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Dave's Top Eight
1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars) Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.
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Why blog? (Three years and counting)
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-----------May 26, 2007Concert Review: Imperials (Cherryville, NC) I finally got to attend a full length concert by the Imperials this evening. I've seen the current group a couple of times in the past on showcases during NQC, but they only sang three or four songs on those. Second Baptist Church in Cherryville, NC has a medium sized sanctuary. My guess/estimate is that it would seat around 350 and the crowd filled 70% or so seats. The concert began with a solo by the Imps current sound man, Noah Michael. (I didn't write down the song titles, so I may be leaving some out. ) By this point in the program, the group had established a good rapport with the fans, encouraging them to participate by clapping when they recognized a song and demonstrating an energetic enthusiasm on stage. After about thirty minutes, the group took a brief break while the pastor received an offering. Noah sang another song as the offering was received that went over well with the crowd. As the plate came by and I put my offering in, I actually noticed at least one $20 bill right in the top of the plate. Maybe there's hope for love offering crowds yet! The second half of the program featured a mix of songs from the Imperials' self-titled CD, one more classic, and some spoken testimony. Jason Morales sang "Wrap My Arms Around The World" and then talked for a few minutes about World Vision, encouraging the crowd to sponsor a child. Other songs I remember hearing on the second half include "Closer Still," "All That Matters To The Lord," and "Praise The Lord." After "Praise The Lord," Shannon Smith shared a few minutes of testimony leading into "Arise My Love," the group's final song of the evening. The crowd broke into spontaneous applause upon hearing the first chorus...did it again at the second chorus...and then everyone stood clapping as the final chorus rang out. Afterwards, Jeremie Hudson asked everyone to bow their heads and he invited folks to come forward for salvation or personal prayer. A number of people responded to the invitation, though no public decisions were announced. I spent some time talking with the group afterwards. They're all very excited about their next CD. In the next few days, they'll be going into the studio with one of the most sought after producers in Southern Gospel and Christian Country to cut the twelve music tracks for their next recording. Vocal tracking sessions will follow in a few weeks. One remake the Imperials plan to record is probably my favorite Christian Rock song of all time. (I have to admit...when I heard this song was to be included, I got a little excited too.) I don't want to steal any of their thunder, though. I won't reveal the producer or the song selection here. Be watching their website. I'm sure all will be told soon enough. Labels: Concert Review May 24, 2007Valor concert
This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of getting to go see Valor, live. Before I start on reviewing the singing, let me say that only once before did I actually drive as far to a singing as I did this one. 300 miles, round trip. The other time was when myself and David went down to Georgia to see a Master's Five reunion concert. (Actually, David drove to that one.)
-----------The singing was at the Pleasant Garden Baptist Church, in Pleasant Garden which is on the edge of Greensboro, N.C. The church was absolutely lovely and everybody was extremely nice and made us feel very welcome. Valor (which is made up of John Laws, Paul David Kennamer and Benjamin Dixon) opened up with an awesome rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner." After that, they did one of my favorite songs, "Let Freedom Ring." I was excited already. The pastor got up to welcome everybody but the next track started so he sat down real quick and the guys kept on getting it, doing a classic southern gospel hit, "Satisfied." I was really impressed with the fullness and the harmony. No offense to Valor, but I'm thinking that they must use stacks. After a quick welcome from the pastor, the guys set me straight quick. They started back up with "Old Ship Of Zion" (acappella) and it was remarkable. I've heard groups with a full band that weren't as full as these three guys. Next was "Lead Me To The Rock," which they performed with a more modern style. After that exciting song was "Over The Moon." Another solid performance on an older song. It started with the scratch of an old Victrola record player. After John did the first verse, they went into a very smooth rendition of this song. Excellent job. Next was "Water Came Walking." These guys just keep on impressing me. I'm still waiting on a song that is just....standard. "God Bless The U.S.A." was next. WOW!!! Everybody was up and standing and there were tears in a lot of eyes. Very stirring. After a short (but excellent) message from the pastor, Valor came back and did Brother. A good smooth, hand clapping song and then they finished their concert with "Then Came The Morning." I've been to a lot of singings and I have to say that this could possibly be the best one ever. John Laws has one of the strongest and fullest voices I've heard and also has an outstanding range. Paul David Kennamer hit low notes tonight that were incredible. Also his high range was fantastic and he is probably as smooth as any bass in the business. Benjamin Dixon is a superb lead/tenor and impressed me so much. Any of these guys alone could sing with any group in the business but together they have an incredible blend that just compliments each other. I got to spend some time with Valor after the singing and these guys are great to be around. No attitudes, just all around nice guys. This night couldn't have been any better. If you get a chance to see Valor, don't miss it. These guys are as good as it gets. As fantastic as their CDs are, they are better live. Trust me, you will be hearing big things from these guys in the southern gospel music circles. Valor will be a premier name in gospel music. Check them out at www.valormusic.net Keep up the good work, guys...................... Gene Shell "nuff said" Labels: Concert Review April 16, 2007Bill Gaither's Health and the Atlanta ConcertBill Gaither missed the Memphis, TN "Jubilate' re-schedule" date on Thursday. Gloria went along to fill in for him. Word has it that he had some issue with the heart stint that was put in back during the Myrtle Beach "Gaither-Fest" when Mark Lowry had to fill-in. But, Bill flew into Atlanta in time for Friday night's show and he honestly seemed fine. (Aside from Bill leaving the stage about a minute or two before the very end of the concert, he was there "all along.") The concert was tremendous, as usual. I really didn't "notice" that the tour's artist roster had been cut. The music was still plentiful and there wasn't a boring part to the night. I don't have a rundown of the songs... but I do have some pictures that I snapped of some backstage moments that I'll post soon. -Daniel Britt Labels: Concert Review, members, Odds and Ends March 24, 2007Concert Report: Oak Ridge Boys Here's a set list for the Oak Ridge Boys concert I attended in Johnson City, TN on Friday, March 23. 1. You're The One In A Million 2. Come On In 3. American Made 4. Dig A Little Deeper In The Well 5. Crying Again 6. A Little Love Song 7. This Crazy Love 8. Dream On 9. Something In The Water 10. Dream On Me 11. Hard To Be Cool In A Minivan 12. Y'all Come Back Saloon 13. Ozark Mountain Jubilee 14. Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight 15. Calling Baton Rouge 16. Beautiful You 17. Thank God For Kids 18. Glory Bound 19. Didn't It Rain 20. Jonah, Job, and Moses 21. Angels Watching Over Me 22. Heaven's A Small Town 23. Closer To Home 24. Elvira 25. Heaven Bound Freedom Hall Civic Center was not sold out...the floor was probably two thirds full, while the upper levels were only a fourth full at most...the place seats 6600, so it was still a decent crowd. Tickets on the lower level were $36 a pop...