They stacked bibles on top of a black-and-yellow bass amp
Christian Metal. It's hard to take seriously, though if any genre is compatible with the Christian church, it's metal's ornate virtuosity, the anguished cries, and front-men who can't resist a messianic pose or two.
So with that said, the pinnacle of this particular genre is Stryper. Always has, and always will be. But I'm not here to give you a history lesson, which you can just wiki for yourself if you like.
First off, I have to say that I don't like being negative when I write about music, especially Christian music, because I'm sure these guys are totally earnest and honest with what they are doing, so I don't want to come across like I'm disrespecting that, nor do I want to disrespect the Sweet family in what has been a tragic year in their lives, and in that regard, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
But ultimately, Michael Sweet and his band are the ones going out there on the road (for several weeks of shows) and asking people to buy tickets and other paraphernalia, so to that extent, I feel like it's fair game to give my honest thoughts about my experience.
Which brings us to Sunday night, when Stryper came to Toronto on their 25th anniversary tour, which while a fun time, also smacks of being a real-life Spinal Tap (Spinal Tapian?) adventure.
Though this is the band's 25th anniversary tour, and is touring with all four original members, it wasn't exactly envisioned out that way. A "new" version of Stryper just put out an album called "Murder by Pride" and apparently they were going to do a split set, one with the "new" band doing the new stuff, then the "old" band doing classics for the anniversary. However, somewhere along the line the new bass player decided that he couldn't take the time off of work for the tour. It was good news for fans anyways, because that means the original four members are doing a 90 minute set with no break.
For fans with deep pockets, the band has also been selling "backstage passes" for 50 bucks which lets fans check out the band's soundcheck, a free copy of "Murder by Pride," get 1 piece of Stryper gear signed, and I quote from their blog, "Get your picture taken with the band, using your own camera."
Apparently for their stop in Toronto, all the passes were sold out, so obviously the demand for this kind of thing is there. However, it seems like anyone who went to this, didn't write or post any of it online... I wish I knew someone who did, because it sounds so deliciously awkward.
Opening for the band that night were local Christian metal rockers Forevertree, who actually had a pretty decent modern rock/metal kind of sound, with some explicitly Christian lyrics, which I ultimately have to give them respect for. Despite being unknown by the older crowd there that night, they rocked excellently and won over as much of the audience as they were going to. If you're curious, please give them a listen here.
Following them was one of the regular opening acts on this tour, a band called Flight Patterns, which you've never heard of before. Why? Because from what I can tell, is that their first official show was opening for Stryper on the first date of this tour, beyond that, the band has no official bio, just an EP on iTunes, a Tumblr photo blog (started a few weeks ago), and zero plays on last.fm.
So why are they on tour with Stryper? It turns out Flight Patterns features the guitar work of one Michael Sweet, Jr., son of the lead singer of Stryper. You can read Michael Sweet, Jr.'s first ever interview here if you're curious.
Unfortunately, Flight Patterns is just not my kind of music... it's more like a rock-jock emo kind of thing, and I'm not their target audience by any means (think Saves the Day or Hot Rod Circuit). Their singer Max Prussner was enjoyable, and I like his own recordings, but as for Flight Patterns, they were just not a good fit for the night.
If anyone from the band is reading this, please do the honourable thing and offer to go first for the rest of the tour... you seem like cool guys and I wish you the best of luck with your career, but please respect the other hardworking bands on your tour, bands like Forevertree, and offer to take the first place spot. Pay your dues.
Anyways, on with Stryper. They did indeed bring with them their classic stage setup to tiny Reverb at Queen and Bathurst (probably the grossest venue I've been to in a while), complete with Stryper banner and loads of black and yellow striped guitars and various "cabinets." Though they were stamped with "MESA" logos, part of me suspects that some of them were dummy amps, meant to look impressive -- not necessarily to push some air.
(Earlier that day the band's massive van and trailer was clipped by a streetcar and blocked traffic for a while, which also sounds like a Spinal Tap like adventure, but I haven't heard too many details about that).
Shortly before the band took to the stage, one of the crew came on stage to tell people that because of their "record label," no one could take photos at all, except people with media passes, and only for the first three songs. This was pretty weird, not because of the media thing, because that's actually a pretty common practice (thought not at the Reverb I imagine), but the fact that someone had to come on stage to announce this. Even worse, is that the band had a surly roadie that spent the entire set telling people with compact point-and-shoots to stop taking pictures. Nope, I'm not even kidding.
