Rochester Music Hall of Fame

Rochester, New York is known as the “flower city”, a city along the Genesee River, the home of Kodak and the George Eastman House, and the site of the world renowned Eastman School of Music. But Rochester is known for something more – the music.

On April 30 Rochester launched the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. A list of 23 potential Hall of Fame members has been released and from that list eight to 10 will be the initial class inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Rochester natives and residents who have been nominated for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame are:

David Hochstein who was a violin virtuoso. The Hochstein School of Music and Dance has been named after David Hochstein

Emily Sibley Watson was a big arts and music supporter in the area and was a driving force behind the creation of the Hochstein School of Music

George Eastman was the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company and the Eastman House Museum is named after him and was a music aficionado.

Howard Hanson was the director of the Eastman School of Music for 40 years from 1924 to 1964.

Cab Calloway was a Rochester native who went on to be the first jazz artist to sell one million records. The former bandleader is a member of the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. Calloway died of a stroke at the age of 83.

Mitch Miller was not only born in Rochester, he graduated from the Eastman School of Music. Miller was known for his “Sing Along with Mitch” collections.

Alexander Courage was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. A founding member of the Composers and Lyricists Guild of America, Courage composed music for television and movies including the theme for the original “star Trek” series.

William Warfield who was a concert and Broadway performer who attended the Eastman School of Music. Warfield is best known for his role in the 1951 production of “Show Boat” performing “Old Man River”. Warfield’s nephew Thomas Warfield is a talented performer in his own right who lives and teaches in Rochester.

Doriot Anthony Dwyer was a flute virtuoso who graduated from the Eastman School of Music and was the first woman to be named principal chair for a major orchestra.

Charles Strouse is a Grammy and Tony Award winning composer and songwriter who attended the Eastman School of Music. Strouse is also a member of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Paul Hoeffler is a photograher who graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is known for photographing jazz musicians.

Ron Carter graduated from the Eastman School of Music who is a jazz bass player and cellist. Carter is also a member of the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Chuck Mangione is a multi platinum Grammy Award winning flugelhorn player who was born in Rochester and still has a home in the area.

Gene Cornish is the founding member of “The Young Rascals”.

Steve Gadd is a Rochester native who also attended the Eastman School of Music. The contemporary drummer is also amember of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

Joe English is a Rochester native who as a musician has appeared on four albums by Paul McCartney and Wings.

Lou Gramm was born Louis Andrew Grammatico in Rochester; he is a multi platinum selling artist and the founder of the rock band Foreigner.

Jeff Tyzik attended the Eastman School of Music and for the past 16 years has been the principal Pops conductor for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Renee Fleming is a member of the Metropolitan Opera and Grammy Award winning artist who was raised in Rochester and earned her graduate degree from the Eastman School of Music

Charlie Lowell is a keyboard player and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award winning Christian rock group Jars of Clay.

Matt Odmark is a childhood friend of Charlie Lowell and a guitarist for the Christian rock group Jars of Clay.

Although no longer there, Corinthian Hall was built in 1849. It was located at Corinthian and State Street.

The performances in 1851 of “The Swedish Nightingale” by Jenny Lind.

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Dove Award-winners emphasize desire to make a difference

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Songs of praise and testimonies about the message behind the music highlighted the 41st annual Dove Awards, sponsored by the Gospel Music Association.
Singer/songwriter Brandon Heath garnered the Male Vocalist of the Year honor for the second year in a row. He also received a Dove for his participation on the album, Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship, which won Special Event Album of the Year.

“I don’t think that being Male Vocalist of the Year necessarily means being the best singer, but I think it means knowing what you want to say and being given the ability to share that with people,” Heath said. “I’m constantly trying to find a unique way of putting the message of the gospel into songs.

“The goal is for people who wouldn’t normally listen to Christian music to hear a message about the love and grace of God and his life-changing power. That’s what I want to keep writing songs about. I still get e-mails about the lives that are being changed by these songs, and it’s such a driving force to create music that will help lead people into a relationship with Christ.”

At the Dove Awards ceremony, Heath performed with Jars of Clay on the song “Two Hands.” Jars of Clay’s album, The Long Fall Back To Earth, garnered Recorded Music Packaging and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year honors.

“We are humbled to receive these awards, because it is a sign that these songs are connecting with people,” Jars of Clay’s lead singer Dan Haseltine said. “We write songs about things that are hard, true and beautiful. When we’re writing songs, if we feel like something is really connecting and moving us, then there’s a hope that it will move other people. We really want our lyrics to focus on making a difference in the lives of people by reaching out and being the hands and feet of Christ.”