$26 in the upper deck. This is a very fair price, in my opinion, but I suspect numbers like these would give the average Southern Gospel fan a mild stroke. NASCAR being in Bristol, TN (just north of Johnson City) this weekend probably didn't help matters. The Mighty Oaks Band consists of six members...a keyboard specialist, three guitar players, a drummer, and a utility player who switched from steel to fiddle to mandolin to guitar. Joe Bonsall also picked a banjo some, though you could never really hear it in the mix. There was a light show...nothing fancy, but adequate. The four Oaks exude stage presence. Bonsall is all over his part of the stage. Duane Allen is more reserved, but still quite expressive with his body language when a song calls for it. All William Lee Golden has to do is stand there. He delights the crowd with a sort of rough shuffle dance on a couple of songs. He begins the concert wearing shades and a hat, but soon loses the shades. Richard Sterban uses his hands to spell out each phrase he sings...not literally, just figuratively...he wasn't doing ASL. The group works the mics on stands and off. Bonsall completely inverts his mic stand at one point, singing into the mic while he holds the base of the stand five feet in the air over his head. Songs come in rapid fire fashion, one right after another. Bonsall acknowledges the crowd after three songs, then they deliver eight more in a row, including three cuts from their current CD, Front Row Seats. At this point, Bonsall tells of their struggles as a group when they were first getting started in mainstream music during the mid-1970s. This leads into their initial hit song from 1977, "Y'all Come Back Saloon." A bit later, they pause to sign a pink guitar for a nine year old girl, with Bonsall saying, "We're only stopping the concert to sign this guitar because you're so cute." The crowd eats this moment up. Bonsall pauses at another point to talk about their satellite TV reception on their bus. He says the fact that you can watch TV while moving down the road will probably keep them traveling another ten years. He says, "Alabama retired...the Statler Brothers retired...we bought a new bus!" After a few more classic songs, "Thank God For Kids" transitions the concert into gospel territory...well, sort of...the title of "Glory Bound" is deceiving. After that, they do three gospel songs in a row: "Didn't It Rain" and "Jonah, Job And Moses" from their Front Row Seats project and "Angels Watching Over Me" from From The Heart. "Heaven's A Small Town" shifts back to a secular focus, leading into the ending segment of the concert with "Closer To Home" and "Elvira" (which brings most of the crowd to their feet). After "Elvira," the Boys close with an up-tempo gospel song called "Heaven Bound." The house lights come up. The Boys remain on the stage. The fans come up to the stage, and begin shaking their hands. The concert is over. I look at my watch, and it's only 9:15 PM. The concert started at 7:30. They've sung 25 songs in an hour and 45 minutes. Thinking about the concert in general, I thought the mix could have been better. The music mix was somewhat muddy and the vocals weren't boosted enough in some spots. That being said, we were in a large basketball arena, so you have to expect this sort of thing. Overall, it was a great show...a truly professional show...something I don't get to see often enough in Southern Gospel. Labels: Concert Review January 26, 2007Concert Report: Triumphant QuartetI enjoyed a concert by Triumphant Quartet earlier this evening in Rutherfordton, NC. With several standards in their repertoire ("Don't Let The Sandals Fool Ya," "Terrible Time Down There," "Walk With Me," etc.), a flair for showmanship, solid vocals at every position, and an award winning piano player, this group is at the top of their game right now. I've noticed they also go out of their way to be friendly, not just to their fans, but also to groups who share the stage with them. Triumphant does a variety show. Few groups can pull this off successfully, but Triumphant shifts easily from re-making a contemporary hit like Aaron♦Jeoffrey's "He Is," to Josh Turner's "Long Black Train," to a modern SG quartet style with songs like "Hey Jonah" and "One Holy Morning" (a song that COULD have been a Top Five easily had Triumphant's version been released as a radio single). Then there's the musicianship of Jeff Stice, who isn't merely featured quickly on the program. Stice played no less that three piano solos (including "Last Date" and "Georgia On My Mind") on the first set and at least one more ("Hallelujah Chorus") on the second. After the show, Scott Inman allowed me to preview a couple of cuts from their upcoming Daywind release. One song I heard ought to turn a few heads. I won't spoil the surprise other than to say the song blends male quartets vocals with another popular genre. The other song I heard was a very good ballad with a memorable hook titled "The Great I Am Still Is." The long instrumental intro will probably have to be trimmed if they single this cut to radio, but in a concert setting, it should be a show stopper. Labels: Concert Review January 22, 2007Concert Report: Kingsmen, Gold City, Kingdom HeirsAlan Kendall has a report on the Kingsmen/Gold City/Kingdom Heirs concert that took place in Gainsville, GA this past Saturday. He included a setlist, too. Check it out HERE. Labels: Concert Review November 16, 2006Concert Report: Melody Boys/Down East BoysIt was a double bill in Rutherfordton, NC earlier tonight. Greg Millwood, a guy who used to be in a group with me, started things off along with his wife, Shelby. They sang "Press On," and then their daughter joined them for an a cappella number that went over well. After the Millwood family sang, the concert promoters came out to present checks to a couple of local charities. I walked out in the lobby at that point and spent the next fifteen or twenty minutes chatting with Singing News editor Danny Jones and Singing News contributor Tim Gardner. I missed most of the Down East Boys set, but enjoyed the conversation. Both groups were working with a disadvantage tonight. Neither group had been to the area before, and today was a cold and windy day. The crowd wasn't as large as usual. When I went back in to sit an listen, the crowd wasn't really into it. One of the Down East Boys tried to get the crowd out of their brown study by poking fun at Baptists and cajoling them for sitting with their arms folded. The crowd did perk up a bit for "Shoutin' On The Hills," and thus ended the Down East Boys' set. What I heard and saw of their last four or five songs was characterized with lots of vocal stacks, a general lack of rapport with the audience, and a lot of grimacing while singing. I didn't think their set was bad. It just seemed they were frustrated that their music wasn't connecting with this particular audience. The Melody Boys fared better. Although the crowd never did fully open up, Gerald Williams' easy-going song introductions and confident vocals set the pace. Two of his singers look a bit like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs at times, but there were other spots on the program where they loosened up. I heard their entire 50-minute set, and found it very enjoyable and entertaining. The Melody Boys have a good blend and good material. I cut out after intermission, which is getting to be a habit lately. My excuse tonight was that I have had a sore throat nagging me for the past three days and more importantly than that, I didn't get to eat supper before the concert! Triumphant Quartet will be next on the concert series, coming in January, so I'll try to make an effort to stay for the duration at that time. By the way, I enjoyed seeing "Nanny Lissa" and "Bethany/Firefightergirl" from the SG message boards. I hope you both had a good time. Maybe the crowds will be bigger the next time you come back to Rutherfordton for a concert. I wasn't on my best game tonight, so if either of you think I missed the boat with my observations, drop a comment below and set me straight! :o) Labels: Concert Review September 14, 2006NQC 2006: Fan Awards, Part 21. Greater Vision wins Website This is a new award, and Greater Vision wins it. Like Steve French said when he was trying his hand at stand-up comedy, we really need a new award in order to keep the Fan Awards moving. In his acceptance speech, Gerald mentions that bloggers have said that Greater Vision doesn't have the slickest looking website. I remember saying Greater Vision's site was "OK," so I guess he was possibly talking about me. I also said this category was more of a "Favorite Artist" vote, since subscribers to the Singing News who don't care about the internet would just vote for their favorite group anyway, and if any new award is to be added, it really ought to be an overall award for favorite Artist. 