Not only am I giving away free tickets to the upcoming Vicky Beeching & Bluetree tour that’s making away across Canada but now Bluetree is giving everyone a free download of one of their awesome songs.
There’s still time to get in on the contest for free tickets. I’ll pick the winner on Thursday. Head over to this post and leave a comment!!
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
My friends at Unite Productions have been very generous in offering two tickets to any of the shows on the upcoming Life: Just Add Water Tour that is making its way across Canada this month. This tour features two incredible artists – Vicky Beeching and Bluetree – as well as an incredible speaker, Phil Cann.
Want free tickets? Keep reading!!
Every night of this tour promises to be a great show but it is also for a great cause. Check this out -
Life: Just Add Water Tours Across Canada Come and be a part of the first cross Canada social justice tour whose goal is to deliver fresh water to some of the world’s poorest regions. The tour will hit 12 major Canadian cities beginning in Gander, Newfoundland on October 10, 2008 and ending in Victoria, BC on October 23, 2008. A major donor has underwritten the tour so most of the $10 ticket will go solely as funds to drill wells in regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
That is pretty amazing! So great to see artists and concert promoters teaming up for a great cause.
So how can you win the pair of tickets? Just leave a comment with your name and the show you would like to attend. In the interest of fairness, let’s keep this limited to Canadians who are living near where the shows are happening. I’ll choose a winner at random on the morning of Thursday, October 9th.
Life: Just Add Water Tour Dates October 10: YC Newfoundland – Gander, Newfoundland October 11: Moncton, New Brunswick – Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church October 12: Montreal, Quebec – Evangel Pentecostal Church October 14: Ottawa, Ontario – Woodvale Pentecostal Church October 15: Brampton, Ontario – Kennedy Road Tabernacle October 16: St. Catharines, Ontario – Central Gospel October 17: Winnipeg, Manitoba – Calvary Temple October 18: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Elim Tabernacle October 20: Calgary, Alberta – First Assembly October 21: Edmonton, Alberta – West Edmonton Christian Assembly October 22: Langley, British Columbia – Christian Life Assembly October 23: Victoria, British Columbia – Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
I haven’t had a chance to talk about going to see Brooke Fraser in concert at the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto last week. I had a great time with lots of friends – old and new. The venue was packed (I’d guess capacity to be 250-300) but it was stinkin’ hot!!
The opener was a solo acoustic guy with a great beard. His songs were very good and he had an awesome personality. Unfortunately the PA was very quiet and so it was kind of hard to hear what he was saying/singing. He actually asked people to be quiet and listen to his songs while he was playing so that people could hear.
Brooke came out with two other musicians – a girl who played keys and violin and a guy who switched between drums, xylophone and keys. Brooke played acoustic and piano for a couple of songs.
Overall the show was good, not great. I’ve listened to lots of her stuff this year so it was good to see it in a live setting. Brooke is a fantastic singer with a beautiful voice but she is not the most engaging personality which makes things kind of tough when you’re in a small, hot room with poor PA. She talked LOTS between songs – and talked between EVERY song, which is a big no-no in my books – and really never got much momentum happening over the course of the night. Her songs are great but it seemed like just as the crowd would get in to something she would stop, talk and draw out the segue to the next song.
The PA issues continued through her whole set. People were calling out for her mic to be turned up – everything else was loud enough but for some reason the sound guy couldn’t get her vocals to the same level. I’ve seen lots of loud shows in the venue so volume is definitely not a problem. There was never anything close to feedback so I don’t know what the issue was. The combination of Brooke talking for good chunks of time and the quietness of her mic really didn’t help things.
All in all, it was a good night. Lots of friends there which made it a great chance to catch up and hear how people are doing. It was a rare opportunity for me to get out for a few hours without kids (thank you, wifey!!) so I tried to make the most of it. Brooke’s show seemed more like background, mood music rather than her being a feature entertainer that we were all there to see.