Jars of Clay founded a non-profit organization, Blood:Water Mission, to build clean water wells, support medical facilities and tangibly reduce the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression.

The band’s first relief effort was the “1,000 Wells Project” with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair 1,000 wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This year, Jars of Clay will celebrate achieving their goal and bringing clean water to more than 150,000 people.

“It gives weight to the things we talk about in our songs,” Haseltine said. “The songs on this album share about getting our hands dirty, reaching into the lives of people, being engaged and making a difference for eternity. The songs also share messages about suffering and talk about the way that God provides.

“Through the years, we’ve had the privilege to sit down, laugh and cry with people who actually live that out in more tangible ways than we ever have, and they’ve shared amazing stories of what God is doing around the world.”

At the Dove Awards presentation, Artist of the Year recipients Casting Crowns performed their hit song “Until the Whole World Hears” with a 200-voice children’s choir.

Despite a busy touring schedule, Casting Crowns remains committed to serving in local churches and continues to be one of the nation’s top-selling artists across all genres, with their recent album debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Whatever we do in word or deed, we do it for the glory of the Lord,” Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall said.

“Believers have to understand that we’re not the audience of Christ; we’re the body of Christ. That makes all of us artists. God will use people in different areas to point people to him—whether it’s teaching, accounting or building houses. We share the gospel every night during our concerts, and we talk about how to be a believer means to lay your past at Christ’s feet and walk away from your old life. You have to lay each day at his feet, follow him and live in his strength.”

For a complete list of Dove Award winners, please visit www.gospelmusic.org.

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'Flood' comes roaring back for Jars of Clay "

Earlier this month, the lyrics to "Flood," a Top 40 hit single for Jars of Clay in 1996, became an unexpected reality for the Nashville-based pop/rock band and area inhabitants after torrential rainfall caused the Cumberland River to crest.

The natural disaster resulted in at least a billion dollars in damage, much of it falling on the Christian and country music industry nerve center. Now Jars of Clay is assisting flood relief efforts headed by The Grammys' MusiCares foundation through the digital release of "Flood(ed) ---- A Benefit" EP (five versions of the song for $1) via the group's website. All proceeds go to the charity.

"We wanted to figure out a way to engage our audience ---- especially those not in Nashville ---- with a way they could help," explained guitarist Steve Mason, during a phone interview at the group's studio/rehearsal space Gray Matters in Nashville.

While the Jars of Clay complex wasn't totally saturated, "it really could've been a lot worse for us. We found structural damage to the building ... but we weren't harmed much."

Fortunately, Mason said, they managed to get most valuables like "vintage guitars, amps and things we can't replace" to a safer location. "The cleanup is ongoing."

Still, with "some elderly folks, friends and neighbors dealing with entire floors of their houses destroyed ---- and those that lost their lives, for Pete's sake ---- we're feeling really thankful."

No stranger to helping people in need, Jars of Clay launched the nonprofit Blood: Water Mission organization in 2005, providing those living with HIV/AIDS in Africa with clean water and sanitation. Band members try to travel to the continent on a semiannual basis to gauge the progress being made.

"It has been extraordinary to experience the work there because it's so much larger in scope than what we had ever dreamed," noted Mason. "One of the things we've learned is the difficulty in trying to do a good thing. It's one thing to be compelled and another to put wheels on it."

Their most recent trip to Kenya "allowed a deeper engagement of the songwriting process and what we're doing in Jars of Clay. That makes it all the more (worthwhile) ... over 800 communities have been impacted by the 1000 Wells project. We're reaching the end of that goal."

Jars of Clay returns to Spirit West Coast this weekend, having played the inaugural event in 2004 and in 2008. One of the largest Christian music festivals in America, Spirit West Coast features 50 entertainers on eight stages, late-night comedy shows, film screenings, speakers, seminars, a skate park, sports center and children's area. The festival anticipates a three-day attendance of 30,000.

Among the scheduled acts are Skillet, Tenth Avenue North, the Afters (Friday), Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West, Stellar Kart, Family Force 5 (Saturday), newsboys, Seventh Day Slumber, BarlowGirl, Kutless and Hawk Nelson (Sunday).

Last year, Jars of Clay released "The Long Fall Back to Earth," a synth- and keyboards-heavy album that recalls British alt-pop bands such as James and Tears for Fears. The alluring songs ("Two Hands," "Closer," "There Might Be a Light") illustrate how far the platinum-selling, multi-Dove and Grammy-winning foursome has evolved since unveiling a smash self-titled debut in 1995.