2. The Crabb Family sings their nominated song, "Shepherd's Call." 3. Ernie Haase wins Tenor. Haase accepts via video from Cape Town, South Africa. 4. Gerald Wolfe wins Lead. In his acceptance speech, Wolfe lets everyone in on the fact that he usually sings baritone. We'll see if he switches categories next year. 5. The Booth Brothers sing their nominated song, "He Saw It All." Jason Crabb and Lauren Talley come to the stage to try their hand at stand-up comedy, but Solid Gospel goes to an extended break as the top of the hour approaches. (Right now, I'm listening to dead air...ah, finally, there's the news...I'm going to miss several presentations and/or performances, but hopefully Goodman will recap what happened in the past ten minutes when we go back to the broadcast...nah, he doesn't. By applying logical deduction, I think I must have missed Legacy 5 performing their nominated song, "Out Of My Darkness"...I'm not sure if Ernie Haase & Signature Sound performed "Do You Want To Be Forgiven" via video from South Africa or not.) 6. Rodney Griffin wins Baritone. 7. Tim Duncan wins Bass. He accepts via video from South Africa. 8. The Whisnants sing their nominated song, "New Day Dawning." 9. "He Saw It All" wins Song Of The Year. This award is accepted by the group, but they bring the songwriter to the stage to have a part in the acceptance as well...good for them. In my opinion, this award really ought to go to the writer rather than the group that sung it. Of course, the group plays a big part in the success of the song, but if Singing News had an overall award for favorite Artist, this particular award could put more of a focus on the people who write the songs. Usually an artist wins the Songwriter category, and this year is no exception. The person who wrote the favorite song this year wasn't an artist, but the average fan doesn't know who Daryl Mosely is...thankfully, the Booth Brothers gave him some time in the spotlight. 10. Rodney Griffin wins Songwriter. 11. The Perrys win Album for Remembering The Happy Goodmans. 12. The Inspirations and Ernie Haase & Signature Sound make history by tying for Traditional Quartet. I hope everyone has enjoyed my remote commentary on the Fan Awards, as well as my posts based on my eyewitness experience at NQC 2006 for the past three days. NQC was a blast. Please don't take any of my criticisms personally if you have a stake in NQC...I'm a fan of what NQC is doing, and I hope the event continues to improve each year. 13. Ivan Parker closes the Fan Awards with "Midnight Cry" backed by a large choir. Roger Bennett recognizes the twentieth anniversary of the song. It looks like they finished before the intermission was supposed to be over. The Martins are scheduled to take the stage at 8:45, and it looks like they'll do it on schedule. (I think it's safe to say that most of the credit for finishing on time goes to taped acceptance speeches, which were all very brief.) No, I'm not going to stay up to listen to the bitter end of tonight's concert with an hour delay, but my Replay A/V software is capturing it for me to hear later. In his recap of the award winners, Solid Gospel host, Greg Goodman, just referred to the favorite "pianoist"...not "pianist"..."pianOist." I didn't know there was such a thing. If you read it all...thanks for reading! I know these last two posts have been rambling. I'll have a few more thoughts on the week to share after I've had a day or two to rest, listen to the recordings captured by my software, and condense what I have to say. Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations September 13, 2006NQC 2006: Day 2Day 2 of NQC consisted of 4 1/2 hours of showcase groups, and a full slate on the main stage. I didn't hear every single group today. I spent some time in the Exhibit Hall, meeting friends, hopefully making a few new friends, and just generally wandering around. I won't list all the artists who were on the showcase, but some of the highlights included: Route 77 - This new group consists of Angelina McKeithan and a girl who used to travel with the Lewis Family. They're looking for a third female singer/player. Crossmen - A very solid male quartet. Skyline Boys - With Jodi Hosterman now singing tenor, this group has stepped up a notch over last year. Mercy's Well - Smooth like butter...this was my first chance to hear these guys in a live setting. They did two slower arrangements from their Hymns CD, and both went over well. That's significant, considering they were on next to last, and crowds generally want more upbeat stuff or at least a mix. Gene Shell, who traveled to NQC with me this year, said he was most impressed by Soul'd Out Quartet on the showcase. Soul'd Out is a young group with a great sound. The groups I heard on the Tuesday evening main stage concert are listed below. The groups that were most impressive to me have stars by their names with a few random comments here and there. 1. *Hope's Call - This group made a huge impression their first time on the main stage...two slower songs, with standing ovations for both songs. 2. Karen Peck & New River 3. Weatherfords 4. *Greenes: Gene said the Greenes were the second best act of the evening, behind the Crabbs. They did do a good job. 5. *Freemans - This group was impressive, especially when you consider the circumstances of their set. Earlier in the day, the group learned that Chris Freeman's brother Mike had passed away...it was also his 51st birthday. They decided to go ahead and do their set, and needless to say, it was emotionally charged. Please remember this family in your prayers. 6. Pfiefers - The Pfiefers have their moments, but they're a lot better players than singers. They know how to work the crowd, though...you have to give them that...huge ovation and calls for "more" at the end. 7. *Booth Brothers - The Booth Brothers own the stage. 8. Talleys 9. *Crabb Family - Great bands make a huge difference. This group could take us anywhere they wanted to go. They had the best set of the night. 10. Perrys 11. Mark Trammell Trio 12. Lesters 13. Greater Vision Several other groups performed, but I didn't catch their sets. Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations September 12, 2006NQC 2006: Day 1Well, the first day of NQC is over and I've enjoyed another "Quartet Night." I don't know if I've ever actually done this in the past or not, but this year I was there from the beginning to the end of the evening concert. First things first, though... The new Exhibit Hall in the South Wing is much wider, but not nearly as deep as the former location...which is totally gone...flattened by the wrecking crews who are prepping to build a brand new East Wing. I walked through about half of it (the South Wing, that is...not the East Wing) before 6:00 PM...same old stuff...groups you've heard mixed in with groups you haven't...and in between those are all the "flea market" style booths we've come to love. There's more than one bus to view this year. Here's who I heard tonight...I put stars beside the groups that gave the best performances plus a few random comments. I started keeping a set list...I was willing, but my pen was weak...I gave up on that idea after it dried up. 1. Opening - September 11 Remembrance: This began with a slide show accompanied by loud music and soft sound clips of people like President Bush talking. It was good, but could have been better if it had been balanced. It then shifted to a live performance with a soloist followed by the Florida Boys singing the National Anthem while a fireman, policeman, and a soldier stood on stage. The live elements were very good. 2. Monument Quartet 3. Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet 4. Dixie Melody Boys: Ed O'Neal struggled with pitch issues for most of their set, unfortunately...we're talking off by a half step...but he still got a good response from the crowd with a bass feature near the end of the group's stand. 5. Toney Brothers 6. Southern Sound 7. Palmetto State Quartet 8. *Gold City: Aaron McCune is fitting into the bass role nicely with Gold City. 9. Florida Boys 10. Legacy Five 11. *Brian Free & Assurance: They did mostly new songs and still had the crowd's attention from the moment they stepped on stage until they left. Gene Shell, who traveled to NQC with me this year, agreed with me that their set was the highlight of the evening. 12. *Mercy's Mark: They did everything right, but the crowd starred at them like a mule looking at a new gate...a great set, but it was evidently for the wrong crowd. I liked it. 13. Melody Boys 14. *Kingsmen: I know people have said the "Kingsmen are back" several times in the last few years, but this is the first set I've seen them do that made me feel like they really and truly are back. Of course, they never really went anywhere, but the energy and the quality are there this year. 15. Inspirations 16. Anchormen 17. Dixie Echoes: The Dixie Echoes did a good job, but the sound crew evidently wasn't able to adjust the gain properly for the studio mics they wanted to use...so we strained to hear them thru their entire set until they finally got it right on the last song...seems like that happened last year...and the year before. Oh well. 18. *Dove Brothers: With only a tenth of the 6:00 PM crowd remaining at 11:30 PM, the Doves had the second best set of the evening. After hearing several new selections plus "Lonesome Road" and responding well, the crowd came to their feet spontaneously for "Didn't It Rain." Hey...if it works, you gotta dance with the one that brung ya... Labels: Concert Review, NQC, Observations July 31, 2006Concert Review: Dixie Echoes 7-30-06I took in a Dixie Echoes concert earlier this evening. They were coming off a late night sing in PA on Saturday that lasted until 2 AM or so. I think Stewart Varnado said they arrived in our neck of the woods at 11 AM on Sunday morning, so needless to say, they were fatigued. Those guys are pros, though, and they delivered an excellent performance. The Dixie Echoes get a good bit of variety out of a traditional two mic setup. Varnado played a rapid-fire piano solo and kept the crowd entertained with his alternating looks of woe and glee. Tracy Crouch is sounding confident at the bass position. The father/son Shelnuts on the middle vocal parts sing to their strengths and provide variety with their guitar work. Dallas Rogers is an excellent tenor who should be able to write his own ticket in a couple of years. All told, it's the best combination of Dixie Echoes I've heard in several years. They performed most of the songs on A New Chapter plus a number of standards like "Glory Road" and "Oh, What A Savior." The evening ended with an invitation and the guys sang "Just As I Am" out of the hymnal. It was a good overall mix of traditional vs. less familiar songs. The sound was at a comfortable volume that allowed the group to sing with dynamics, something that is too often overlooked with modern groups. More importantly, the Gospel message came through clearly, and they entertained the people as well. Labels: Concert Review July 16, 2006Concert Review: Kenny Bishop 7-15-06 I got to hear Kenny Bishop in concert last night. He had some sound system issues at first. (Running tracks from a laptop is NOT a good idea...too many variables vs. a simpler, dedicated music playing machine like a CD player or Mini-disc.) Fortunately, they got the kinks worked out after three or four songs. I believe he sang all the songs from his new CD, which I reviewed a couple of months ago. When sharing his testimony, Bishop took full responsibility for the demise of the Bishops in 2001 and told how God followed him even when he tried to run to a place he thought God wouldn't go. That should be an encouragement to us all. Sometimes, even those people who have lived a life of deliberate deception discover the mercy and grace of God. In Bishop's case, it took his world "crashing down" (his words) and a period of rebellion before he allowed God to totally have his way in his life. What I admire most is that he's man enough to go on stage night after night and explain his failures to yet another group of strangers. Now I clearly don't recommend testing God in the way Kenny Bishop did. Jesus told Thomas that people of faith will be blessed for believing without seeing the proof. Still, it was a real encouragement to hear Bishop bear witness to the faithfulness of God. Labels: Concert Review June 26, 2006That 'Signature Sound' ... in the dark! UPDATE>> Pictures posted-click here... Friday night was the Atlanta stop on the Summer Spectacular tour of Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. The doors opened at Roswell Street Baptist in Marietta, GA at 6:30. Then, at about 6:32, a super storm hit with wind (strong enough to blow a porta-potty across the parking lot) and then the lights went out. Funny thing is how the lights went completely out in the auditorium itself, while the lights stayed on in the hallway. Then, fire alarms went off with a voice on a loudspeaker declaring an emergency and to find an exit. Thankfully, no one freaked or even left the building because, also thankfully, there was no emergency. So, from 6:30 until about 8:45, there was no power or lights in the sanctuary. Ernie and the guys started singing shortly after 7:30 (when the concert was supposed to start), but did so most of that time in the dark and a cappella. It gave Roy great opportunity to use his comedy and rib Ernie a lot. Funny stuff. I have taken pictures and even a video clip - but because the lights were out, the pictures are not very clear (click here to view). The air conditioning in the church never really did come on, so it was like an oven there... where, just before the storm, my car's temperature gauge read 105 degrees! Where some artists would cancel or delay the show (and frankly, after about 45 minutes of winging it with no power, I expected the group to take a break or wait it out... ), Signature Sound kept on singing and talking throughout the whole ordeal with no signs of stopping. For part of the time they somehow managed to power a portion of their lighting and sound systems. (Ernie at one point was working on connecting the bus generator to the sound and lights). The minimum setup was short-lived (not sure why), because during one song, at the end of a verse, it all went dark again. Somebody used a flashlight as a spotlight to provide an eerie kind of glow onto Ernie and the guys. But, they were determined to sing their way through the mess and, eventually, it paid off as the power company had everything restored and the show continued on. As one other reviewer put it: It was the night the lights went out in Georgia! -Daniel Britt Labels: Concert Review June 24, 2006Concert Review: Whisnants, Greenes, KingsmenI had the opportunity to wander up to Morganton, NC earlier tonight to a concert sponsored by the Whisnants. This event was to celebrate their 35th year singing gospel music. On the bill for the evening were the Whisnants, Greenes, and Kingsmen Quartet. The Greenes got the ball rolling with a 45-minute set mixed with good singing by the group, plus comedy and inspirational words from Tony Greene. I thought the highlights of their first set were "March Through The Water" from their new CD and Taranda Greene's solo "Sky Full Of Angels." The Kingsmen came out next with guns blazing...very little talking...just lots of singing. Ray Reese is sounding better than ever, and Tony Peace adds an excitement to the stage as the emcee and designated "guy who calls out the songs." Jeremy Peace and Phillip Hughes sing with a great sense of confidence, but I think they have a bit of a disadvantage. The Kingsmen style doesn't come naturally to them, but they do a great job, nonetheless. The band is sounding great. Nick Succi was featured along with the band on this blazingly fast jazz arrangement that was very impressive. Jason Selph also did a great