Review: The Reaching @ the God Rock Cafe
Feb 12, 2010 Concerts
Posted by
Gabe
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
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