FROM THE ROAD: STREET WEEK Dallas, TX
Well, it wasn't exactly Dallas. It was Mansfield.
Strange thing about radio stations is that they have so much power that they often, in my experience, expect more from the artists and labels they work with than they are willing to give to those artists and labels in return. This show was a good example of that. A station in the area that I've played free promotional concerts for twice in the past did not promote this show as promised. They were given 100 tickets to give away on the air - thus creating mini-ads for the show, at least 50 such ads. Instead, a few of the tickets were given away at a live remote broadcast from another event in town a day or two before this show and the rest are unaccounted for. The show was therefore not promoted as promised and in fact was the worst attended show of the week.
But the people who came to the show seemed to enjoy it. Well, not during it – they’re Baptists you know – so only afterwards did they smile and grow a personality, but smiling sometime is better than no time I guess.
What is it about us Baptists? An artist friend of mine and I talked about this once on a tour. While we’ve both grown up in this denomination and I pastor in it still today, I truly cringe at the thought of playing for a dominantly Baptist crowd. We’re still, reverent or fearful – it’s hard to tell the difference – and then, when the service or show is over, we come alive, buy out everything in the lobby, wait in line for autographs and the chance to encourage and profess to having the best time of our lives. Wow. If that’s the best time this crowd truly ever had they needed to tell their face.
A sea – OK, a small puddle – of teens made up most of the crowd and I felt twice as young as them, or at least twice as excited. But of course I have a lot to be happy about right now. A year and a half of work is finally on shelves and infecting minds and hearts and hopefully reforming us all. That’s exciting!
I can’t help but wonder out loud though if part of youthful stoicism is due to wealth. In a wealthy youth group there seems to be little to get excited about. True I guess that materialism kills authenticity or at least smiles. Or maybe, perhaps, it’s that wealthier churches over-entertain their congregants to the point that even a rock show is commonplace. Who knows? I sure don’t. But it is a regular experience on the road for me so I try not to measure the fervency of faith by the shape of faces after days like this.
Just a good reminder to me that faith lives in hearts and not always in grins and feelings. There are plenty of shallow saints squinty-eyed right now and surely an abundance of disciples seemingly down in the mouth.
Anyway, I did have a great time in Dallas with those who came. Thanks to Starman, Jason Oxley and every other street team member and church staff member who got the word out. Without you I’d have played to no one. Thanks, y'all.
Got thoughts? Discuss this SHLOG on my message-board
Strange thing about radio stations is that they have so much power that they often, in my experience, expect more from the artists and labels they work with than they are willing to give to those artists and labels in return. This show was a good example of that. A station in the area that I've played free promotional concerts for twice in the past did not promote this show as promised. They were given 100 tickets to give away on the air - thus creating mini-ads for the show, at least 50 such ads. Instead, a few of the tickets were given away at a live remote broadcast from another event in town a day or two before this show and the rest are unaccounted for. The show was therefore not promoted as promised and in fact was the worst attended show of the week.
But the people who came to the show seemed to enjoy it. Well, not during it – they’re Baptists you know – so only afterwards did they smile and grow a personality, but smiling sometime is better than no time I guess.
What is it about us Baptists? An artist friend of mine and I talked about this once on a tour. While we’ve both grown up in this denomination and I pastor in it still today, I truly cringe at the thought of playing for a dominantly Baptist crowd. We’re still, reverent or fearful – it’s hard to tell the difference – and then, when the service or show is over, we come alive, buy out everything in the lobby, wait in line for autographs and the chance to encourage and profess to having the best time of our lives. Wow. If that’s the best time this crowd truly ever had they needed to tell their face.
A sea – OK, a small puddle – of teens made up most of the crowd and I felt twice as young as them, or at least twice as excited. But of course I have a lot to be happy about right now. A year and a half of work is finally on shelves and infecting minds and hearts and hopefully reforming us all. That’s exciting!
I can’t help but wonder out loud though if part of youthful stoicism is due to wealth. In a wealthy youth group there seems to be little to get excited about. True I guess that materialism kills authenticity or at least smiles. Or maybe, perhaps, it’s that wealthier churches over-entertain their congregants to the point that even a rock show is commonplace. Who knows? I sure don’t. But it is a regular experience on the road for me so I try not to measure the fervency of faith by the shape of faces after days like this.
Just a good reminder to me that faith lives in hearts and not always in grins and feelings. There are plenty of shallow saints squinty-eyed right now and surely an abundance of disciples seemingly down in the mouth.
Anyway, I did have a great time in Dallas with those who came. Thanks to Starman, Jason Oxley and every other street team member and church staff member who got the word out. Without you I’d have played to no one. Thanks, y'all.
Got thoughts? Discuss this SHLOG on my message-board
posted by Shaun Groves @ 7/13/2005
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