job singing "Wish You Were Here." The overall mix of the group was a bit muddy. In fact, when they left the stage, there was some noticeable noise in the speakers until they muted their board...not sure what was up with that. It wasn't so bad that it was annoying or distracting, but it did hurt the overall sound a bit. The Whisnants sounded very, very smooth in front of their home crowd. I really like "New Day Dawning," which was a recent number one song for the group. Jeff Whisnant's brother John was the emcee for this event, and he did a great job getting the groups on and off the stage with minimal delays. Like the other two groups, the Whisnants performed a 45 minute set, which was great. After the intermission, each group was supposed to do two songs. The Greenes sang three including a long closing medley and Tony talked quite a bit between each one. The Kingsmen did as they were told and sang two songs, which left us Kingsmen fans feeling a bit cheated...not too much though...they probably sang twice as many songs on the first round as the other groups since they did a lot of upbeat stuff and didn't talk very much. Me and my buddies got a head start on the crowd by ducking out as the Whisnants were taking the stage. All in all, it was money well spent. Each group had the chance to work the crowd effectively, sell their products during intermission, and meet the folks. I wish all concerts were handled with this level of professionalism. Now I have a few words for the people of Burke County, NC...shame on you for not filling the building for this event. By my estimate, there were less than 400 people in attendance. Tickets were a mere $15 or $25 if you planned to attend both Friday and Saturday. This concert was well advertised. The place holds more than 1000 and it should have been full, especially for a nationally known, hometown group's reunion event. Oh well...I guess that scripture about a prophet being without honor in his own town applies to Morganton, NC. Labels: Concert Review September 16, 2005NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 6Snapshots From Friday Evening 11:02 John Pfeifer pays tribute to the veterans of foreign wars with a special emphasis on the veterans of Vietnam. NQC typically has a major patriotic feature like this. As the voice of President Bush is heard over the intro to the next song, I'm sure the Pfeifers have prepared a video tribute to go along with it. The Pfeifers then sing "United Through It All." They sound like they're turning their vocal cords inside out...I wonder if that's physically possible. 11:11 DJ Greg Goodman is now reading the list of winners in the Diamond Awards. Those winners stand in sharp contrast to the winners of the Singing News Fan Awards...progressive vs. traditional in almost every category. 11:14 The Crabb Family opens their set with "Greater Is He." 11:19 They continue with "To Me, He Is So Wonderful." I'm not sure who the Crabb's piano player is now, but I like his jazzy playing style. 11:20 Jason pulls Mike Bowling (who protests because he isn't wearing his stage clothes) up on stage to sing "That I Can Still Go Free," an old Hinsons song. 11:27 Next up is "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus," a black gospel standard that the Crabbs have adapted. Well, folks, that's going to do it for me. There's a couple more groups on tonight and of course, there's another full day of NQC 2005 tomorrow. I will be attending a local concert tomorrow night, so I won't be doing any more reporting. I hope readers who couldn't attend NQC or get the internet feed have enjoyed experiencing the event vicariously through my blog. It was my pleasure to bring it to you. If you haven't already done so, leave a comment and let me know you were here. Labels: Concert Review, NQC NQC By Internet, Friday, Hour 2Snapshots From Friday Evening 7:00 The McKameys are singing "Right On Time" in their traditional style. 7:04 Peg is reporting on Ruben Bean's health condition. He couldn't join them for the concert tonight due to a flare-up of sciatica yesterday. Mark Trammell paused during his set last night to pray for Ruben, and Peg just thanked him for taking time to do that. She reported that Ruben is feeling much better today. 7:07 Connie Fortner is singing now. She has a nice voice that is often overlooked due to the group's collective onstage persona. It's good to hear them feature her. 7:10 Now they're onto "Under His Feet"...there's that collective persona I was talking about! My, my, my...God bless 'em! :o) 7:14 "I'm Home"...Peg is speaking the lines as an echo to Carol as she's singing her solo part...let her sing it, Peg! :o) 7:16 They just launched into "God On The Mountain," a great song. This is the type of song that is remembered because of the lyric, regardless of who sings it. As a classic, it's begging to be re-arranged and presented fresh by a modern artist...Mercy's Mark comes to mind. 7:22 Solid Gospel is interviewing Ed Crawford of the Mystery Men Quartet now. He's a great guy...wonderful personality. 7:27 Greater Vision opens their set with "'Til The Storm Passes By." The Greenes performed this song earlier in the week and gave it a personal context with regard to their family's health issues. 7:31 Greater Vision sings "My Name Is Lazarus" next. It was a huge hit in the late 1990s. 7:34 Next up is "So Much God." So far, Greater Vision is going down memory lane with this set. You'd think they'd be pushing songs from Faces right off the bat. It was received recognition as the Favorite Album in the Fan Awards last night. 7:45 Gerald Wolfe is having some fun at Rodney Griffin's expense when Solid Gospel breaks from commercials and extended DJ chit chat. Greater Vision ends their set with the song "Faces," which also won Favorite Song in the Fan Awards last night. 7:52 The Hoppers take the stage seven minutes later than scheduled. The McKameys started a minute before their scheduled start time...guess who ran over...yep, it was the Favorite Trio of 2005. :o) 7:54 Connie Hopper is featured on "I've Come Too Far To Look Back" to start the Hoppers' set. 7:58 It's "Look For Me Around The Throne" now. This group is so precise vocally. Labels: Concert Review, NQC NQC By Internet, ThursdayWell, I made it back home to NC in time to catch most of the live internet feed of NQC last night. It's a totally different experience, of course, from being there. The internet feed has the vocals mixed dry...which is probably how they are being sent to the main speakers in the arena as well. That's fine for a big arena with lots of natural reverb, but it doesn't come across so great into a home setting. People who are off pitch sound REALLY off when it's dry. Anyway, I kept a running commentary on a couple of threads HERE and HERE, so you can check those out if you like. I'll summarize below. Fan Awards 1. Once again, everyone is in shock that the Inspirations won Traditional Male Quartet. It shouldn't be a shock by now. I don't care for their style of music at all, but many traditional fans do. This can be proved by their consistently larger audiences at concerts. They come to my town once a year on a series, and generally have crowds that exceed other top name groups. I don't get the appeal of Archie Watkins' vocals mixed with Martin Cook's choppy piano and his son's never in tune bass guitar, but there's no accounting for taste. People suggesting a conspiracy on the part of their record label Crossroads have too much time on their hands. I could tell you a story regarding that specific topic, but I'll stop short of there by saying these are record producers and market people. In other words, they of all people know good music when they hear it. Don't you think they'd push a better artist (Kingdom Heirs/Dove Brothers/Palmetto State/Kingsmen) if they truly held that much sway over who wins this award? 2. Interesting that the male quartet part awards all went to people from different groups. 3. I thought someone besides Kim Hopper, Roger Bennett and Rodney Griffin would have won this year, but they continue to win because they won the year before. 4. It's ironic, of course, that Frank Seamans won Horizon Individual. At least he's still with L5 for the moment, as was Josh Cobb several years ago. It would have been awkward if Gold City had won in the band category. 