"We're not saying 'no' to anything in terms of what we're interested in and what moves us. We really have the freedom in our muse to try stuff we haven't yet."

Mason believes singer Dan Haseltine "has gotten even better at what he does" lyrically over that period of time.

"That gives me hope, because as a guitar player, I always want to be improving as a musician."

Recent months have seen Jars unveil the first in a seasonal series of EPs ("Live at Gray Matters"), which could be their preferred future format.

"The world is whatever we dream it. If people want to maintain an album cycle, they certainly can. The exciting thing now is there's a choice where artists can put

out music as it's finished."

Once the group's studio is back at full capacity, work will continue work on "The Shelter," a collaborative project due in the fall featuring vocalists from Dave Crowder Band, Switchfoot, Tenth Avenue North, Burlap to Cashmere and more. Jars serves as a house band of sorts.

"For me, it brings home the idea of embodying things that we sometimes speak and pray abstractly to God. We are God's manifestation of forgiveness to one another."

More than anything, Jars of Clay is grateful to have maintained a steady career path and accolades (they just picked up two more Doves in April) this far down the line. "We're still doing something that we really love ... and is generating a conversation that is inviting to those listening to the music for the last 15 years."

Jars of Clay at Spirit West Coast

When: 6:30 p.m. May 29 (festival hours: 2 p.m. to midnight May 28, 10:30 a.m. to midnight May 29 and 10 a.m. to midnight May 30)

Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar

Tickets: Three-day wristband: $132, general; $70, children ages 6 to 12; single-day wristbands: $40-$62; evening tickets (after 4 p.m.): $15-$39; free for children under 6

Info: 831-443-5399

delmar.spiritwestcoast.org

Web: jarsofclay.com

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Tone Junkies, Jars of Clay on Three Rivers lineup

Steve Penhollow | The Journal Gazette

The California punk band the Tone Junkies and Jars of Clay will be among national acts performing at this year’s Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival, it was announced Wednesday.

The entertainment lineup for the festival, which happens July 9 through 17 at Headwaters Park, includes the Tone Junkies performing on July 9; Las Vegas rock band Adelita’s Way on July 10; Jars of Clay on July 11; country star Josh Thompson on July 25; and Who’s Bad, a Michael Jackson tribute act from Chapel Hill, N.C., on July 16.

Other nights are devoted to local acts with national reputations, including David Todoran on July 17 and Todd Harrold with Bill Lupkin on July 13.

One new feature of the entertainment event tent this year is that popular local radio personality Jack Hammer will serve as host during the entire festival.

He says he will intersperse the main stage offerings with giveaways and audience interaction.

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TRF announces musical lineup Jars of Clay, Steel Magnolia, Jackson In tribute to headline.

Jars of Clay, Steel Magnolia and Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band will be the three big performers at this year's Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival, festival officials planned to announce this morning.

Gospel Music Association Dove Award winner Jars of Clay will be the headliner for the festival's main stage live music July 11 at Headwaters Park. Country music duo Steel Magnolia will headline the music lineup July 15, and Who's Bad will be the main act July 16. Main stage live music starts at 7 p.m. each evening.

The festival, which has dealt with leadership turmoil and funding problems this year, will take place July 9-17. It will include many other local and regional entertainment acts throughout its nine days.

Jars of Clay performed in the city three times in the late 1990s — at Memorial Coliseum with Michael W. Smith as part of a contemporary Christian music concert in 1996, as TRF headliner in 1997 and at the Scottish Rite Center in 1998. The group also recorded a song in 2006 for the first “Majic Miracle CD,” which radio station WAJI, 95.1-FM, releases annually to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Jars of Clay has sold more than 6 million albums and won three Grammy Awards, the band's website said.

The duo who are Steel Magnolia — Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey — are one of country music's hot new acts. Their song “Keep on Lovin' You” ranks No. 8 on Billboard magazine's “Hot Country Songs” chart.

Jones and Linsey have their first album due out this summer. Steel Magnolia also has been nominated in the USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year categories for the Country Music Television Awards.

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Aid For Nashville

Jars Of Clay release digital EP to aid flood victims of Nashville

CCM HITMAKERS Jars Of Clay have released a digital EP to aid their fellow residents of Nashville, Tennessee after the devastating flood that ravaged the city earlier this month. The special EP features five different versions of the Jars Of Clay oldie "Flood" including the Savage Flavor Remix and a version by Sara Groves. Selling for just a dollar, 100 per cent of the proceeds will go direct to charities aiding in flood relief efforts. The band's goal is to raise $100,000. CR

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Nestle Cereals invites you to Start Smart today!