Worst of all? This apparently worked, because no photographic evidence of the band's visit to Toronto seems to exist at all. Good for the band, I guess. As another aside: they seemed to have a disproportionately large crew for a venue that only holds 400 people, but I'm sure they were playing much larger venues other places on tour.
I also have to comment on the crowd: It seemed like the fans gathered were either 35 and up or 20 and under, and not really a lot of people aged in between. I even saw two teenagers that looked like they stepped directly out of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," complete with long, feathered hair and tight black-and-yellow leather jackets. There was also another elder metalhead who wore skull rings on every finger, an upside-down cross around his neck and bright orange and yellow bellbottoms. He looked famous, but I wasn't quite sure who he was. I would have also bought a T-Shirt, but they were only selling the "anniversary" shirts and they cost 30 bucks. Yikes!
But I digress.
When Stryper finally came out (with a path cleared through the crowd by security guards) and took to the stage wearing their custom black and yellow outfits, when it came to the music they did not disappoint . Everything was flawless, from the solos to the singing: the band had stage presence, and rocked so much harder than anyone their age has the right of doing. I was too young to enjoy the band when they were at the height of their popularity, but I recognized in them during that performance everything that made them great, and why people were so dedicated to them, and why they even had a number one video on MTV. I could have done without the Boston cover, and more of "Breaking the Law," but they were simply fantastic. I'm very glad and very thankful that they brought their tour through Canada, and if they ever came back for a 30th anniversary tour, I wouldn't hesitate to go again.
Suggestions for Nuit Blanche 2009
Generally, I avoid a lot of these big festivals in Toronto because they seem to attract mounds of people, and feature things that as a resident of this city can be easily experienced year round. "Taste of the Danforth" and other food festivals are good examples of this. For arts festivals in particular, I still think they are worth attending: you need to avoid the run-of-the-mill business that you can see anytime, and try to find the truly amazing/interesting experiences.
"Nuit Blanche" is one of those festivals that can be done a right way and a wrong way. The wrong way? Don't bother to go to art galleries, especially the ones one Queen West, don't wait around in line, and don't waste your time taking photos with your point-and-shoot (you can find cool pictures on Flickr on Sunday). Avoid too many hype events, and avoid alot of "indoor" things.
As for the right way, my advice is to start late (past midnight), go with friends, map it out and walk efficiently, hit a park or two, and research beforehand! This year using the new iPod app looks pretty cool, and it's free! And it should be halfway decent weather. So with that said, here's a look at some of my suggestions for stuff to check out (Follow the links and you can read what they are). And keep in mind too, that when you're heading to your "destinations," you're always going to come across some really interesting installations, so keep your eyes open!
Zone A
Space Becomes the Instrument: I can imagine some pretty massive lines at Massey Hall for this one. I would check this out later in the night, say around 3 or 4am. Even just to be onstage at Massey, right?
Beautiful Light: 4 LETTER WORD MACHINE: I would definitely swing by this. The bigger the installation, the better!
Mobius: The four screen installation sounds like it would make for a longer stop, which I kind of like.
Drop Out: This is my #2 place of the night of my must-visit... the Food Jammers are serving Ice Coffee snow cones in the Hart House courtyard!
Zone B
Wasted Breath: Marcia Huyer's work is always breathtaking, and I'm always captivated by her inflated sculptures. I do have to admit, I'm friends with both Marcia and her partner-in-crime Rob, and I'm always truly astounded by their talent and creativity. This is my personal #1 place to stop.
Hey Apathy! A Dialogue with the City: I have a drawing by Mike Parsons hanging above my couch, so it's safe to say I really love his simplistic, emotive style.
Zone C
Dance of the Cranes: I just want to see this to see if they can really pull this off.
NITE LITE: It's a giant Light Bright! And of course, no Nuit Blanche night is complete without a stop at Trinity Bellwoods.
City Sonic: The Cameron House in Motion: This has always been one of my favourite watering holes and place to perform, so I'm looking forward to seeing an exhibit there.
Others:
There's also Les Rues Des Refuses, which represents rejected exhibits, who are still going to setup anyways. Coupe Bizarre is doing free hair cuts (but you get no say, and can't see a mirror), and if you're feeling up for it, I've heard the Renegade Parade is a fun time, marching around the city.
Have I missed anything, or do you have a renegade type suggestion? Let me know.
Put Yr Heart Into It 035
It's getting a little funky this week, at least for part of the podcast. Bands featured this week include: Cool Dad, The Magic, Washed Out, The Balconies, Everything All the Time, Language Arts, Chad VanGaalen, Make Your Exit and Rock Central Plaza.
