[editor's note: I will be reviewing in greater detail, some of
these projects as I am able in the next week. Also just a reminder,
I will also be updating and adding to each of my diary entries,
specifically with pictures, but also more details.
While hanging out in the lobby (remember what I said about hanging in the lobby?), I ran into Whiteheart alumunus Brian Wooten who has a new project playing lead guitar with the group The Big Dream with Joe Salvatore, Joe Beck, Dennis Kuttila, and Steve Dale.
The Provident presentation (which was staged as a taping of Brian Mason's television show Heart to Heart) was already in progress when our group arrived. The first guest we saw was Randy Stonehill, who performed a song from his upcoming recording, Thirst (the first studio recording in 4 years), which was produced by Ragamuffin Rick Elias. Rick also played guitar on the album and was joined by wife Linda (and others) for BGV's.
Other guests on the part of the show we were present for included Fono (a new rock group from England), All Star United (my first live exposure to this group, and I liked it!), and an interview with Michael W Smith, Clay Crosse (sporting his new short hair), and Kathy Trocolli.
Finally they brought out Michael O'Brien who sang his offering for Artists Acapella, "Nothing's Going To Turn Me Around." It seems odd saying this about an acapella arrangement of a song, but it ROCKED!
The show ended with Michael W Smith leading all the participating showcase artists and the audience in singing "Awesome God." Can I tell you it was awesome? Well, OK, it was!
I also had another face-to-face with another of my long time cyberfriends.
Bill Hammell and I had played phone tag all week, and finally got together
at this showcase. Bill works at a Bookstore in New Jersey and
moderates a Kerry Livgren Web Page and Mailing List as well as others.
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| Bob Bennett |
We were late getting on our way, and so we were a couple minutes late. We entered the small, cozy (but very well known) coffee house, which was packed to almost capacity. It became immediately apparent that we had just joined a crowd of approximately 60 or 70 people who were all just as excited to see this Christian poet/singer/songwriter. We took our seats in chairs crowded almost too close together. The room (basically a long rectangle) was setup mostly with tables and chairs with the stage against the long wall in the middle. Our section of five rows of only chairs was on an end by the front of the room. We ordered our cappucino, and sat back to soak in the marvelous story-telling and acoustic guitar along with the mostly baby boomer crowd. Shortly after we got there, a woman and her two young daughters arrived and sat in front of us (as well as did about a half a dozen other latecomers). The woman leaned back and asked anxiously, "What time did he start?" I told her that we were also late, and that he probably started about 7:30pm. She expressed her angst at missing two or three songs in a set that was just under an hour long (There were two other groups to appear that evening for an apparently normal schedule). I told her that this was the first time I had ever seen Bob live, and she shared she had only seen him once before and that was 18 years ago in college. In addition to watching who is probably my favorite living Christian musical poet, I couldn't help but share the same combination of joy and eagerness I saw reflected in the faces of every single person present (except possibly the wait staff). Bob played both old favorites and new ones from his current release, Small Graces. Just like my favorite part of seeing Rich Mullins perform live, I especially enjoyed hearing the stories behind the songs - stories of pain and love, worship and grace, gain and loss.
I was so taken by the experience, I forgot to take notes, so I can't remember the songlist, but the two stories I do remember were "Man Of The Tombs" and "Small Graces". He shared about the fascination he had with the man possesed with demons - a man for whom Christ had enough compassion to reach past that which kept him hiding in tombs - a man who when saved from the horrors of his torment, immediately went and preached the Gospel and brought others to a saving knowledge of the great Healer. Bob also shared that he many times was so consumed with everyday life and trials that he would often overlook the little pleasures while seeking greater things. "Small Graces" touched me in a special way as I thought about the hustle and bustle of the huge Christian music scene I left behind to come to this little Nashville suburb to hear and support a very special man of God, and his unique offering.
I was anxious to sing along (but refrained from doing so because the crowd was so small), and it was a thrill when he played "one that has a simple enough chorus that everyone can sing along." He taught us the chorus to "Hand Of Kindness" (which is currently in the top ten on the Inspirational charts), and by the response and gorgeous harmony that spilled out, again I found I was not alone.
When he finished his set (explaining he had to quit to allow the next group time to setup and sound check), this group of people who seemed like my own family instantly rose to our feet and politely demanded an encore. In such a small room, Bob had nowhere to go, but back to the mic and play what surely was the favorite of many, "Mountain Catherdrals."
Afterwards, we were able to visit briefly, and I also met Jay Rinkle who moderates a Bob Bennett web page. It was a long overdue item on my list of things to do (seeing
Bob live), and I told him I would do my best to bring him to Wichita
for a concert.