5. One of the guys I pushed randomly in the DJ categories won...Beecher Hyde...but the other two didn't. I was hoping all three would sweep, showing my deep influence on this industry. Oh well! :o) 6. I thought Mark Trammell's acceptance speech was the best of the evening...granted, I didn't hear them all because Solid Gospel had to air ads from time to time during the evening. Thursday Evening Concert I heard parts of the concert...from time to time, Solid Gospel would air a "flashback" from a previous NQC or have an interview. Combined with the ads, I probably heard half of the actual live events. Here's my thoughts... 1. Naomi And The Segos: She's a legend with severe intonation issues at this point in her career. Give her a spot to do two or three songs on an afternoon showcase next year. 2. Whisnants: Greg Goodman, the DJ for Solid Gospel, kept referring to this group as the "Whiz-nuts." After their set, he said there would be a test on how to spell their name later...then he said he wasn't sure how to spell it himself. No wonder he had no idea how to pronounce it. 3. Kingdom Heirs: Their sets I saw earlier in the week on Wednesday night and at the Vintage Quartet Showcase on Wednesday afternoon were great. It sounded like Hodges was too shrill over the internet feed Thursday night, but otherwise it was pretty good...just not quite up to their other performances of the week. 4. Specks: Bad pitch issues plagued them throughout their set. 5. Dove Brothers: The Doves seemed to be turning in one of their typical stellar performances. I'm probably the only one who noticed Eric singing about Jesus cleansing the "leopards" on their first song. That Bladenboro accent will get you every time! :o) I thought Hester was especially good on the song "One More Miracle." I would have picked a fast song to end on, though. "I'll Praise The Lamb" is good, but it followed Hester's slow solo. One thing I noted was how they sounded virtually as solid live as they do on a recording. That's pretty remarkable, considering how much they move around. 6. Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet: They sounded rough as a cob on "There's a Brighter Day." 7. Stamps Quartet: They sounded much more polished on Monday night. Their set was pretty rough as well on Thursday. 8. Chosen Few: I only heard part of one song. 9. Mark Trammell Trio: They sounded just like they do on their recordings...very polished...and now they have some material that is produced at a top notch level, so I think they are poised to become more popular as a result. I missed the last two groups. I watched part of the new Mark Lowry video instead. Regarding Solid Gospel in general, they did a fairly good job covering this event. My only gripe was with DJ Greg Goodman, who made a number of factually inaccurate statements due to ignorance about his topic. At one point, he said Les Beasley started the NQC, for example. The entire history of NQC is printed right there in the program book. All he had to do was read it. On the other hand, the way he described what was going on when there were pauses in the audio during the Fan Awards was very good. He also provided a run down of the Fan Award winners at two different points later in the broadcast. Labels: Concert Review, NQC September 14, 2005Road Trip Review, Day 4, Part BTuesday Evening Concert, September 13, 2005 - NQC There were seventeen groups on the Tuesday evening concert at NQC. I saw nine of them perform complete sets, and caught the tail end of two others. Tuesday night is typically the night I spend more time in the Exhibit Hall chatting with artists and message board friends. You probably know this drill by now...comments are in blue. Asterisks (*) are beside groups that impressed me with their performances. Apologies for incorrect titles. Overall, I've sensed an improvement in the professionalism at this year's event...more variety in how they get artists on the stage and the crew has been quick this year. Also, I have seen NO commercials on video during the evening concerts this year. I missed the Galloways, Squire Parsons Trio, Down East, and Reggie Saddler Family. The Primitives were on their last song when I took my seat, but I didn't get there in time to catch the song title. Dr. Buck Morton was tonight's emcee, but he turned his duties over to Dennis Swanberg part of the time. I didn't hear Morton use the phrase "sing the notes off the page" a single time. *Perrys (Their whole set consisted of songs from their new CD, Remembering The Happy Goodmans. They used a full live band for their set, including Rick Goodman on drums, Jeff Easter on bass, Steve Easter on steel, Tim Surrett on rhythm guitar, and their regular piano player.) "I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now"/"The Eastern Gate"/"What A Beautiful Day"/"Who Am I?"/"Living In Canaan Now" Crossway (Paul Lancaster was filling in for one of the guys whose wife recently gave birth to triplets.) "The Long Arm Of Love"/"I'll Fly Away" (This was performed with one of the singers playing a guitar for accompaniment...they did a unique version on this song, which was very nice)/"I See A Savior" Rick Webb Trio "Bells Of Heaven"/"Let The Church Roll On" (This was a novelty song...cute lyrics, but the arrangement repeated the chorus too much, IMO.)/"Mercy Stepped In"/"Let Us Stand" Lesters "You Sure Do Need Him Now" with "Standin' In The Need Of Prayer"/"I've Seen The Light"/"I'm Standing My Ground"/"On Jesus Alone We Will Stand" *Booth Brothers "His Grace Is Sufficient"/"Livin' For The Moment" (This is the best cut on their new CD, IMO...lots of energy, which they do so well.)/"He Saw It All" (This is their current single, and it got a great response.)/"Still Feeling Fine"/"He Saw It All" (A reprise of the chorus, with just acoustic guitar played by Ronnie Booth for accompaniment...smart move, IMO...they made sure the audience didn't forget their current single after hearing "Still Feeling Fine.")/"Through It All" (Ronnie Booth sounded a lot like Larry Gatlin on this.) *Crabb Family "Amazing Grace" (Harmonica, then vocal solo)/"Please Forgive Me"/"Through The Fire"/"Don't You Wanna Go?"/"Redeemer" (This is the song originally recorded by Nicole C. Mullen.)/"Because He Lives" *Toney Brothers "Then I Met The Master"/"Light Up The Sky"/"In The Garden"/"Feeling Mighty Fine" (They were joined by the Booth Brothers for their last song.) I missed the Whisnants and Journeymen. When I got back to my seat, the McKameys were finishing up their last song, which was "I've Won." Peg still had her shoes on. *Hoppers "Yes, I Am"/"He Wrote My Name"/"I Wonder What They're Thinking Now"/"Jerusalem" (I may have missed one of the Hoppers' songs. They had a 23 minute set, so I'm thinking they surely did another one.) *Greater Vision "He'd Still Been God"/"Do You Know How Much More"/"When The Home Gates Swing Open"/"Samaritan's Heart"/"He'll Carry Me" Closing...Greater Vision and the Hoppers "He Wrote My Name"/"What A Lovely Name"/"Oh Holy Night" (Dean did the first verse and Gerald did the second. They used the Hoppers' arrangement.) Labels: Concert Review, NQC September 12, 2005Road Trip Review, Day 3, Part BMonday Evening, September 12, 2005 - NQC I figured most people would be more interested in the evening concerts at NQC, so I'm posting Part B of Day 3 first...which is actually the evening of Day 1 at NQC 2005. I'll post Part A of Day 3 (NQC Day 1 Afternoon) tomorrow...confused yet? Read on and hopefully all will become clear. The evening concert on the first day of NQC is traditionally devoted to male quartets. I think NQC got it right this year. There wasn't a single group on the main stage that had me scratching my head going, "What on earth were they thinking letting them up there?" I'm keeping up with the setlists so far. I wrote down everything I heard...granted, I did take a couple of breaks to roam the exhibit hall. I think I'm missing four groups, so if anyone who was there kept a setlist on the ones I missed, leave a comment and I'll add it to this post. Also, I'm sure some titles aren't precisely right, because I had to guess at the ones I didn't already know. As with previous Road Trip posts, my comments are in blue. An asterisk (*) beside a group name indicates