Good concerts, great friends, grand weekends
(I acknowledge, that's a cheezy title!)
I've been going through a concert dry spell. A drought if you will. Most of my favorite artists just don't get out to Colorado that often...maybe it's the distance, maybe it's my rotten luck of moving from a state at the exact moment said state discovers what great taste I have in music.
So imagine my delight, when I discovered that one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Andrew Peterson, was doing not one, but two concerts, but within 30 minutes of where I live. I invited two friends, one could go to the Friday show, the other to the Saturday show, so I made the sacrifice (ha) of going to both! And although the set lists were similar, the experiences were night and day!
Friday night, I met my friend Kristin for the show. She wasn't familiar with Andrew, but was excited about the show. As we drove to the show, a thick heavy snow fell, turning the lawns and fields white, and coating our eyelashes with ice.
As the show progressed, I kept sneaking glances at Kristin, and was thrilled by the wide smile that never left her face. After the show, she turned to me and said, with tears in her eyes, that the show had filled a hole-one that she didn't even know was there.
As we drove back to my car, we chatted, not about the concert, but about those deep emotions and thoughts the songs had brought to the surface. We pulled into the parking lot and kept talking, even as the snow blocked out the streetlights.
(As an aside, this was the only mistake of the evening. Because the drive home was horrible. And I thought I was going to die. And I almost called my mom and reminded her of the song I want played at my funeral...which just so happens to be an Andrew Peterson song!)
The concert Saturday was entirely different for me. Before the show, I headed to a park near the venue, and hiked for a few hours. As I wandered the trails, I did a lot of prayer and reflecting on some things God's been teaching me lately. By the time I got to the concert, I felt pretty raw, emotionally. My friend who was going to the show with me had ended up having to work, so I sat there alone before the show began, sorting through thoughts, chatting with some people I met at the show.
And when the show began, my softened heart felt the words of each song. Songs that I had heard a thousand times before had me on the edge of my chair. Words and prayers and music all rattled around inside of my head. A lump formed in my throat. Hot tears brimmed under my eyelids. Truth, inspired by God, delivered through a man, spoken from a stage, filled my heart until it was fairly bursting.
I chatted with Andrew and the Captains Courageous after the show, and it was nice to see familiar faces from the past. They were kind and gracious as usual, and as I drove home, I thanked God for the way He had gifted Andrew, Ben and Andy...and that they had each chosen to glorify God with those gifts. And that I got to be a part of it.
I've been going through a concert dry spell. A drought if you will. Most of my favorite artists just don't get out to Colorado that often...maybe it's the distance, maybe it's my rotten luck of moving from a state at the exact moment said state discovers what great taste I have in music.
So imagine my delight, when I discovered that one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Andrew Peterson, was doing not one, but two concerts, but within 30 minutes of where I live. I invited two friends, one could go to the Friday show, the other to the Saturday show, so I made the sacrifice (ha) of going to both! And although the set lists were similar, the experiences were night and day!
Friday night, I met my friend Kristin for the show. She wasn't familiar with Andrew, but was excited about the show. As we drove to the show, a thick heavy snow fell, turning the lawns and fields white, and coating our eyelashes with ice.
As the show progressed, I kept sneaking glances at Kristin, and was thrilled by the wide smile that never left her face. After the show, she turned to me and said, with tears in her eyes, that the show had filled a hole-one that she didn't even know was there.
As we drove back to my car, we chatted, not about the concert, but about those deep emotions and thoughts the songs had brought to the surface. We pulled into the parking lot and kept talking, even as the snow blocked out the streetlights.
(As an aside, this was the only mistake of the evening. Because the drive home was horrible. And I thought I was going to die. And I almost called my mom and reminded her of the song I want played at my funeral...which just so happens to be an Andrew Peterson song!)
The concert Saturday was entirely different for me. Before the show, I headed to a park near the venue, and hiked for a few hours. As I wandered the trails, I did a lot of prayer and reflecting on some things God's been teaching me lately. By the time I got to the concert, I felt pretty raw, emotionally. My friend who was going to the show with me had ended up having to work, so I sat there alone before the show began, sorting through thoughts, chatting with some people I met at the show.
And when the show began, my softened heart felt the words of each song. Songs that I had heard a thousand times before had me on the edge of my chair. Words and prayers and music all rattled around inside of my head. A lump formed in my throat. Hot tears brimmed under my eyelids. Truth, inspired by God, delivered through a man, spoken from a stage, filled my heart until it was fairly bursting.
I chatted with Andrew and the Captains Courageous after the show, and it was nice to see familiar faces from the past. They were kind and gracious as usual, and as I drove home, I thanked God for the way He had gifted Andrew, Ben and Andy...and that they had each chosen to glorify God with those gifts. And that I got to be a part of it.
posted by Brandy at 2/19/2007 08:19:00 AM
6 Comments:
So what song do you want played at your funeral?
It's called "More" and it's on The Far Country (the last song). I guess it's good that information is public knowledge now...in case I die or something.
Hey Brandy Campbell!
Can I make an admission of my own? I haven't been to a concert since, um, 2001? Not too many American Christian artists tour Mexico. Who knows, now that I'm in Texas (which you can't mess with, by the way) maybe I'll have a chance.
And your other blog--exercise. Hm. I actually like it--when i actually dooooooooooo it! I'm in desire need. I need some hills like CLCR.
Love ya...
greta
Funny, I want "More" played at my funeral, too! And I knew what song you were talking about immediately. I heart Andrew. I might have to go listen to him. :)
I will have to listen to that one with you in mind.
Well, I'm late to the party, but I finally got around to reading this. I enjoyed the review. It's an amazing thing when songs you have heard a thousand times strike you as suddenly new. AP's good at that.
As for funeral music, I think I'd like to have the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme song. I don't really have a reason, other than that I think maybe I could redefine what's appropriate at funerals and make "yee-haw!" a regular expression at the cemetery. Yes? :)
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