I’d pay money to see her again in a heartbeat. Her songs are incredible, her voice is incredible and I’m sure that she will develop as a performer as her career continues.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
I went down to Oakville on Sunday night to see Joel Auge at his CD release show. You might know Joel as the lead singer of Capstone and then fronted sixdays/Hewit for a few years too. He’s now signed as a worship artist with Integrity and his CD is out in Canada this week and next month in the US. He’s getting tons of buzz from Integrity and is already booked to play lots of the bigger conference and events that happen in worship world.
The release show was at The Meeting House – basically a warehouse-turned-theatre – and it was the first time I’d been there for a live event. The room was too big for the crowd that had gathered but it didn’t seem awkward – probably because most of the people there were from The Meeting House (Joel’s church) and already knew each other. The room itself is pretty impressive – I’d guess 800 seats with really nice-sounding PA. The stage is a good size for the room and gave the bands enough room to be comfortable during the show. There are two main screens in the room which were used for lyrics as well as a couple of quick video promos shown during Joel’s set.
I got there at about 7:15 with my daughter Avery and just as we walked in the opening band was being introduced. I recognized my friend Kieran who was leading a band of jr. high and sr. high students. They played a good set of 4 covers and pulled it off really well – their medley/re-working of Lifehouse’s “Everything” and “Fix You” by Coldplay was pretty interesting. They also did a really solid cover of Switchfoot’s “Awakening”. Overall I was pretty impressed with the band – they definitely did not sound like your typical jr./sr. high church band.
After their set Joel was introduced. The label has put together a promo video to introduce Joel and his music to people and they played some of the video that had him talking about making the record, a bit of his personal story, etc. It was a good way to start.
Joel and his band played three songs off his new record which were very solid. Joel is an incredible songwriter and I’ve always thought his songs sound “natural” – the melody, lyrics and structure all sound like they just rolled out of Joel’s guitar together. After the first three songs there was some Q&A with the MC where Joel got to talk a little bit more about his life, his ministry and his new record before coming up with the band to do a handful more songs.
After showing another quick video clip – Joel talking about the song “On The Blue” and where it came from – the band came up to close with two more songs and then Joel ended the show on his own with “On The Blue.”
Overall, it was a very solid night. Joel is an incredible singer, very entertaining and engaging. His band was incredible and the audio mix in the room was pretty impressive considering how empty it was.
The songs off of “On The Blue” are already getting some attention and some good radio play. The combination of great songs and Joel’s personality made the evening fun, relaxed, entertaining and just a really good time. Having my daughter there and seeing some old friends made the night a big success.
Joel’s CD is in stores in Canada now and coming out in the US on July 1. Tracks are also on iTunes and “So Deep In Love” is a free download in the iTunes US store – pretty cool promo.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
Yeah so this CD has been my soundtrack for the past week or so. I’m excited for the Brooke Fraser concert in Toronto on July 2nd!!
When the world has fallen out from under me
I’ll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I’ll be found in you
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
I posted a couple of weeks ago about the accident at the concert in Abbotsford, BC where Starfield, Shane & Shane and Bethany Dillon were playing. From what I’ve heard from people who were there and other people who understand church architecture is that buildings are rated for a certain weight-load when pews are involved but that the weight-load increases significantly when the pews are removed and that space is filled with people. If you’ve seen photos or video of the church that night, there were no pews where the section of floor caved in.
It must have been unbelievable for the Starfield guys on stage to see the accident happening right in front of them. I’m sure some crazy thoughts were going through their heads. I still find it amazing that nobody died that night!
After cancelling the show the next night, the tour resumed in Kelowna. Tim Neufeld, Starfield’s lead singer, opened the night with this -
Pretty amazing. The thing I’m most excited about with the tour continuing is that I’ll be able to get down to the show on Friday night in Cambridge, ON. It will be good to see the Starfield guys and David Nasser again and to see Shane & Shane and Bethany Dillon live for the first time. Definitely looking forward to it.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
On Saturday morning someone told me that they had heard on the radio about an accident at a Christian concert out in BC. I immediately thought of my friends in Starfield and Unite Productions who had just started a cross-Canada tour with Shane & Shane, Bethany Dillon and David Nasser. I jumped online to try and find the story and was able to confirm that there had been a very serious accident at the Starfield show at Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, BC on Friday night.
