Thursday, August 24, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
We are tired, but it's a good tired!
It was a whirlwind of a weekend but blessings were flowing and the music was sweet!
We started out Saturday night at the world famous 23rd Psalm Cafe where we were the main act but we were surrounded by a group of fantastic Christian singers and songwriters.
The 23rd Psalm is more than a coffee house it is a true ministry run by the one and only BEN HOUSTON. Ben has a true heart for GOD and his ministry reaches into the community in far too many ways to mention. After an incredible career in the music business where he worked with the likes of Keith Richards and The Uptown Horns, and played in some of the country's greatest venues not the least of which was the Apollo theater in New York. Ben stepped out of the spotlight when he felt God's hand moving him in a different direction. That direction was back to his hometown of Nashville where he was led to start the 23rd Psalm Ministry. Ben has been a friend for a few years now and I can think of no one that I know who is more focused and driven to do God's will.
Ben always puts on a good show at the 23rd Psalm but I have to say that Saturday topped any that I have had the pleasure to be a part of. God's love was evident in the room and felt by all.
The night started out with short sets by two great songwriters, first up was Adam (Sorry Adam I didn't catch your last name) who played some songs from his band AFTERLIFE. These incredibly touching songs were very modern sounding in the style of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a mixture of rock and rap that got peoples toes tapping and really set the stage for a night of inspirational soul stirring music.
Next up was Toni Klughart, what a sweet and talented lady, very much the classic folk singer her songs were direct and to the point, and filled us all that warm fuzzy feeling like only a person who sings from the heart can do. She was there with her husband and young son, at one point during her set I looked back and you could just see the pride shining in her son's eyes. The night just kept getting better and better.
The man - The Legend - our old buddy Chris Warren was up next and as usual he raised the bar another notch. I can't say enough about Chris and his abilities as a songwriter, singer and musician. He never fails to inspire and touch people with his smooth vocals and well crafted words, he is truly one of Gods servants, on a special note Chris came out to perform after moving all day, talk about dedicated!
I don't know about everybody else but by this time I was itching to get to it! And Get To It we did. X-ALT! took the stage and the gloves came off. We had been filled by the blessings of the other great performers and it showed in what was probably one of our best shows to date. God's love had surrounded 23rd Psalm and it was flowing through our fingers and voices.
After our set Bryan turned to me with a grin on his face and said "Something is definitely happening here" He's right, something is happening with this band and with God's blessings and guidance it's only going to continue to grow.
The night continued after our set when Moira (I hope I spelled that right)took over the mic.
Talk about a bundle of energy, this girl had it. A great voice, cool songs and a high kick that would make a Rockette blush. I kid you not! Her last song ended with a high note and a high kick. Energy like that is contagious and add to that the fact that she was such a sweet and positive person. It was a pleasure to share a stage with her.
Mark Daily was up next and he brought with him an introspective style of music that really brought the reality of Gods love home. It takes a special type of writer to really make you think about what God has given you and how you've truly been blessed. Tony and Adam ended the night with a couple of more songs and Chris closed the evening with prayer. There is really something to be said about being surrounded by a group of believers that are dedicated to spreading God's word and are willing to do it in such a public manner...
and speaking of being surrounded by a group of believers!!!!
Welcome to Flewellyn Baptist Church!
We were welcomed by the good folks at Flewellyn Baptist just like we were one of the family and by the end of the day we were.
There sound guy John and his lovely wife Jessica met us bright and early Sunday morning and helped us get set up and ready for what was to be a beautiful Sunday of worship and fellowship. It was homecoming at Flewellyn and their all purpose building was filled with smiling faces of all ages. The morning service was full of joy and praise and we were so proud to have been invited to be a part of it. Throughout the service the room filled with the smell of ham and fried chicken with all the fixins that was waiting for us in the kitchen, prepared by the church members. Why is that nothing tastes better than a pot luck lunch at church?
After we thoroughly stuffed ourselves we made our way back to the stage and led the congregation in another hour and a half of praise and worship music and some of our original material. Everyone seemed to really have a great day in God's house and everyone we talked to wanted to know when we can come back and do it again...
Just let us know when the next pot luck is and we will be there!
We do want to thank the good folks at Flewellyn for there more than generous gift and we will gladly return whenever you will have us.
