Review: The New Divide @ the God Rock Cafe
Feb 27, 2010 Concerts
As the new God Rock design changes slow down in favor of back-end changes to improve their ability to server customers, the number of bands isn’t slowing down. This week, as expected, another quality experience. It wasn’t amazing (i.e. Children 18:3) or the ultimate musical experience (Newsboys at SWC), but it was, nevertheless, fun.
To be fair, is was a birthday party and the kids showed up already expecting a fun band. The good news, of course, is that The New Divide didn’t disappoint. With a slate of solid rock tunes, these four musicians keep their music just outside of the standard rock-worship sound (save for the actual worship tunes). It shows both constraint (they’re not Symmetry / Symmetry), and a the ability to step, albeit a single foot, outside the box. In short, this band is exactly what it claims to be. Best of all, they enjoy their own music (as opposed to churning out stuff merely because they think the crowds will like it).
Their set that evening was well chosen to entertain. Upbeat and lighthearted, each song included enough stage performance to keep the eye interested and enough expectation of participation to keep the crowd involved. In between the songs, the band never shied away from engaging the crowd, whether it be instructions for the next song’s participation or sharing a funny anecdote.
Although it doesn’t appear from this performance that any of these musicians received long-term musical training, their natural talents have made up the difference. Even without complicated, haunting melodies and deep, metaphorical lyrics, The New Divide puts on a show well worth seeing if you have the time. No, I wouldn’t pay $12 at the door or $10 in advance to see them, but for the price that evening I can say I was happy I’d come.
As a note, the founder of Freedom Fest also spends his Friday nights at the God Rock, eyeballing entertainers for this years tentative festival. If you’re a band, it might be something to consider.
Also, the lead singer of The New Divide runs the Rockhaus venue in Montlake Terrace. So if you’re looking for a venue for an open Friday night, this might be the guy to get ahold of.
And now, a selection of four songs from that evening. I’ve included some of the banter to highlight their light-hearted, all-ages friendly interaction.
Control
Home
Friendly Fire
A Worship Song
Tags: birthday, Christian, Everett, God Rock, New Divide, rock
Review: The Reaching @ the God Rock Cafe
Feb 12, 2010 Concerts
Being only the second band to play the new stage setup, The Reaching certainly deserves credit for risking an unfinished venue; The wiring, drum box and green room should be completed in a few weeks. That said, the room was tuned properly before speaker placement and everything (including the lights) do work as well as can be expected. The God Rock is ready at this point for any small group (say 1 to 3 musicians).
Not to change the subject, but that evening, pulled pork was on the menu. Man … it’s like love smothered in barbecue sauce. This summer I’m gonna try and imitate that recipe.
Anyways, precisely on time, The Reaching took the stage. After a brief introduction, they started right into the set. Immediately, I heard a Mars Hill worship band. The sound, the voice, the style … it all just said Mars Hill to me. Fortunately, I really enjoy the Mars Hill sound of worship: Nothing too messy or loud, just quality, modern means of worshiping our Lord. I’d be willing to bet this band can light up a Sunday morning.
As for Saturday night, however, they need a little more time for their natural creativity to emerge. The group tended to color within the lines so informally drawn around the worship music scene in Seattle. Breaking out of this mold will be a watershed for the band and, in God’s timing, bring them a greater influence in the secular world. Until their entertainment value increases for a non-Christian audience, their impact will be limited as well.
Why do I hold this opinion about their style? There are tell-tale signs that a group (or it’s members) has been playing other people’s material for a conservative audience. Here’s a list of clues I caught from the performance:
- The lead and harmony vocals were confident and very solid even while playing (#1 strength of a good worship leader.)
- Each member of the band was comfortable on more than one instrument.
- No one in the group was a master of any instrument.
- The instrument solos, a big no-no in most worship music, were … how can I say this … not well practiced.
- The clothing choices said, “I’m cool, but not a rebel.”
- The stage movements weren’t distracting.
Now, I don’t want to look like I’m bashing The Reaching unfairly. They are a great band with music well suited for their genre. The tunes are catchy, the words easy to follow and the environment lends itself to worship and praise. If someone comes merely to be entertained, however, they’ll be left wanting; there’s simply too much “Sunday-morning-church” to the sound. Of course, I can’t even be sure that’s where God’s calling them as a group. That’s my own presumption and could be very, very wrong.