Hi Mom, Haven't you always wanted to give your children a head start in pretty much every area of their life? From helping them get the best out of school, to being better at socializing and making friends, to being more adept at all sorts of activities. Each month, The Smart Start e-Newsletter will help you do exactly that. In each issue, you'll find lots of tips, articles, and good solid advice on nutrition, parenting, health and other topics related to helping your kids be more prepared to make the most out of life. We've even got a resident nutritionist, Ms. Nilani Sritharan, who loves to share her knowledge and experience. This issue puts together a bunch of fun, easy activities here that we moms can enjoy with our kids. What better way to kick off the coming months than by putting a smile on our little ones' faces, right? In fact, it's pretty much like what a good breakfast can do for our day; when you get a good start, you get a firm and solid foundation for performing well later in the day. So what are you waiting for? Scroll down or click on the different tabs below to get you started!

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Benefit Raises $62K for Flooded Nashville Church

El Shaddai Christian Church, a small but growing Hispanic congregation in South Nashville, was devastated by recent flooding the area, as six feet of water poured into the church on May 2. A handful of local Christian musicians came to their aid earlier this week with a benefit concert that raised almost $62,000 for the church.

Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram hosted their third annual "Love Your Neighbor" benefit concert, which also featured performances from tobyMac, Mike Donehy of Tenth Avenue North, Britt Nicole, and a surprise appearance from Amy Grant. Heath said the event, held at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, "felt like a big family piled into the living room to share songs, stories, and all that we have. I'm immensely grateful for the generosity of Nashville, and those watching online. Above all, God was glorified and out neighbors were loved."

Pastor German Castro of El Shaddai Church, who was rescued from the building as the flood waters rose, said, "We've experienced an outpouring of God's grace through the love of the body of Christ. . . . You were his hands and feet, you saw us through his eyes, and cared enough to know that we could not build up again alone."

See a brief video, featuring Heath, Ingram, and Castro, describing the situation below. Donations are still being accepted for El Shaddai's rebuilding. Make checks out to El Shaddai Christian Church and mail to El Shaddai Church, c/o Flood Relief, 10604 Concord Rd, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Nashville flood relief donations are also being accepted through MusiCares. Jars of Clay is helping the MusiCares effort by giving away five free versions of its hit song "Flood" (including a terrific version by Sara Groves) to anyone who donates $1 to the effort.

Tone Junkies, Jars of Clay on Three Rivers lineup

The California punk band the Tone Junkies and Jars of Clay will be among national acts performing at this year’s Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival, it was announced Wednesday.

The entertainment lineup for the festival, which happens July 9 through 17 at Headwaters Park, includes the Tone Junkies performing on July 9; Las Vegas rock band Adelita’s Way on July 10; Jars of Clay on July 11; country star Josh Thompson on July 25; and Who’s Bad, a Michael Jackson tribute act from Chapel Hill, N.C., on July 16.

Other nights are devoted to local acts with national reputations, including David Todoran on July 17 and Todd Harrold with Bill Lupkin on July 13.

One new feature of the entertainment event tent this year is that popular local radio personality Jack Hammer will serve as host during the entire festival.

He says he will intersperse the main stage offerings with giveaways and audience interaction.

Source

Jars Of Clay Release Charity EP For Flood Relief

Rockers Jars Of Clay have released a special charity EP to help victims of Nashville’s floods.

“On May 1st and 2nd of 2010, our hometown of Nashville and its surrounding areas suffered a devastating flood,” said the band. “The impact of this extremely rare event was felt by us and countless others in our community, resulting in loss of life and over $1.5 billion in damage to property and infrastructure.”

The band really did feel the effects of the flood – their entire studio was flooded.

“In an effort to help those who have lost everything, we have put together an EP with five different versions of our song, “Flood.” The EP is available for $1 in the music player on [our website]. 100% of the proceeds from your purchase will go directly to charities aiding in flood relief efforts in the Nashville community, administered by MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief."

The band hopes to raise $100,000 through sales of the EP.

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'40 Days of Water' goes online

Client: Blood Water Mission

Agency: Blue Ocean Ideas
Campaign: 40 Days of Water
Duration: February 17 – April 2
Budget: About $12,000

Nonprofit Blood Water Mission (BWM) was founded in 2005 by the band Jars of Clay to help fight the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa. This year, BWM and advertising and marketing firm Blue Ocean Ideas adapted a previously offline fundraising effort — “40 Days of Water” – to an online platform.