Well I guess that's enough for now, why don't you all come out a join us next Sunday when we return to Springfield for a special Sunday of praise and worship at Talents Coffee Studio. It will be worth the drive!
V
We started out Saturday night at the world famous 23rd Psalm Cafe where we were the main act but we were surrounded by a group of fantastic Christian singers and songwriters.
The 23rd Psalm is more than a coffee house it is a true ministry run by the one and only BEN HOUSTON. Ben has a true heart for GOD and his ministry reaches into the community in far too many ways to mention. After an incredible career in the music business where he worked with the likes of Keith Richards and The Uptown Horns, and played in some of the country's greatest venues not the least of which was the Apollo theater in New York. Ben stepped out of the spotlight when he felt God's hand moving him in a different direction. That direction was back to his hometown of Nashville where he was led to start the 23rd Psalm Ministry. Ben has been a friend for a few years now and I can think of no one that I know who is more focused and driven to do God's will.
Ben always puts on a good show at the 23rd Psalm but I have to say that Saturday topped any that I have had the pleasure to be a part of. God's love was evident in the room and felt by all.
The night started out with short sets by two great songwriters, first up was Adam (Sorry Adam I didn't catch your last name) who played some songs from his band AFTERLIFE. These incredibly touching songs were very modern sounding in the style of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a mixture of rock and rap that got peoples toes tapping and really set the stage for a night of inspirational soul stirring music.
Next up was Toni Klughart, what a sweet and talented lady, very much the classic folk singer her songs were direct and to the point, and filled us all that warm fuzzy feeling like only a person who sings from the heart can do. She was there with her husband and young son, at one point during her set I looked back and you could just see the pride shining in her son's eyes. The night just kept getting better and better.
The man - The Legend - our old buddy Chris Warren was up next and as usual he raised the bar another notch. I can't say enough about Chris and his abilities as a songwriter, singer and musician. He never fails to inspire and touch people with his smooth vocals and well crafted words, he is truly one of Gods servants, on a special note Chris came out to perform after moving all day, talk about dedicated!
I don't know about everybody else but by this time I was itching to get to it! And Get To It we did. X-ALT! took the stage and the gloves came off. We had been filled by the blessings of the other great performers and it showed in what was probably one of our best shows to date. God's love had surrounded 23rd Psalm and it was flowing through our fingers and voices.
After our set Bryan turned to me with a grin on his face and said "Something is definitely happening here" He's right, something is happening with this band and with God's blessings and guidance it's only going to continue to grow.
The night continued after our set when Moira (I hope I spelled that right)took over the mic.
Talk about a bundle of energy, this girl had it. A great voice, cool songs and a high kick that would make a Rockette blush. I kid you not! Her last song ended with a high note and a high kick. Energy like that is contagious and add to that the fact that she was such a sweet and positive person. It was a pleasure to share a stage with her.
Mark Daily was up next and he brought with him an introspective style of music that really brought the reality of Gods love home. It takes a special type of writer to really make you think about what God has given you and how you've truly been blessed. Tony and Adam ended the night with a couple of more songs and Chris closed the evening with prayer. There is really something to be said about being surrounded by a group of believers that are dedicated to spreading God's word and are willing to do it in such a public manner...
and speaking of being surrounded by a group of believers!!!!
Welcome to Flewellyn Baptist Church!
We were welcomed by the good folks at Flewellyn Baptist just like we were one of the family and by the end of the day we were.
There sound guy John and his lovely wife Jessica met us bright and early Sunday morning and helped us get set up and ready for what was to be a beautiful Sunday of worship and fellowship. It was homecoming at Flewellyn and their all purpose building was filled with smiling faces of all ages. The morning service was full of joy and praise and we were so proud to have been invited to be a part of it. Throughout the service the room filled with the smell of ham and fried chicken with all the fixins that was waiting for us in the kitchen, prepared by the church members. Why is that nothing tastes better than a pot luck lunch at church?
After we thoroughly stuffed ourselves we made our way back to the stage and led the congregation in another hour and a half of praise and worship music and some of our original material. Everyone seemed to really have a great day in God's house and everyone we talked to wanted to know when we can come back and do it again...
Just let us know when the next pot luck is and we will be there!
We do want to thank the good folks at Flewellyn for there more than generous gift and we will gladly return whenever you will have us.