Following that train of thought, I’ve found that since filming the band and reviewing their video, I’m listening to their music over and over again. Apparently, I’m a fan of Seattle style worship music (and thus, The Reaching). I even find myself looking forward to their next concert. Apart from what I’ve said about attracting a secular audience, if you like their style of music, you will like their concert.
Judge for yourself. I’ve got two videos posted below, each representing a part of their performance. The first is a straight forward rock sounding song. On the second, they switch instruments and sounds dramatically for a slower, acoustic performance. If you feel so inclined, post some comments.
Tags: Christian, Everett, God Rock, music, The Reaching
Kristin Hingtgen @ the QCafe
Feb 8, 2010 Concerts
When I decided to hit the QCafe instead of the (much closer) ReVerb, it was because I really thought Valhalla Hill was playing this week. Unfortunately, Valhalla hill was at the ReVerb. I totally blew that one.
So, there I was at the Q feeling just plain stupid. Rather than be down about this obvious mistake, I made the best of it. There were two new artists to discover! I’d heard Justin Klump before, but the other two artists were new to me. Why not? I paid the full admission price and purchased a coffee (I always support the venue) set up the camera and started filming.
The first artist was just about done with his set when I walked in. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get enough video for a review. The second artist, however, did a full set in front of the lens. They’re a bluesy brother and sister duo lead by the soulful voice of Kristen Hingtgen. If I had to describe my initial reaction, I’d have to say … well … surprise.
From that small woman came such a big voice. The first song was a deep, blues piece sans instruments. That was such a brave tact to take right off. Immediately the band garnered my respect. Apparently, the crowd agreed; There is no substitute for authenticity in lyric and emotion. That said, the voice wasn’t all there was to them.
Aesthetically, the dirty, urban, neo-grunge look was a great way to dress for this style of music. It added a layer of authenticity and kept the deep lyrics from seeming contrived; There’s very little that bothers me more about a musical group than $300 sneakers, $200 haircuts and $100 manicures accompanying tortured lyrics exploring the deep pain of … what? Is lacrosse practice too hard? The deep anguish over having to drive yet another used BMW? Rant end.
Anyways, these two play their part. You can feel the hours of practice in the expressions on their faces; This is especially true for Kristin. Her facial expressions said it all: Deep concentration revealed in bunched brows, loud bellows escaping from the sides of her mouth and proper, natural turn aways from the microphone as the volume reached a crescendo.
Her brother, on the drums, could have simply tapped out a time keeping beat with sparse, meaningless accents. Fortunately for our sake, his own voice was heard through that single snare drum. Although obviously extremely limited in scope, the soft brush slides and tapping metal hits came out as well-timed, emotional compliments to the lyrics. There’s no way to judge his talent level from this performance, but that said, I can’t doubt his ability to feel the music.
As a side note, I appreciate it when a band, even if the band is sloppy, pays attention to each other. It bugs me to no end when they start playing their parts as if the other band members aren’t there. It’s usually accompanied by blank stares and glares that scream, “Hey everyone, catch up!” None of that here.
Kristin really concentrated on the deliverance of her lyrics. Despite that, her brother never got lost. He pushed right on ahead into territory they both seem to know already very well. With a clean, authentic vocal delivery and an artistically pleasing performance, I would definitely recommend catching these two for a great chill show at any local coffee shop; The sound relaxes me instantly.
Here’s a few video from the evening. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
And if that weren’t enough, here’s about 80% of the set (minus banter and a copyrighted song):
Tags: blues, Christian, Kristin Hingtgen, Qcafe, Queene Anne
God Rock Cafe Redesign and Review
Feb 6, 2010 Concerts
Although I do work mere blocks from the God Rock Cafe in Everett, Washington, I really hadn’t been there in weeks (or even months). I’d been taking advantage of the spring like weather to walk down at the piers or enjoy one of the many scenic parks; It was certainly a chance to relax and unwind from the first half of my work day. Without a great need for the warm coffee offered by the cafe, I really didn’t have a reason to go. Besides that, I still lived in Bellevue and that certainly made attending the weekend shows an expensive venture.
