So, one of my good friends, Coldwell Banker West Shell Realor Greg Tassone, hands me these tickets a few weeks ago. He says, "Jim, I don't know if you know these guys, but they are coming the Underground Zone for a private concert." I about fell over when I saw that it was Mercy Me with Bebo Norman opening!
Fast forward to not knowing if we could even get a baby sitter, and then navigating around the OSU vs Michigan traffic (Go Bucks!), we walked in, and straight to the table to meet the band. What a great bunch of guys. They signed CD's, hung out, left with a copy of "Faith, Family and Friends" and then proceeded to deliver some incredible music.
I could have stood to hear a lot more of Bebo Norman, whose new CD is really, really good. His guitarist was solid and multi-talented, playing acoustic guitar, hammer dulcimer and keyboards. But "Pull Me Out" and his song about empathy for Britney Spears during her meltdown were really stand outs.
And despite having to do some starting and stopping for a presentation by the host ministry, Mercy Me delivered a really full set. Their opener, "Time" from their latest project was just amazing, especially in such a small venue. It was a wall of sound 100 miles thick, that had Tears for Fears, U2 and more all put in a high speed mixer and 10,000 watts!
Bart's voice was absolutely crystal clear and despite the small, reserved corporate crowd, he delivered energy and his passion for worship. Kim and I listened to the CD (autographed of course) all the back. Man, what a great night...makes me want to get out and play...wait a minute...I am playing with First Sunday in the morning and we are doing Mercy Me's "God with Us"!
Fast forward to not knowing if we could even get a baby sitter, and then navigating around the OSU vs Michigan traffic (Go Bucks!), we walked in, and straight to the table to meet the band. What a great bunch of guys. They signed CD's, hung out, left with a copy of "Faith, Family and Friends" and then proceeded to deliver some incredible music.
I could have stood to hear a lot more of Bebo Norman, whose new CD is really, really good. His guitarist was solid and multi-talented, playing acoustic guitar, hammer dulcimer and keyboards. But "Pull Me Out" and his song about empathy for Britney Spears during her meltdown were really stand outs.
And despite having to do some starting and stopping for a presentation by the host ministry, Mercy Me delivered a really full set. Their opener, "Time" from their latest project was just amazing, especially in such a small venue. It was a wall of sound 100 miles thick, that had Tears for Fears, U2 and more all put in a high speed mixer and 10,000 watts!
Bart's voice was absolutely crystal clear and despite the small, reserved corporate crowd, he delivered energy and his passion for worship. Kim and I listened to the CD (autographed of course) all the back. Man, what a great night...makes me want to get out and play...wait a minute...I am playing with First Sunday in the morning and we are doing Mercy Me's "God with Us"!