Well I guess that's enough for now, why don't you all come out a join us next Sunday when we return to Springfield for a special Sunday of praise and worship at Talents Coffee Studio. It will be worth the drive!
V
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
23rd Psalm Poster
Show Starts at 7:00pm
Open Mic. Jam at 6:00pm
Cover $7.00
This is one night you don't want to miss!
Monday, August 14, 2006
TBG & WSNG
It was a busy weekend in X-ALT land it started out Friday night at the "Very Cool" Truth, Beauty and Goodness (or TBG) Coffee House in Ashland City TN. The "Crowd" if you want to call it that was hampered by a huge thunderstorm that passed through the area just before we were scheduled to play. If fact "The Crowd" was a small group of family and friends and a few passers by that happened in. But hey, you can't win them all. We'll be back at TGB soon (Hopefully at the End of September) and weather permitting we will fill up the place. We had a good time playing and singing and we were blessed by having Tommy and my ol' "Blue Collar" band mate Lawrence Bailey join us on Sax and guitar. Lawrence was kind enough to fill in for Bryan who had other commitments Friday night. Lawrence is a member of the Nashville Based Funk Rock act "The Jones" and he did a great job, hopefully he will be joining us again soon, I would love to see a show where we had him and Bryan up there together!!!
Sunday Mark and I had the pleasure of joining my old friend Tommy Lewis on his Sunday afternoon Gospel radio show that airs on WSNG 880am. Tommy is the long time host of the "Nashville Gospel" TV show that airs locally on WSMV-TV Channel 4, and has been a prominent member of the Gospel Music community here in Nashville for the last 30+ years.
We spent about half an hour with Tommy and our songs "Piggy Back Ride" and "Oh, Happy Day" saw their first radio airplay!!!
Tommy is just a great person who loves the Lord and never hesitates to show it.
Speaking of Busy weekends...Let's look at next weekend! Saturday night X-ALT will be performing along with our buddy Chris Warren at the world famous 23rd Psalm Cafe and Coffee House
Then on Sunday morning we are providing the music for the 11:00am service at "Flewellyn Baptist Church" in Springfield TN then after lunch we will be doing an hour set to help them celebrate their annual Homecoming.
So keep an eye out for us because we're not stopping any time soon. Don't forget to stop in at www.xaltband.com to get a full list of upcoming appearances and to check out song samples for the "Rhythm and Praise" CD.
Till Next Time
V
Sunday Mark and I had the pleasure of joining my old friend Tommy Lewis on his Sunday afternoon Gospel radio show that airs on WSNG 880am. Tommy is the long time host of the "Nashville Gospel" TV show that airs locally on WSMV-TV Channel 4, and has been a prominent member of the Gospel Music community here in Nashville for the last 30+ years.
We spent about half an hour with Tommy and our songs "Piggy Back Ride" and "Oh, Happy Day" saw their first radio airplay!!!Tommy is just a great person who loves the Lord and never hesitates to show it.
Speaking of Busy weekends...Let's look at next weekend! Saturday night X-ALT will be performing along with our buddy Chris Warren at the world famous 23rd Psalm Cafe and Coffee House
Then on Sunday morning we are providing the music for the 11:00am service at "Flewellyn Baptist Church" in Springfield TN then after lunch we will be doing an hour set to help them celebrate their annual Homecoming.
So keep an eye out for us because we're not stopping any time soon. Don't forget to stop in at www.xaltband.com to get a full list of upcoming appearances and to check out song samples for the "Rhythm and Praise" CD.
Till Next Time
V
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
When A Hot Summer Night Turns Cool
X-ALT! Made it's way to the Music City KOA last night expecting another fun night of music and praise in the music barn. Were we disappointed? In a word "NO!" In fact we were blown away!
The evening started out as we expected with a small crowd. Shows at places like the campground are always slow to fill up simply because people don't start to file in till they hear the music start and that was just what happened. Through the first three or four songs the crowd slowly filed in, but the cool part is that once inside they stayed, they yelled, they clapped and danced, the more the crowd got into it the more the band turned up the heat and before long a full grown party had broke out.
We put a lot of new material into the mix last night which brought about a much higher energy show than we have done before, a trend I think we all want to see continue! Along with playing every cut off the CD, we brought out some of our favorites. A re-worked version of the Sam and Dave classic "Sooth Me" brought cheers from the crowd as did the rockers "More Love, More Power" and "Ain't No Rock".