- Listen: Put Yr Heart Into It 035
Actually, before I put this post up, I just noticed that you can download Drum-and-Organ duo Cool Dad's EP for free here. Awesome! Shame I missed their show last week at the Cameron House, and dang all if their next show is on October 2nd at the Rancho, which I'll unfortunately be missing. Hey, maybe they'll come and do a set in my apartment sometime this fall.
Best reason to visit IKEA: Daim
Besides keeping my wife from buying up the entire store, my usual IKEA ritual is to grab at least one bag of DAIM candy once we've finished up our shopping trip. Sure, sometimes I'll try to avoid them, but their bright red wrapping calls me like a moth to a flame. Now, I'll admit, Daim basically a Swedish Skor bar, but it's smoother, and somehow more amazing. You always start by unwrapping the crackling red wrapper, then you get that first, soft, chocolate outer layer, and then you crunch into that crunchy toffee layer -- it's a satisfying experience. Good thing I don't drive, or I'd be tempted to just make weekly trips up to IKEA for cheap meatballs and candy. Lots and lots of candy.
But if you ever find yourself getting a BILLY bookcase or EXPEDIT for whatever reason, please grab me a bag. Or two. Or three. Because Halloween is coming or something like that.
(Photo by Ian Muttoo)
Put Yr Heart Into It 034
In the photo there, that's Andrew WK going a little incognito (I think on my old music blog I described him as looking like "my uncle") at a "To Live and Shave in LA" show at Sneaky Dees a couple years ago. His piano playing was phenomenal, but the rest of the band? Not so much. Hopefully, you enjoy this week's podcast more than I did that show. Artists featured this week include Vic Chesnutt, DM Stith, Rain Machine, Final Fantasy, Rural Alberta Advantage, Twilight Sad, Andrew WK and Dave Bazan.
- Listen: Put Yr Heart Into It 034
Rob Bell’s first visit to Toronto
Rob Bell came to Toronto, but Toronto did not come to see Rob Bell.
The author, Mars Hill pastor and sometimes-controversial "Emergent" theologian, began his presentation called "Drops like Stars" on thoughts about suffering and creativity with the usual "where's everybody from" kind of preamble people on tour often give.
Except the night got off to a weird start when he asked if people at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre were from Toronto, and he got a rousing "NO." Muffled shouts from the audience later indicated that many were from London, Waterloo, Barrie, Burlington, and assorted other suburban communities well outside the 416 area code and beyond.
(Earlier in the night, I was riding the streetcar down to Exhibition Place, and I was the only person on board... this explains why. I guess it also explains why most people on time for the 8pm start and why there weren't stragglers arriving all night long. I have a few thoughts on why that might be, like how the "Mars Hill" style -- born in a suburb of Michigan -- appeals primarily to suburbanites and not the sophisticated downtown intellectuals, or maybe the downtown core is simply and profoundly "un-churched," but I will leave those ideas for a future post.)
Rob Bell is a very gifted, talented speaker, and despite his presentation being nearly two hours long, he easily holds the audience's attention the entire time. I won't go into the content too much here. The QET wasn't sold out, but it was nearly full and I imagine next time he comes to town, he'll likely sell out a much larger venue. Bell was accompanied by a handful of hilarious slides and video on a giant screen, and even had his own U2-esque theme music that bookended the night: During his final story, I kind of thought it was an annoying ringtone going off at first. With no "worship" time or prayer time, I don't think it was intended to come off as a "church" type night.
The other strange thing I noticed, was during an audience participation moment, he looked at somebody and asked, "Are you taking notes? Cool, let me see!" Strange because, why wouldn't he think people would take notes, right?
...Did I mention that "Drops Like Stars" is also the name of Rob Bell's new book, and that this is the tour supporting that?
Before the presentation began I figured I would beat the line afterwards and pick up the amazingly designed hardcover version of the book. After I bought a copy, one of the staff told me not to look at the end, because it would spoil tonight's presentation.
Weird, I thought.
After looking at the book on the TTC ride home, I can see why: The presentation isn't exactly an elaboration on the themes of the book; it's basically Rob Bell reciting the whole thing, nearly line-by-line, image-by-image. No wonder he was surprised someone was taking notes... if you bought the book or were planning to, you were wasting your time.
(I'll need a lot more time to expand upon a lot of the thoughts within the book itself, which is beautiful and engaging, but I'll meditate on it a while first.)
