Artist Reception

Artist Reception
Gospel Music Week: Entry Six (Monday 4/20 2pm-3:30pm)

Artist Receptions are weird.
Okay, for the uninitiated, GMA Week is pretty much top-to-bottom weird.
Let me explain- you're walking about through the convention center, when you pass a group of oddly-dressed (yes, I'm getting old!) young men, with their hair configured with a nearly obscene quantity of hair care products. Slowly it dawns on you that you recognize them...from an album cover in your CD collection!
GMA means spending an entire week passing "famous" people, but having to pretend like it means nothing to you, and is as much an everyday occurence to you as brushing your teeth. Geeking out is frowned upon, and kind of flies in the face of the whole we're-all-professionals-here venere that gets applied to everything. And yes, I know and acknowledge intellectually that these artists are fallible human beings just like each one of us. It all kinds of gets messed up in my head, though, because I've never been the focus of an elaborate photo shoot; I've never been asked for my autograph; I've never had a gaggle of teen-aged girls scream my name in adoration. (In the interest of fairness, I am a part-time youth pastor, so I HAVE had teen-aged girls scream my name, but it's never been in adoration!)

All of that to say, these artist meet-&-greet things are an incredible cool, but incredibly awkward, proposition for me. I'm not really a schmoozer kind of guy, although I have been known to gush a bit at a favorite artist. There are only so many variation on the theme of I-really-like-your-music that even a wordy fellow such as myself can come up with, and I often feel like I couldn't possibly say anything that they haven't had expressed hundreds of time before in dozens of more profound and dramatic ways. I'm still learning that I just need to be genuine, speak truth and be encouraging- the rest is up to God! That said, I was dreading going to this year's artist reception! I had prepared some simple questions, in hopes of asking some artists and posting the results to our brand spankin' new store blog over the coming weeks. Faced with the reality however, I got a bad case of cold feet and just wanted to make a run for it! Thankfully, I prayed, surrendered the whole thing to God and asked Him to help me keep the whole thing in perspective. And God was so very kind!

I got to visit with a number of wonderful artists. Justin Unger, formerly of Across the Sky and now a terrific solo artist, had been to Arrowhead several years ago with Avalon and Mark Schultz. Last year, a rep had introduced me to Justin after a showcase event, and we had gotten to visit for a few minutes. So imagine my delight when I walked through the doors to the artist reception and the first person to greet me was Justin! I have no idea whether he actually remembered me or just faked it really, really well, but it didn't matter. His warm smile and genuine interaction put me completely at ease. (Thanks, Justin- I owe you one!) I proceeded to meet (and interview) Katie Giguere, Pocket Full of Rocks' Michael and David, and Rush of Fools' Jacob and J.D. I also got to interact with new artists like Jonny Diaz, Sixteen Cities' Josiah, Joel and Dustin, and 1000 Generations' Steve and Lorin. 1000 Generations is a top-notch worship band that I've been following for years on the indie scene. I'm psyched that they've been signed with Vineyard's Varietal label, and will be releasing a new album in August! The first single, "Fail Us Not" has started being picked up by radio stations nationwide (including our own FLN!), and is one of my absolute favorite songs right now. I'll be writing more on that as time allows.

God gave me an extra-special gift in allowing me to interact with a few artists who top my favorites list. First, the sublime Ginny Owens, who will be releasing a new project in June, who is such a class act and inspiration to me. Second, the humble Andrew Peterson, who writes songs of profound depth and artistry AND is penning a delightful youth fantasy series that I've been reading to my kids ("On The Edge of The Dark Sea of Darkness" is book 1; book 2 is slated for an August release). Lastly, the gentle giant Jason Gray, whose "Acoustic Storytime" project is my personal #1 project of 2008. It's a vulnerable live project which masterfully showcases everything that makes Jason a hidden gem- gorgeous story-songs, understated humor and relatable narrative. I have laughed, cried and been broken before God as I've gone on this remarkable journey with Jason. ("Acoustic Storytime" is available from Jason's website and on iTunes) I came away profoundly blessed by my interaction with these three in particular, and awe-struck anew at the ways in which God chooses to work, and the commonalities we all share as fellow travelers.
Grace and Peace. -Mike