Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Concerts In The Park but not In The Park

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head


That could be our theme song in Toronto right now.

We're in record highs, and there's no break in sight. So you can imagine our concern as we planned for an outdoor concert tonight in Burlington (just west of Toronto). I was really excited to book a spot in the summer concert series, as we were the only Christian act on the line-up.

But we were even more thrilled to arrive at the bandshell today and see the sign "Concert Moved Indoors Tonight"!

What a relief! The fear was that people would stay away with the heat, but the audience started to arrive, and in the end, we had well over a hundred people crammed into the hall.

We knew this would be a really mixed crowd, so in addition to our signature pieces, we pulled out a lot of well known pop and country songs. It was interesting to watch the crowd - some sang along, some smiled, and a few looked at us like, "I have no idea what they're singing about, but I think I like it." Okay, that's my own interpretation, but I like to think I'm on the money.

Doing Christian music in a non-church setting is a real challenge, especially in a city like Toronto where Christians face a lot of political-correctness, but I'm determined to keep pressing forward. I have confidence in our music, and I believe it can inspire people from all walks of life.

And I think in a city as diverse as ours, all voices need to be heard.

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