the artists I particularly enjoyed. (The lack of an asterisk does NOT mean I disliked a group. See my comment above about NQC getting it right this year.) Event Opening *Florida Boys - "National Anthem" *Gerald Wolfe, Dean Hopper, Kim Hopper, and Gene Mcdonald - "God Bless The USA" Brian Lester was the emcee tonight. IMO, Lester is the best host NQC has. I expect we'll get treated to "Jerry Goff's Parade Of Jokes From 1949" and Dr. Buck's "Sing The Notes Off The Page Extravaganza" before the week is over. *Melody Boys Quartet "Victory In Jesus" (a cappella, but not on purpose. There was a malfuntion with their accompaniment)/"My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me"/"I'm Gonna Walk The Way He Wants Me To"/"Wrap Me In Your Arms Tonight, Sweet Shepherd" (This was a well written/arranged tune.) Songfellows "Have You Talked To The Man Upstairs"/"Just A Little Talk With Jesus"/"Mansion Over A Hilltop" (featuring 91 year old Bob Jones)/"Oh What A Savior" *Stamps (As much as I loved hearing Ed Hill sing, his replacement Michael Helwig has brought some energy to this group that has really helped their stage presence, IMO. They sounded great tonight, singing a lot of uptempo songs, so they got more in than most groups.) "We Have Come To Worship The Savior"/"Walkin' And Talkin' With My Lord"/"He's Making A Change In Me"/"Victory Road"/"Church Twice On Sunday"/"Extra Little Bit Of Love"/"Sweet, Sweet Spirit" Inspirations "I'll Not Turn My Back On Him Now"/"We Need To Thank God"/"Two Shoes"/"Winner Either Way"/"When I Got Saved"/"I'm Not Ashamed" *Palmetto State Quartet "I'm Going There"/"Movin' Up To Heaven"/"Glory Can't Tell It All"/"I'm On My Way"/"The Prayer" (piano solo by Andrew Ishee)/"Knock, Knock, Knock"/"We'll Meet Again" *Brian Free and Assurance "Church Foundation Hymn Medley"/"In My Robe Of White"/"My Answer Is Yes"/"I Have Been Healed"/"Long As I Got King Jesus" (They had the old biddies up dancing on this one!) :o) *Florida Boys "Sing Your Blues Away"/"I Can't Even Walk"/"On Some Sweet Day"/"More About Jesus"/"Tell Me Why"/"This Is The Day"/"While The Ages Roll" *Legacy Five (L5 introduced their new bass player, Roger Bennet's son Jordan.) "I'm Feeling Fine"/"He's Just A Whisper Away" (This was really a nice change of pace.)/"Monuments"/"Raised To Walk"/"You Died For Me"/"Out Of My Darkness" *Dixie Melody Boys "Far Above The Starry Sky"/"Wait 'Til You See Me In My New Home" (Dustin Sweatman piano solo.)/"Give The World A Smile"/"Roll On, Jordan"/"Hide Thou Me"/"He Bore It All"/"'Til The Storm Passes By" *Gold City "Angels From The Realms Of Glory" (a cappella)/"I'm Not Giving Up"/"He Said"/"It's Still The Cross"/"When He Blessed My Soul" Singing Ambassadors "Clinging To A Saving Hand" (I took a break here and missed the rest of their set.) Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet (I got back in time to hear them do one song. Tony Jarman sounded good singing tenor for them. I didn't learn the name of the bass singer and I don't know if the one singing was filling in or a permanent replacement for Jeff Pearles.) "The Lighthouse" *Dove Brothers (The Doves did three songs off their new CD, which seemed to go over well.) "Have A Nice Day"/"Anything But Ordinary"/"Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel"/"When He Came Walking"/"Walk That Lonesome Road" (They've incorporated pianist Jerry Kelso into their comedy routine on this song.)/"Get Away, Jordan" (They did the encore section just once, but it brought the crowd to their feet.) *Anchormen (This group is sounding very, very solid right now.) "My Heavenly Home"/"Heaven's Jubilee"/"Just A Little Talk With Jesus"/"Somebody Touched Me" (This is played as a hat tip to Danny Funderburke. Audiences connect, because Funderburke's son is the emcee for the Anchormen now.)/"Where The Milk And Honey Flows" (This is not the song recorded by the Cathedrals on Faithful.) Dixie Echoes "I'm Gone" (And I was gone after that...my four hours of sleep from the night before was taking a toll, so I decided to avoid the rush and skip out early. Unfortunately, this meant I also missed hearing the Kingsmen, who were scheduled to close out the evening.) Labels: Concert Review, NQC September 11, 2005Road Trip Review, Day 2September 11, 2005 The evening of Day 2 on my road trip finds me in Huntington, WV. I was just treated to supper by Dean Adkins, which was greatly appreciated. Thanks Dean! Most of today was spent traveling, but I did take in one concert this afternoon. I drove to the metropolis of Jumping Branch, WV to hear the Mark Trammell Trio at Bluestone Baptist Church. The singing was part of the church's Homecoming celebration. (This church has been in existence since 1798...that's 207 years.) I had the opportunity to chat with Eric, Joseph and Mark as they were setting up. I already knew Eric from his days with the Melody Masters, but it was my first chance to talk with the other two guys. One thing I sensed from all three was a spirit of unity and purpose about their livelihood. If I could sum up the group in one word, it would be "maturity." This is an element of the Mark Trammell Trio that extends beyond their ability to put on a great performance. Joseph said he reads the Musicscribe.com blog regularly. Mark said he doesn't know how to turn a computer on...so Joseph, you might want to print this one out and show it to Mark! :o) On to the concert...the ink pen I stole from the Microtel Inn in Christiansburg, VA this morning worked a lot better than the pen I used at the GVB/SSQ concert last night. (That pen is now laying beside I-81 somewhere between Roanoke and Christiansburg.) Anyway, here's the setlist for today's concert with the Mark Trammell Trio. Set 1 1. Congregation - "Victory In Jesus" (First verse) 2. Choir - "Child Of God" (a Mike Speck arrangement) 3. Mark Trammell Trio - "I Have A Heavenly Father" 4. MTT - "I'm Glad That I Know Jesus" 5. MTT - "To God Be The Glory" 6. MTT - "The Love Of Christ" 7. MTT - "When They Ring The Bells Of Heaven" 8. MTT - "When Compared To God" 9. MTT - "I Needed To Hear That Today" 10. MTT - "With God As My Witness" 11. MTT - "The Love Of God" (This was the Vep Ellis standard; not the traditional hymn by Frederick Lehman.) 12. MTT - "This Time" (This is their new single and the title cut from their new CD. It's similar to "It's Jesus" in style.) 13. MTT - "When I Stand In The Presence Of The Lord" Set 2 1. Congregation - "Blessed Assurance" (first and last verses) 2. MTT - "What A Lovely Name" 3. MTT - "Jesus, Hold My Hand" 4. MTT - "Keeper Of The Keys" 5. MTT - "More Than You'll Ever Know" 6. Invitation/Congregation - "Just As I Am" The concert was about an hour and forty-five minutes in length. Trammell does a great job as emcee, mixing humor with more serious fare. He's a master at making a local audience feel special...pointing out that Eric's father graduated from the local high school, for example, and bragging on a lady who had made a coconut pie. Housekeeping notes: I don't know how reliable my internet connection is going to be when I get to Louisville tomorrow. These first two nights, I've been in hotels that had free high speed wireless. Tomorrow, it's back to dial-up. Hopefully, I can continue to update my road trip for you on a daily basis...if not, I'll go ahead and type it up each day and then post it all when I get back home on Thursday night. I MAY continue to keep setlists for the next three days at NQC, but I'm going to hear a LOT of songs, so I'm not making any promises about that. We'll just have to wait and see if I'm determined enough to follow through with writing everything down as I hear it for three solid days! Labels: Concert Review September 10, 2005Road Trip Review, Day 1September 10, 2005 Review: I'm sitting in a hotel just down the road from Roanoke, VA, having just returned from seeing the Signature Sound and Gaither Vocal Band concert there. The event was held at the Roanoke Performing Arts Center, a VERY nice, modern venue that seats approximately 2000. It appeared to be sold out. The biggest question everyone seems to have regarding the Gaither Vocal Band is "How is Wes Hampton doing as the GVB's new tenor?" The answer is very, very well. The former GVB tenor he most resembles (vocally speaking) is Terry Franklin. You