The campaign called for participants to give up ...

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After the Flood: Nashville Rebuilds and Reaches Out

"Rain, rain on my face/It hasn't stopped raining for days/My world is a flood/Slowly I become one with the mud." - "Flood" by Jars of Clay

It's been a long, wet few weeks here in Music City, and, like many other Nashvillians, I'm exhausted.

Ever since the water rose the first weekend in May, we've all been digging out and drying off. The 13.5 inches of rain that fell in less than two days - the most in this area in recorded history - affected the entire city. Now that the water is subsiding, it doesn't matter whether or not you suffered any damage personally, everyone is part of the clean up crew.

I don't know of anyone who hasn't pulled out some soggy drywall, emptied a waterlogged basement, sorted through someone's damp belongings or made food for those who were doing any or all of the above. It's the new normal here in Music City, and we're all pitching in wherever we can. The need for bottled water and sandwiches and cleaning supplies seems never-ending, and at times, it feels like the entire city is still covered in a film of mud. Then there's the mold. Once you get a whiff of it, it's a smell your nose won't soon forget.

Of course, despite the clean-up effort, we're still in shock. Seeing our beloved Grand Ole Opry under several feet of water will do that, even to a transplanted southerner like myself. Despite its history, though, it can't compare to the human losses suffered. The fact that the storm claimed 30 lives still seems unbelievable. In most cases, they were simply people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught up in floodwaters that rose rapidly in neighborhoods where flooding was unheard of, until there was no way out.

The water was an equal opportunity offender: it totaled businesses, landmarks, cars and houses in high-end neighborhoods and the most modest areas. No one was immune. Then as soon as the rain stopped, it was replaced with a flood of stories. Between friends, coworkers and fellow churchgoers, everyone knows someone who lost everything.

My pastor's basement had five feet of water in it. They sent a picture of plastic storage bins and boxes of Christmas ornaments floating around in the muck. A friend's business was underwater. Another friend told a frightening story of getting stuck in standing water that stalled her car's engine and rose to her waist before she could get to safety. Her shoes were washed away in the escape, but she made it to dry land. Others who were safe at home found their neighborhoods surrounded on all sides by water and without electricity for days.

Then there were our Christian artist "friends." I saw pictures on Facebook of Jars of Clay carrying out recording equipment, instruments and merchandise from their flooded studio. Franklin, a suburb of Nashville that is home to a host of CCM artists, saw its historic downtown cut off when the roads around it were submerged. I talked to Brandon Heath a few days after the storm and he told me about going door to door in his Germantown neighborhood in Nashville inviting flooded neighbors with no electricity to stop by his condo to clean up. It's a safe bet that dozens of others in the music community were doing the same.

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Help Flood Victims, Get Flood(ed)

Music is a very important thing for many teenagers. Now, you can help those in need and get some great music at the same time!

The flood victims in Tennessee are still trying to recover their lives. One musical band, Jars of Clay, decided to get involved through MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief. They are asking fans to donate one dollar to help with the $1.5 billion in damage. In return, Jars of Clay will give you their EP, "Flood(ed)", which includes 5 different versions of their popular song "Flood". The best part is, 100% of your money will go straight to flood relief; none of it is used for administrative costs.

I just got Flood(ed), and I'm listening to it right now as I'm writing this. It's great! I encourage everyone to go to jarsofclay.com to purchase the Flood(ed) EP. Everyone has a dollar to spare, and together, we could make a huge different for the flood victims. Besides, where else can you buy five songs for just one dollar?

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Dueling Critics: Gogol Bordello, Transcontinental Hustle

Jocelyn Hoppa and Denise Sullivan debate the merits ofTranscontinental Hustle, the new release by Gogol Bordello, in a new column, Dueling Critics.

Denise: Hey Jocelyn, are you feeling the Transcontinental Hustle?

Jocelyn: Hmm… Well, mostly, the gist of my feelings about this new Gogol Bordello record is that I’m totally glad it exists, sort of like how I’m glad that the molecular food movement or HBO show Treme exists. Conceptually, I’m down with each of these things and glad that other people are getting something out of it, but…

Denise: I know, but… I’ve always liked the idea of Gogol Bordello and admire leader Eugene Hutz for turning on the unsuspecting alterna-peeps to his hardscrabble gypsy punk with a message. Hutz’s passion, his spirit of rebellion, and the group’s enthusiasm for playing music is undeniable in its grooves, and it totally appeals to me. There ain’t no stopping him and these accordions and violins from rockin’. If along the way you pick up on the allusions to Russian literature or the plight of the Romani people and other displaced tribes, that’s cool but not required. So how come it sounds more appealing in theory than infectious in reality?