I was also surprised about how much the night seemed to be like a "motivational speaker" type event, and not quite a "Christianity" type event... there was discussion about Jesus and the cross, but not as much as there was about art theory, and quotes from famous authors of different stripes.
One of the criticisms that people have with Rob Bell and the emergent movement in general, is that sometimes it lacks a strong foundation in the Bible itself. "Drops like Stars" on the surface seems like it suffers the same fate... beyond a retelling of the prodigal son story at the beginning, and a smattering of other quotes, it seems like Rob Bell is building his thesis from more non-Biblical sources.
(Another quick diversion: Why is this a bad thing? Because most Christians believe that the Bible is directly inspired by God, that he is directly revealed through it, and regular study of it will give you bring you closer to him. Basing Christian ideas and theories on things outside of God's word is like building a house on a sandy beach, and it can trick believers into believing un-Biblical things. If you want to read more about some criticisms of the emergent movement, take a look at "Why We're Not Emergent By Two Guys Who Should Be," because they explain this kind of caution better than I can.)
The thing is, as a long-time Christian myself, I can tell that Rob Bell's message is a Christian one, and I'm confident that you can find explicit Biblical references to most, if not all, of the points he makes... it's just strange that he doesn't. For the "post-Christian," or the Christian sick of the modern-day church, I think this approach would appear refreshing -- and it is. But I wonder about people who don't know about Jesus... are they going to "get it" in the same way? Will they "get it" more? I don't think it will be as clear to those people who don't already have a fairly broad knowledge base.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable night, highlighted especially by the moments of audience participation. I was inspired, and it made me want to start creating new media type presentations for my own church. So if you are planning on seeing Rob Bell on the tour, by all means go... but if you haven't bought a ticket yet, save your money and buy the book.
Oh, and for those who were there or read the book, I'm Will Ferrell too.
(Photo of Rob Bell and "The Squirrel" by Gbrenna)
I underlined everything
This was taken from Keri Smith's blog, "Wish Jar." See the original post here.
Things to do in Belleville: Go to Reid’s Dairy
So if you find yourself in Belleville, Ontario, and asking yourself, "What do I do with myself today?," consider this one of many pleasurable activities to consider.
Reid's Dairy, which is located just south of the 401 on Sidney street (easily accessible for a quick pit stop if you're passing by), is over 100 years old and remains independent to this day. I remember when it never had the tower and fake waving woman inside (the princess is long gone now... I believe it had something to do with Dairy Queen), and when Reid's had a massive petting zoo, with lots of goats and other livestock.
Now the zoo is replaced by a mini-mall square, complete with Quiznos, New Vision Christian book store and a flower shop, and Reid's most mind boggling drive thru you have ever seen in your life. Imagine a disjointed figure eight with traffic islands and you get the idea.
I suggest getting the Loonie or Toonie milkshake, but you can get whatever you like... the ice cream is fresh and very sweet. And as a bonus, on the side of the cup you get this disturbing cow staring out at you while you enjoy her sweet, sweet nectar.
But if it's your first visit to the dairy, head inside and check out the view of the factory through the glass windows (unless you are in there at the crack of dawn, you'll never see any action). Then, as you browse their various cheeses, hit the big red button on the wall and be horrified as the creepiest animatronic stage show featuring bumpkin bluegrass players commence.
If you look carefully enough, you can probably also spot the choo-choo train running around the perimeter of the store, and the giant cow's head which you can also activate with a big red button.
Does this all sound bizarre? It is. One of the two must-visit places you must hit when you stop by what the locals lovingly call, "Bellvegas."
Put Yr Heart Into It 033 – It’s TIFF, let’s rock
It's that time of year in Toronto, when the International Film Festival descends on the city and everyone goes crazy over celebs they probably never see, pay too much for movie tickets, and as you can see here, wait in stupendous lines.
So to commemorate the crazy-ness in Hogtown, this week's podcast is dedicated to movie soundtrack songs that rock (more or less -- I'm looking at you, song from "Once"). Artists featured include: Smashing Pumpkins, The Lone Rangers (yes!!!), Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers (hello "modern rock"), Edwyn Collins, Urge Overkill, Calexico & Jim James, Hayden, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, Kenny Loggins and Giorgio Moroder, Wang Chung, Prince, Nancy Sinatra.
There's lots of commentary this week too, so please leave a comment here or on SilentTalkie.com!
- Listen: Put Yr Heart Into It 033
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