can tell he's still adjusting, learning the songs, and learning he has to be ready for anything Bill pulls out on the spur of the moment...but all that being said, I think he has a bright future with the GVB. At the moment, though, the main driving force in the GVB's sound is Guy Penrod, where before it was shared between Penrod and Phelps. By the way, Marsh Hall is doing an outstanding job as well. I thought my readers might want to see a setlist. I was writing in the dark, and my ink pen didn't work a few times, so in the end, I missed the title of one song by EHSSQ. If anyone else was there and remembers it, leave a comment to this blog post and I'll get the info updated. By the way, the musicians present were Roy Webb, Anthony Burger, and Kevin Williams. I should also add that there was a full fledged light show which really enhanced the program, aside from one problem at the begining...see my running commentary below. The light show consist of four or five towers of colored spots, a dozen motorized spots that could display various patterns in sync, and numerous floods up above. Two circular video screens were used to show moving patterns and a bit of video for comedy effect. Here's the setlist, with my running commentary... Set 1 Just before the show started, a bright white motorized spot was "parked" pointing straight at the audience. The first two songs by Kevin Williams and Bill Gaither's first appearance were peppered by angry people yelling at them to turn down the light. The crew finally figured out why folks were yelling and got it redirected so it wasn't a problem from that point on. 1. Kevin Williams - "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder" (guitar instrumental) 2. KW - "Power In The Blood" (guitar instrumental) 3. Bill Gaither - "Old Friends" On the second verse, Gaither had Anthony Burger sing and he got the words wrong. That got the first big laugh of the night. 4. Ernie Haase and Signature Sound Quartet - "Glory To God In The Highest" 5. EHSSQ - "Shout Brother, Shout" 6. EHSSQ - "Lead Me, Guide Me" 7. EHSSQ - "Telling The World About His Love" 8. EHSSQ - "Happy Rhythm" 9. EHSSQ - "Stand By Me" On this one, Ernie pulled Bill out from backstage on the encore and tried to get him to dance. 10. EHSSQ - "Heaven Holds Much More" 11. EHSSQ - "This Could Be The Dawning Of That Day" 12. EHSSQ - "Glory To God In The Highest Reprise" 13. Gaither Vocal Band - "Alpha And Omega" 14. GVB - "Jesus Loves Me" Marsh Hall tore it up on this one. 15. GVB - "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go" This was used to introduce Wes Hampton. 16. GVB - "I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em" A new Guy Penrod feature...I assume this is the same song Gordon Mote recorded. It has a feel similar to "I'm Gonna Sing." 17. BG/KW - These two did a great extended comedy routine to set up the next song. It was complete with some video footage to augment Bill getting his bass notes "cranked up." 18. GVB - "Low Down The Chariot" 19. Anthony Burger - "Shout To The Lord" with Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" (Thanks to Jim Duggan for that added detail. My brain wouldn't pull up that info when I heard it for some reason!) 20. AB - "Old Time Religion" with the "William Tell Overture," or for those of you lacking a cultural education...the theme from the Lone Ranger. :o) 21. GVB - "Journey To The Sky" 22. GVB - "Loving God, Loving Each Other" 23. GVB - "Why Me, Lord?" 24. GVB - "It Is Finished" 25. BG - Led the audience in the choruses to "Down At The Cross," "I Love You, Lord," and "Alleluia" Set 2 1. BG - Played piano and led the audience in singing "Where Could I Go" 2. GVB - "We Shall Wear A Robe And Crown" 3. EHSSQ - "Heavenly Parade" 4. GVB/EHSSQ - "Holy Highway" 5. GVB/EHSSQ - "Blow The Trumpet In Zion" 6. AB - "Jesus Loves Me" with "Claire de Lune" 7. Gloria Gaither - Introduced the next song. 8. EHSSQ - "Then Came The Morning" 9. GVB/EHSSQ - "Few Good Men" 10. GVB/EHSSQ - "Oh My Lord, What A Time" This was encored four times. 11. GVB/EHSSQ - "There Is A River" 12. BG - Led the audience in singing "In The Cross" 13. GVB/EHSSQ - "Because He Lives" This started off as an audience singalong coming out of "In The Cross," but then they kicked in the track to finish it with the groups. 14. GVB/EHSSQ - "Holy Highway Reprise" Labels: Concert Review June 25, 2005Allegiance Concert Report Allegiance Concert, 6-25-05, Inman, SCI just got home from seeing Allegiance. These guys are VERY blessed with vocal skills. They did a great job tonight. It was just their third weekend out, so they are still getting used to each other...there was a bit of stop and go with the emcee stuff, but that type of thing is going to come more natural the more frequently they sing. Of course, there was one distraction there...SOME WOMAN kept heckling Jodi to sing "Mary, Did You Know?" But I'm not naming any names!!! I think you're going to like "The Allegiance" (as the pastor introduced them). :o) I've enjoyed hearing Jodi Hosterman sing from the first time I heard him with the Kingdom Heirs and I was very impressed with Jonathan Farley and Josh Spencer, tonight being the first time I'd heard either of them (at least I think...I may have heard them at NQC with previous groups, though). I got there fairly early...SOME WOMAN told me it started at 6:00 PM when it really started at 7. But no problem...it gave me a chance to chat with the guys for a while. Jodi mentioned that all their first names start with the letters "J-O," but he said they hadn't come up with anything creative using that common feature. I suggested that they rename themselves "The Joe-boys."  Tonight's program was made up of cover songs...no new material. One thing I observed is that they all seem to get along with each other and they don't seem to be in a huge hurry to "make it big." I may be wrong, but I think this is the type of group you'll gradually hear more and more about as time goes by. It may be a year from now before they get to the point of recording a full blown, "big budget" studio project with all new material, but they appear to be patient about it at this point, which is a real good sign. They plan for their first recording to be of favorites like they're singing in concert. Jonathan and I spoke afterwards about the fact that it has to be something you enjoy doing first, and the way you keep enjoying it is by not getting in so deep so fast. Financial debt has taken away the joy of performing and not only that, it has killed off many a good group who thought they had to have the slick product table and the big bus too soon. So see Allegiance and support them if you get the chance. I highly recommend them. Labels: Concert Review November 18, 2004OTGHQ Concert Report
The Old Time Gospel Hour Quartet gave a fine performance in Rutherfordton, NC tonight. I and three other members of my quartet sat on the second row so we could harass the opening group, In His Glory. They are our buddies, so we can get away with it. :o)
OTGHQ's routine was about the same as their visit to this area last year. Robbie Hiner went out in the crowd a couple of times to involve members of the audience in the music. He then closed the first set with "It Will Always Be The Soldier," inviting veterans came up on stage as the song finished. It's a very effective set and I think the crowd really enjoyed it. I hope OTGHQ will update the routine some before they come to this area again, though. After the first set, Hiner was nice enough to give the tenor singer from my group some pointers about breath control and developing the diaphragm muscle for singing. I prodded him into going up to Hiner and asking the question. After all, Hiner is a 52 year old tenor who doesn't sing thru his nose and holds a doctorate in vocal performance. A guy like that is bound to know something worthwhile! Seriously, I'm glad he was gracious enough to be helpful to an amateur singer. I was feeling a bit tired so I didn't stick around for the second half. I'm sure it was excellent, though. The next two concerts in Rutherfordton are December 31 and January 6. My group will be performing at both of them. Check out www.carolinagospel.com for more information. Labels: Concert Review 
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