Jocelyn: Well, not being terribly unfamiliar with the traditional music of Eastern Europe, as I’ve got some family ties to the area, I think what’s most interesting and probably the most difficult thing about Gogol Bordello’s richly developed Gypsy punk is that, unlike your take on it, I get this weird sense that it does require time to absorb fully, to truly recognize each element it contains—and the feelings and thoughts it has the ability to conjure—to really appreciate it. There’s the music, which, on its own, is something that those not generally familiar with will undoubtedly need at least a minute or two (or a drink or six) to register with its maniacal nature. And then there’s the lyrics, the moments of poetic political defiance and even some outright humor that thrive somewhere amongst all the fury of violin and accordion. But again, it takes a bit to fully recognize and appreciate those moments, first having to imbibe the mixed atmosphere of revolution-style messages and otherwise celebratory sounds that Gogol Bordello create like a bittersweet shot of Pelinkovac—no matter how many times you’ve done it, you can never be totally sure whether the result of it is going to drive you crazy in a good way or a bad way.

Denise: That’s it! I felt crazy while listening! And as you say, it’s a fine line between good and bad in that department. Say, what is this Pelinkovac of which you speak? Some local gypsy brew favored by your people? My people also have a national drink known to have its own unpredictable side effects…

Jocelyn: Yes, Pelinkovac is a lovely, bitter wormwood-based liquor that sort of resembles Jagermeister or Frenet, and is popular in Serbia and Croatia. It got me kicked out a bar once. Zivio! But back to what we were talking about: Crazy bad/good, with Gogol Bordello, it’s going to mean something no matter what because of that fact. And I’ll be the first one to agree that that is much better than approximately 90 percent of the music that 90 percent of the industry is feeding us these days. However, while it may not be required to get all of the allusions to Russian literature or the plight of displaced tribes, I think it’s also kind of dangerous not to. What if, hypothetically of course, you were diggin’ on some Jars of Clay bullshit, and you were an atheist and had no idea they were singing about Christianity? Not cool, right?

Denise: Well, I don’t know about that… If something finds its way to a listener and listener responds, then maybe it’s meant to be. I mean, the accidental Jars of Clay fan might’ve found what he was looking for and he didn’t even know it! I heard Dear Science by TV on the Radio from front to back for the first time while in a restaurant and totally locked into it—had no idea what it was, and that was it—bam. Of course, this is a great debate for another day. That said, if you are drawn to the sound of Gogol, perhaps that just might be your DNA responding and you may want to look into your family history. Then again, it could just be the alcohol talking.

Jocelyn: You definitely have a good point about the DNA thing (and the alcohol), and I’m sure it’s the band’s wish for people to just let go of whatever hang-ups they have and come to the music at whatever angle gets them there. But maybe what I mean is that it’s this situation where if I don’t understand the underlying message, the music is in jeopardy of coming off a little, I dunno, contrived?

Denise: I understand your requirement and generally I have my own stringent code, but in this case, I ultimately vote on the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication via the proverbial universal language. I’ve never been one to “get” every word, even when the words are in my native language. I’m afraid part of what I’m not “getting” here is the humor: This Gogol is way too much fun for the likes of me. “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol is more my speed.

Jocelyn: Yeah, the speed thing is a pretty important element to this record, particularly the changing up of it. “Sun Is On My Side” is the first ballad we get, and it evokes a fair amount of emotion and exemplifies the band’s range, which I wasn’t completely aware of—totally a welcomed change of pace. But I’m not sure anything could ready me for the following track, “Rebellious Love”, which isn’t all that fun, unless we somehow magically just ended up on some bizarro episode of The Love Boat, in which case, sweet, a vacation. It’s so theatrical and functions almost as a caricature of itself and the band… this is where I get the contrived thing, ya know? All the talk of days being numbered and destiny… ugh. I mean, the more I listen to this record, my sense of urgency is getting a little weary.

Denise: Agreed—as in listening literally made me tired. I so appreciated “Sun Is On My Side”, and the other ballady piece, “When Universes Collide”, as pauses that refreshed. I hope it doesn’t betray my ignorance of French chanson to say the latter reminded me of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel, though it probably will. As for the title song, I’m calling it a gypsy Bob Dylan meets gypsy Cab Calloway. Of course, all this is coming from the perspective of someone who really wants to love these guys and yet is having trouble getting past the Shane MacGowan and the Pogues thing.

