of Brentwood, Tenn., which helped Starlight create Rock the Light and has been involved in artist booking, marketing and on-site management for the festival’s first 10 years, is continuing with the new owners.

 

“We know that Rock the Light is a favorite summertime tradition for many families and young adults in Kansas City and throughout the Midwest, and we are confident the popularity of this music festival will continue to grow,” Seboa said. He added that Rock the Light’s new location will provide many exciting new activities for festival-goers including camping, swimming, canoeing and hiking.

 

For information on Rock the Light 2010, including artists, tickets and volunteer opportunities, visit www.rockthelight.com.

Amy Grant is back...

Ok, this post is published under risk of ridicule from many of my hipster friends.  I will admit that making a post about Amy Grant is pretty out of character for this blog.  I'm much more likely to comment on Sigur Ros or Coldplay and my iTune purchases are most often such performers as Lady Gaga, Paramore, Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver, etc.

But when I saw Amy Grant was releasing her first album (Somewhere Down the  Road) in seven years I thought I would check it out.  I listened to the previews of two songs on iTunes and ordered the whole album.  I know, I've only listened to the title track and "Better than Hallelujah" so the rest of the project could suck... not.

There is something about Amy's voice and song writing skills that gets to me.  I gotta say, I love Amy. 

Those of you, my friends, who think you are too cool for Amy Grant -- go hide in the closet with headphones on and check her out.

Go girl...

Bizmarks

On Tuesday night I attended the Release Party for the new Bizmarks self-titled CD project.  This was a great night with my friend Tim Bridgham and Katie Falk opening before the Bizmarks took the stage.  Aaron Mitchum wrote the lyrics and music for the new project.  Aaron was involved as a student in Youthfront and now serves on staff.  It has been so fulfilling watching Aaron develop as an artist, a leader, a youth worker, a budding theologian, a husband and a soon to be father.  Aaron has matured significantly over the last couple of years as an artist.  I really, really like this new project.  A couple other friends from my church also play in the band which is also a cool thing.  The only thing missing this night was Paige, Aaron's wife, who plays the violin but was in California.  Below are a few pictures from the Release Party.  I especially like the nice Youthfront product placement picture with Aaron.  Check out the CD on iTunes here.   

Do you have this yet?

Good Music

I seem to be on a good run of finding new, really good music.

Micah, my son, has recommended The Script, a three-member band from Dublin, Ireland.  Good songwriting, very catchy songs.  I bought their entire recently released project.  Most of the time I pick a song or two but this is worth buying the album.

Ian Cron recommended Estonian Composer Arvo Part and played me a couple of his pieces.  I’ve always loved classical music.  Part’s music is celestial.  Check out 7 Magnificat Antiphons: IV. O Schlussel Davids and Berliner Messe: VIII. Agnus Dei.

On a break during the Reclaiming Paul Conference Tim Bridgham and Micah Thomas were playing Max Richter.  I’m stricken by On the Nature of Daylight from his 2004 album The Blue Notebooks.  Here is the video from YouTube

NPR recently highlighted Adele and School of Seven Bells.  Adele is twenty years old and describes her musical style as “heartbroken soul.”  Even though Adele attended the famed BRIT School in Croydon, UK, it was her MySpace that actually catapulted her career to stardom.  Get Adele’s entire project 19, great stuff.  Her video Chasing Pavements is worth a watch - here.

I was telling Youthfront staff member Erik Leafblad about Kristen May, a friend and  student who was involved in Youthfront and has a band called Vedera.  I recently connected with Kristen and her husband Jason at Starbuck’s.  They are currently opening for The Fray on their current tour (I will come back to The Fray).  I watched Kristen sing publically one of her first times during a trip I led to Hungary and Romania.  She was really shy then, not anymore.  They play in KC on New Years so I hope to catch them.

OK, back to Erik.  Erik followed up my story about Kristen told me about his high school buddy Justin Vernon, who fronts the group Bon Iver.  Justin has a very unique voice and style.  Erik said to watch for him on Letterman, here it is  

Now, back to The Fray – their new song You Found Me pre-released ahead of the album is a great preview hopefully of more good music to come.

Finally, while I was hanging out with the Affeldt’s in Spokane before Christmas we exchanged several music interests.  Jeremy turned me on to Mat Kearney.  The Nothing Left to Lose album is all good.

So what have you discovered that you would like to pass on?
 

U2 Christmas Song

More Music Videos to Inspire

My post "New Favorite Group" has led to really considering "Are there other great groups out there which might vie for the distinction of this label?"  Thanks to Jim Newberry for hitting me with this multi-talented music/dance troupe...

My New Favorite Group...

I walked into Jacob's Well this afternoon and saw Deth Im and Tim Bridgham diggin' on some ground-breaking new edge music.  I'm instantly hooked and look forward to their appearance on Saturday Night Live this fall and hopefully a Sprint Center gig.

Sigur Ros

A few of us scurried away early from the Summer Institute to attend the Sigur Ros concert at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City.  My daughter, Jessica, and boyfriend Micah saved me a seat because Uptown is general admission.  The last time Sigur Ros came to Kansas City I wasn't there but I heard for weeks from the likes of Aaron Mitchum, Nick Pickrell, Tim Keel, Moe Didde, and many more how unbelievably awesome and other-worldly the music and performance of Sigur Ros was.  I decided I couldn't miss this show especially since the word on the street is that this band from Iceland were only doing a handful of US shows this year - Kansas City being one. 

Wow, they almost lived up the unrealistic expectation that had been created by my circle of friends.  This was an intriguing show.  I kept trying to compare the music of Sigur Ros to something that seemed familiar to me.  Halfway through the show, I made the connection with the similarities of this music with some Chinese Opera that I've heard.  Chinese Opera?  Well, I would say Chinese Opera set to a very contemporary and way cool world music.  The combination of string quartet, brass section, percussion varieties, and the antique foot pump organ, along with all the other instruments common with Sigur Ros added up to quite an amazing demonstration of musicality and showmanship.  I particularly loved lead singer Jonsi playing his electric guitar with a cello bow. 

Sigur Ros are legendary for 7 to 10 minute songs and even refused an appearance on the David Letterman show because they wouldn't live within a four minute time frame.  "Celebrities that have either attended sigur rós concerts or raved about them in the press include brad pitt, madonna, tom cruise, gillian anderson, jason lee, tommy lee, natalie portman, david bowie, björk, moby, and bands such as metallica, red hot chili peppers, bush, coldplay, foo fighters, rage against the machine, no doubt and radiohead."  Sigur Ros was great fun and very inspirational... don't miss them if they come near you.