I checked a couple of articles online and this was the basic story – there were between 1,000 and 1,200 kids at the show and at some point in the evening kids were jumping near the front of the church and some of them caused the floor to cave in. People fell through the hole to the basement below and then some lights and sound equipment fell in on the crowd, injuring about 40 people.
I quickly called my friend Nathan who is out on the tour and he was able to give some more details – Starfield had just started their second song and all of a sudden a 20′x20′ section of the floor just broke open and kids fell through. Nathan said that the Starfield guys did a great job of encouraging everyone to get out of the building and that everyone was pretty shaken up.
This is the hole right in front of the stage. On the left-hand side of the picture you can see the light truss that fell in towards the crowd. Wow!
Because the light & PA gear belonged to the tour and not the church the building was locked down and the police were bringing in some forensics teams to find out what happened. The show on Saturday night was cancelled but it looks like the rest of the tour is ready to go as planned.
Praise God that nobody was killed – from the sounds of things this was a pretty brutal accident and people were surprised that the injuries were not more serious. Pray for the people who were injured as well as the bands and crew on this tour – something like this has got to play with your head in pretty big ways!
As you may have heard by now, there was a serious accident at our concert last night, and many young people were injured. At this moment, we are consumed with concern and compassion for those who were injured, especially for those who were described to be in serious condition. Our hearts are with them. We ask that you join us in prayer for them. As a less important side note, none of the members of our tour were injured in the accident. The band would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of encouragement and support that we are receiving.
Here’s a TV report about the concert. Footage of the floor collapsing appears about 45 seconds into the clip.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
The music and message of Hillsong United has pretty much swept around the globe but it is my understanding that southern Ontario is kind of like “Australia North” for these guys – to say that they are popular here is an understatement. At a time when NOBODY comes up on here on tours because they can’t sell tickets (Newsboys, Jars of Clay, Third Day, etc etc regularly have shows booked, promoted and then cancelled) the guys from Hillsong United are able to fill 3,000 seat venues twice in one night. It is a pretty amazing thing.
Last summer there were somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 people gathered for a Hillsong United concert. (The debate of concert vs. worship experience will be a never-ending one but I think it was promoted as a concert so I have no problem calling it that.) Those are huge numbers in any market but these guys have really struck a chord with students here and they are not missing the opportunity.
Later this summer Hillsong United will be running their youth conference in Toronto. The Facebook group is already alive and kicking! :) I’m excited that this is happening close to us – not because United is my favourite band or that I love a ton of their songs but I think that this will have a positive impact on the church culture and arts culture in our region. Hillsong will be able to gather thousands of students from Canada and parts of the US who will come together to worship (God, hopefully!) and who will be inspired to return home as worshippers.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
Last night I went to a great theatre in Kitchener with one of our drummers to see Tower Of Power in concert. I’ve been a fan of this band for about 15 years and this was the first chance I’d had to see them live. In a word – incredible!
To think that some of the guys in this band (Emilio on the far right, ‘Doc’ playing the baritone and David Garibaldi the drummer) have been together for 40 years is amazing. 40 YEARS!!
‘Iron Mike’ is the guy second fromt the left playing trumpet. They told us last night that his apartment burnt down in the California wildfires (and he also mentioned he was pretty upset about his motorcyle exploding in the fire!) and they asked people to pray for him. Not sure of the spiritual state of the guys in the band (although the new guitar player Mark Harper has had tons of involvement in the Christian music industry) but they asked for prayer for Mike and his family so I’ve been praying for them today.
Thanks for stopping by the blog. I'm currently on sabbatical this summer - you can read more about my sabbatical here: Personal Update - What's Next
Since I'm away from the blog I've decided to close comments. I love the interaction and discussion that happens with readers and since I'm not able to do that this summer, I'll be very much looking forward to that when I return in August.
Chris Vacher Married to Sonya, dad to Avery, Emmy, Isabelle and Anderson. Director of Worship at Orangeville Baptist Church near Toronto. Founder of WorshipRises and doing my best to follow Jesus in the midst of it all.