Tommy was in rare form last night as we did one of the hottest versions of his song "Piggy Back Ride" ever, I've been working with Tommy off and on for 25 years now and I have never seen him get as fired up as he does when he sings this song. It truly makes a difference when your singing for the Lord and spreading his word through your songs. That was evident last night, we felt God's presence in that room and it could be seen in the smiles on the crowd and in the smiles of those of us on stage. It was just fun, there's no other word for it. What could be better than spreading the love of Jesus Christ to a great crowd and flat out having a ball doing it?
Look at these faces and tell me that these people aren't filled with the spirit of Gods love...
Mark put his voice to the test throughout the night last night hitting all the high notes only to turn around and sing bass on "Down To The River". Bryan played the sax like a man possessed (in a good way) and his guitar playing is not to be believed.
If you have not been to an X-ALT show you should really make plans to see one soon, you have plenty of opportunities so there is no excuse!
And lets not forget the hardest working drummer I've ever worked with, Eddie came into the night not feeling his best but he didn't let it slow him down!
Your next chance to catch X-ALT LIVE is Friday August 11th at the TBG Coffee House on the Square in Ashland City, The Show starts at 8:00pm.
Then on August 19th X-ALT headlines a great night of music at the world famous 23rd Psalm Cafe, the night begins with their famous open mic night followed by our old buddy Chris Warren then X-ALT hits the stage around 8:00. You don't want to miss a minute of either of these shows. God has blessed us and we want to share those blessings with you.
V
Psalms 150 - The Message Translation
Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise Him under the open skies;
Praise Him for his acts of power,
praise Him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise Him with banjo and flute;
Praise Him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise Him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
A Hot Summer Night
It was a hot summer night when X-ALT! came to play for the residents and their families at Claiborne & Hughes Rehabilitation Center in Franklin TN. and Prayers were answered (At least the fast one I threw out for the rain to hold off!).
We were all looking forward to this show because what we do is about touching people and bringing the Joy of the love of Jesus Christ to anyone who wants to hear it. The folks at Caliborne and Hughes were listening.
Our good friend Chris Warren joined us and did a great set to open the night.
Chris is an amazing singer and songwriter and he wears his beliefs on his sleeve for all to see and hear. He has a way of presenting his message that is both captivating and a joy to be a part of. We are looking forward to working with Chris again as he will be joining us at some coffee house shows and when we do a concert at his church later in the year.
X-alt's time had arrived and we played a great show for the folks, it was so inspiring it look out at the 50 or so people who had come out for the show and to see heads bobbing to the music and people clapping along.
We played most of the new CD along with a few covers including Katy's version of "Jesus Take The Wheel" which always seem to go over well.
All our ladies were in great voice, it is such a joy to hear Brooke, Katy and Susie when they are in sync. Unfortunately due to time constraints we were unable to do "Down To The River" at this show but I can only imagine how it would have sounded, it is such a showcase for our ladies!
I don't know if it was because we were playing outside or not but the band really seemed to find it's groove and stayed in it all afternoon. Songs like "Piggyback Ride", "Open Up", and "Keep Our Eyes On Jesus" seemed to have a life of their own and our vocal heavy songs like "Love Never Ending" seemed to just swell and grow.
After about an hour we took a break and Chris came back up to do a few more songs. During Chris's set we were informed that the heat was getting to some of the older members of our audience and we were asked if we could cut our second set a short so when we returned to the mic's we pulled out the old church hymnal and did some favorites,
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Power In The Blood" and "I'll Fly Away" ended the night.
We wanted to make sure to thank the folks at Claiborne and Hughes, especially Stephanie who heads up their family nights.
As we were packing up she and I got to talking about us coming back at another time and we decided that our next appearance should be at Christmas time. As the holidays get closer we will be putting together an X-ALT! Christmas show to take on the road and I can't wait. Mark tells me he has an original Christmas already written and I know Tommy has a song called "The Great Southern White Out" a song that speaks the truth about Southern drivers and snow!
The rest of 2006 looks great for X-ALT! The bookings keep coming and we can't wait to see where the Lord takes us next.
That's it for now, next stop is Back at the Nashville KOA this Sunday, August 6th then we are off to Ashland City and the Truth. Beauty, and Grace Coffee House on the 11th. It's going to be a busy week but were ready for it. So come on out and see us!
V
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