That said, living in Everett now, I decided to explore the local cafe and musical venue again. The front door looked the same, so did the stairs and those cool window seats. A few more flashing lights and signs adorned the windows, but those certainly didn’t constitute a real change. It wasn’t until I looked for the counter that the first major difference confronted me … where was the front counter? As if some mysterious suggestion box had been consulted, a number of well-thought-out changes had been made; And all of the changes were for the good.
The first thing you’ll notice upon entering is the new counter vestibule. The coffee bar has been pushed back into the kitchen hallway, leaving a noticeably large area to accommodate waiting customers; The previous counter pressed customers up against the stairs and left very little waiting room. There’s a new soda fridge and a chip selection (the espresso machine is a real beauty to behold as well).
After ordering a mocha, I headed upstairs. I was hoping to get a look at the changes happening in the seating area below. To my amazement, the upper hallways were covered in artwork: A raging horse springs from the wall; Subtle messages nip at the edges of your vision; Small, framed collages hang as beautifully as any fine gallery. I just didn’t see any of that coming.
Once I’d admired the new wall decor, I explored the upper deck, taking a look down into the main seating area. If you do visit, the seating upstairs is actually cooler, but only those who visit regularly know how to get up there. Immediately I noticed that the old plywood, faux-hardwood flooring was gone; Now the older, actual hardwood flooring is exposed, polished and sealed. It’s quite a sight.
The second thing I noticed was the 90 degree swing of the entire venue. The stage used to be against the west wall, causing sound to reflect through the room and echo ceaselessly during a performance. Now the stage is in back of the kitchen, with a “green room” in the works behind it. The enclosed room by the back door has been opened up and couches laid out. With all this new open area, this might just turn out to be a good venue after all.
Here are some photos I grabbed during my visit:
That night, the Washington based pop rock band Noon Day Sun was the first to play the partially finished stage. There’s a lot of wiring to finish and the stage needs to be extended; The 5’7″ gap between the stage at the upper level support beam forces non-seated band members forward. Outside of that, the speaker placement and acoustics have both been well tuned for the space.
Like all shows at the God Rock, Noon Day Sun was scheduled to start at 8pm. I got there at 7:30pm. Fortunately, a hot chocolate and steak panini were just what the doctor ordered to pass the time. Seriously, the food quality improvement at that place is legendary. From the old soggy rolls to the unevenly baked bullet breads, the God Rock has always had a problem producing quality sandwiches. Good news, the panini’s are in and they’re good.
Yes, it was loud and it took the crowd 2 or 3 songs to get warmed up to the rock-like sound. Fortunately, I wasn’t reviewing the crowd. That said, they were an eclectic mix of preteen kids, middle-aged men and young go-getters on fire for the ministry. Strange for a venue, especially in the Seattle area, but nonetheless, fun.
Originally on the ground floor, the awkward arrangement of the tables made it difficult to film, so I moved upstairs for the rest of the show. Once the music began, the pop sounds filled the space but didn’t echo; How nice.
As for the music, although it was all a bit predictable, Noon Day Sun wasn’t bad. True, they embrace well-worn musical styles and cliched riffs, but then again, so does most modern worship music; And there’s nothing wrong with that. Their clothing, by the way, only confirmed my conclusion; They’re taking what is and what was and making it into what they are. Combined with the lyrics, however, their songs really do come to life, at one point almost driving me to a loss of emotional control (let’s just say it was the Holy Spirit).
Recalling old Super Chic[k] or Barlow Girl, Noon Day Sun’s music makes obvious references to popular stereotypes and dysfunctions plaguing both men and women in our society. I can not fault their message (which is often sung in both adult and juvenile detention centers around the state). This is a Christian band and they’re not afraid to let you know (praise God for that).
As an intermission, the owner of the God Rock Cafe gave the story of the inception and founding of the venue. Rather than try to explain the music or the message any further, here are two videos. The first is “Barbie Nation” by Noon Day Sun and the second is the testimony of the God Cafe founder. My recommendation, by the way, is to visit the cafe on an event night (get the pulled pork early, it smells like heaven and typically sells out in less than 20 minutes).
Tags: Christian, Everett, God Rock Cafe, Ministry, music, Noon Day Sun