Jocelyn: Luckily, for the band, over the course of Gogol Bordello’s career, they’ve garnered a cult following full of fans who are very willing to spend time with the material and latch onto the band’s ideals.

Denise: So in other words, our endorsement doesn’t really make a whole lot of difference.

Jocelyn: Well, that, and also, for all of those people, and there are many, this latest release should please them and will undoubtedly earn them many new fans. And they are pretty intense ones, if you’ve ever been to a show of theirs.

Denise: I have not.

Jocelyn: It’s fun, but it’s fun felt at a distance for me, like I’m not a member of that club or something. And because of that, it seems impossible to be a casual fan of theirs. If you come at this lightly, you’re probably drunk off your ass (me), which is fine and real fun, but on a sober day, unless their message lives and grows inside of you, you’re reaching for some other record. For my money and time, I’m pretty sure I’ll just go back to listening to something from the Southern Lord catalog soon after.

Denise: There you go with your metal madness… I’ve been meaning to speak with you about that, as it’s not an interest we share. Though until that time, it looks like we can we agree on a couple of things: The new Gogol Bordello album is fun but distancey, pertinently messagey, and sauced to the gills. As your people say, Zivio!

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Jars of Clay

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Age Limit: All Ages

Jars of Clay

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Jars of Clay

A little bit about the band...

Multi-Platinum and three time GRAMMY Award winning band Jars of Clay launched its career with its hit, “Flood,” in 1995. Since then, it’s amassed more than five million in career sales (5 Gold, 2 platinum and 1 double platinum certifications), three GRAMMY Awards, an American Music Award nod, 17 No.1 radio hits, and numerous film credits and BMI honors for songwriting and performing.

It’s the dichotomy of living in the physical and human world that Jars of Clay explores in their new project Good Monsters, giving both longtime listeners and new fans a glimpse at the veteran band’s creative dichotomy as well. It’s not about eradicating one side to glorify the other. It’s about figuring out how to reconcile one with the other. It’s about finding the good within the monster. In order to find balance, neither of two sides can exist without the other. Within the first few seconds of the opening track that you’ll realize Good Monsters is unlike any Jars of Clay album you’ve heard before!

While celebrated for its music and writing, Jars of Clay is most concerned with the needs in Africa. Compelled to make a difference, members Dan Haseltine, Stephen Mason, Matt Odmark and Charlie Lowell founded the Blood:Water Mission in early 2002. The first effort of this non-profit was the “1000 Wells Project” with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair 1000 wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. To date, over 300 projects have been constructed bringing clean water to more than 100,000 people.

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Burn, Sinners! It's the National Day of Prayer!

Against the wishes of a judge in Wisconsin, President Obama issued a proclamation marking May 6, 2010 as a National Day of Prayer.

As expected, sectarians of every faith engaged in an orgy of sacral violence against atheists, liberals, and gays—incidentally killing almost the entire membership and clergy of the Episcopal Church. In Manhattan this morning, the screams of sinners about to face their final Judge were accompanied by a live performance by Jars of Clay on the former Today Show set.

Assorted Jews and members of the Nation of Islam clashed in the streets of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. And public school teachers, interpreting the president’s signal, began playing “The Passion of the Christ’ on loop in classrooms as part of a religious revision to the No Child Left Behind Act.

Some observers believe Obama has reignited the worst religious violence in America since the Catholic League protested a 1991 Martin Scorsese film by burning nearly 23,000 cinephiles on a pyre. When reached for comment today, Catholic League President Bill Donahue sighed, “It’s unbelievable that in the year 2010, Scorsese still lives. We’ll be praying to St. Anthony hoping to find him today.”

According to Shirley Dobson, chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Taskforce, the slaughter “will cleanse the nation of the unrighteous and bring about God’s favor.” Dobson added, “We should thank President Obama for making this possible.”

Many Church groups organized special “Wall tearing” commemorations, where believers scaled freestanding “Walls of Separation” before machine gunning and dynamiting them.

The annual outpouring of religious enthusiasm and irreligious entrails continues its divisive legacy sixty-year legacy, having been instituted by Harry Truman, the most notable theocrat in the Western World since Oliver Cromwell.

* * *

SORRY! Had to get that out of my system. Anyway, the National Day of Prayer and the attendant controversy aren’t really as interesting as the above. I hardly knew we had a National Day of Prayer until the Obama White House and Fox News reminded me. After all, we already have Thanksgiving—which John Adams, in his wisdom, wanted to be a day of penance and “humiliation.”

