I had hoped to blog live during GMA week, and give you some daily updates on interviews and showcases, but two things prevented me: first, I was on the go from sun up till sun down, and second, I was too lazy to walk down to the business center to get internet access. (Freelancing means I pay for this whole trip, and it’s ridiculous that a hotel that charges $200 a night doesn’t give you free WiFi in the room; but that’s another story.)
I had some great interviews – I mean, really enjoyable chats – from a really heartbreaking time hearing Joy Whitlock’s story to a deep conversation with Mike Weaver (Big Daddy Weave) about everything from food addiction to the Church. I spent a lot of time with “Jesus People”: filmmakers Dan Ewald, Rajeev Singamoney and Jason Naumann and had more than a few laughs, and tonight I saw some of the best in Christian music at a Centricity showcase.

In fact, let me tell you about some of their great artists. I’m a huge fan of Downhere, so it was great not only to catch up with the band and hear about new babies and other fun stuff, but to be reminded why I love their music so much. I heard Lanae Hale sing – holy smokes, this girl is great! If Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson were in a fight to see who would tell the best story through music, it would be a tie. And we got to meet an amazing new country trio, High Valley. I’m not a country fan, but I promise you, these guys are incredible songwriters. They were able to tell a story in a song, break your heart, and manage to not be cheesy. Their harmonies are incredible. Really, watch out for them.
But I’ll have more info in the days to come, including possibly some video clips from the Centricity showcase as well as some clips from the Tooth and Nail lunch that features the artists sharing stories behind the songs.
All in all, GMA week turned out to be one of the most mellow, and one of the best, I’ve been in to in a long time.
Don’t forget that the Dove Awards are on Thursday night. You can catch it live on the Gospel Music Channel.