The National Day of prayer is probably the most milquetoast expression of “religion” ever invented. It is not even billed as a day to pray for the Nation, which would make some kind of sense coming from the government of a religiously pluralistic people. Instead it is a day where Evangelical and other pressure groups ask the president to issue a proclamation—it's one step up from the kind of thing your town gives to Little League coaches and admirable garbage men. In turn, we citizens may respond to the proclamation by praying to whatever for no reason in particular. You can really feel the hot child-molesty breath of theocracy on your crotch, can’t you?

And yet, the National Day of Prayer is becoming something like an authentic expression of American religion now that it is controversial. Like the rest of our controversies over what it “means” to be an American it places the president as a kind of God King, and the Courts as a magisterium, interpreting our sacred American texts. Winners of these cases talk about themselves and “the American way” in the way some conservative Christians speak of being “orthodox” in belief and practice.

Depending on the occupant of the Oval Office, whole sections of the country feel as if they are no longer welcome in America—demeaning the other parts as Jesusland or as coastal liberal elitists. Every cultural preference must be endorsed or mystically embodied by the President and government in some way or the people of those preferences feel anxious.

It’s why we note that the Supreme Court may no longer have Protestants on it. It is why it was important to have a first black president. It’s a common attitude in ethnically and religious diverse democracies to want literal representatives of each group. But it is also dangerous for a country that sees itself as having a historical mission to the world.

If you believe America has some kind of historical purpose other than being the home of Americans, that it must serve as an example of progress and tolerance, or as the protector and promoter of free markets and “values,” then inconsequential bullshit like the National Day of Prayer turns into a big important broil. Great atheists like Nietzsche would be aghast if you suggested it was worth a penny of their scorn. Great saints, reformers, or Rabbis would and should see it as a shabby insult, or a blasphemy. But “America” is at stake!

It’s sad. But America’s desire for a country with a purpose has made this nation as desperate for absolute authority in government as any since the fifteenth century. Goodbye nation of laws, hello nation of “values.” God help us.

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Greenville College Hosts 34th Annual AgapeFest Music Festival

The cool spring air was filled with music and the smell of corn dogs and funnel cakes. On April 30, and May 1, 2010, crowds of people milled around the Bond County Fairgrounds, in Greenville, Illinois, consuming fried foods and soft drinks, and taking in the sights and sounds at the 34th annual AgapeFest.

AgapeFest a Longstanding Contemporary Christian Music Event

AgapeFest is one of the biggest Contemporary Christian music festivals in the US. Agape has been held annually in Greenville, Illinois, since 1977, and often draws crowds of several thousand people over the course of the two-day event. The festival’s Facebook feed said the 2010 event was proceeding, “rain or shine.” Due to the location and the time of year the festival is held, the weather is often inclement. In 1989, attendees experienced snow flurries.

The inaugural festival had seven performers and one speaker, according to publicity information provided by AgapeFest organizers. This year, it featured more than 30 performers, on two stages. Also, for the first time, its Second Stage was open on Friday evening.

The 2010 lineup featured Grammy Award-winning Skillet, David Crowder Band, Sanctus Real, Family Force 5, Addison Road, among others. Some of the performers are already famous, some are up-and-coming, and some are hopefuls.

During the course of the weekend, some fans captured images of the bands in concert and updated Facebook and Flikr feeds. Some lined up to get autographs from what many say are very accessible, approachable bands. Despite this accessibility, safety and security are always monitored at AgapeFest, and rarely has there been any mishap.

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Jars Of Clay Kicks Off Charity Campaign

The award-winning Christian music group Jars Of Clay has helped the United Methodist Church kick off its “Imagine No Malaria” campaign on World Malaria Day on April 25, in Austin, Texas.

The band was the headlining act in a concert spanning the afternoon held on the steps of the Texas State Capitol. The event was attended by hundreds of very enthusiastic supporters and was broadcast live on the United Methodist Church’s website.

The “Imagine No Malaria” campaign is an awareness raising as well as a fundraising effort to provide thousands of bednets to some of the poorest children in Africa. Children are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of malaria. It is estimated that at least three thousand children die everyday from malaria.

“What I’ve learned about malaria today is that it is a very treatable disease,” said Dan Haseltine, lead vocalist of Jars of Clay. “What makes it such an injustice is that over 1 million children die every year of malaria.”

“It blows my mind there are people dying of this disease,” added guitarist Stephen Mason. “We can do something to stop it. That’s not true of a lot of diseases today.”

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