{"id":8165,"date":"2011-12-06T15:12:06","date_gmt":"2011-12-06T20:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/idolchatter\/?p=8165"},"modified":"2011-12-06T15:14:05","modified_gmt":"2011-12-06T20:14:05","slug":"show-review-reaching-generations-with-switchfoot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2011\/12\/show-review-reaching-generations-with-switchfoot.html","title":{"rendered":"Show Review: Reaching Generations with Switchfoot"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Switchfoot performing on the Tonight Show
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Switchfoot\u2019s debut album Legend of Chin<\/em> came out in 1997, it was a fun, anthemic rock album that stretched the boundaries of Christian rock. \u00a0Fourteen years later, the band is still bringing it.\u00a0 Seeing Switchfoot live at the National in Richmond, VA was a special thing. \u00a0It\u2019s an interesting venue with all the trappings of a vintage theater, and it’s a room that you can tell the band genuinely enjoys playing.\u00a0 I had the privilege of discussing that, among other things, with drummer Chad Butler before the show.<\/p>\n

The set list featured a heavy dose of Vice Verses<\/em>, the group\u2019s latest album and the recent Hello Hurricane<\/em>. \u00a0The Vice Verses<\/em> tracks shone brighter with the voice of the band\u2019s experience both together and in the studio. \u201c\u201cVice Verses<\/em> came together easier than the last one.\u00a0 Hello Hurricane<\/em> was a tough one for us, we spent years kind of searching for a sound and a group of songs that we really believed was the next statement for the band,” said Chad, “This record stands on the shoulders of Hello, Hurricane.\u00a0 It\u2019s only because we went through that process that we were able to find our voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing the Vice Verses<\/em> songs live, it is apparent that they came from an entirely different place for the band.\u00a0 They wrote them during their last tour, scrapping together pieces during sound checks.\u00a0 It lends a certain energy to the album, and one that translates very effectively to the live show.\u00a0 \u201cWe did all the demos for Vice Verses<\/em> on tour last year while we were touring Hello Hurricane, so during soundcheck we worked on demos for these new songs,\u201d reflected Chad, \u201cthe live band dynamic lends itself to the songs starting in an interactive place versus a sterile studio environment.\u00a0 As great as the studio is it\u2019s not a live show, or even a soundcheck.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the album is energetic, the live performance is where these songs are meant to be heard.\u00a0 That isn\u2019t anymore clear than in the contributions of Drew Shirley<\/a>.\u00a0 Drew, who is the most “recent” addition to Switchfoot, has really come into his own in this band.\u00a0 His on point guitar solos were riveting, and it was clear that this is an album that he had a huge hand in crafting, and that craft has extended to the live show.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a great team effort, each time we walk on stage it feels like a tight knit force, it feels like it wouldn\u2019t be the same if there was someone else on stage.\u00a0 It feels like we\u2019ve really grown together so much,\u201d said Chad, \u201cDrew is really able to come in and not only cover what Jon is playing but also grew into a role of this incredible tonesmith and fantastic guitar player that has added so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the band kicked into \u201cMeant to Live\u201d I expected a huge roar from the entire crowd.\u00a0 After all, \u201cMeant to Live\u201d is one of the band\u2019s best songs and a defining moment for the band, to establishing them as a force to be reckoned with in the rock music world.\u00a0 Instead, there was a roar, but not one like I would have thought.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until after the show that myself and Beliefnet contributor Ben Wright<\/a> figured out why:<\/p>\n

A large part of the audience would have only been oh, 8 or 9 years old when that song came out.<\/p>\n

At first the realization was a little bemusing.\u00a0 I won\u2019t lie \u2013 I felt old \u2013 just like when the band covered Jane\u2019s Addiction\u2019s \u201cBeen Caught Stealing\u201d and we (along with the youth pastors in attendance) knew every single word.\u00a0 But, as I mulled it over, I realized that this is what makes Switchfoot a special band.\u00a0 Their sound has changed over the years \u2013 that is undeniable \u2013 but the message has always been positive.\u00a0 Move forward, love one another, we are meant to be more than who we are; they are Christian messages but messages that are still hitting people from many walks of life \u2013 and of many ages.<\/p>\n

Seeing a crowd of such a wide age range be moved by \u201cWhere I Belong,\u201d the powerful closing track of Vice Verses<\/em>, was a unique experience and one that you wouldn\u2019t see replicated at many lesser concerts.\u00a0 It\u2019s simple really \u2013 Switchfoot has always been true to themselves, and they all happen to be great people with something decidedly interesting and positive to say.<\/p>\n

That is the kind of thing that can span generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Switchfoot performing on the Tonight Show Switchfoot\u2019s debut album Legend of Chin came out in 1997, it was a fun, anthemic rock album that stretched the boundaries of Christian rock. \u00a0Fourteen years later, the band is still bringing it.\u00a0 Seeing Switchfoot live at the National in Richmond, VA was a special thing. \u00a0It\u2019s an interesting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","category-music"],"yoast_head":"\nShow Review: Reaching Generations with Switchfoot<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2011\/12\/show-review-reaching-generations-with-switchfoot.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Show Review: Reaching Generations with Switchfoot\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Switchfoot performing on the Tonight Show Switchfoot\u2019s debut album Legend of Chin came out in 1997, it was a fun, anthemic rock album that stretched the boundaries of Christian rock. \u00a0Fourteen years later, the band is still bringing it.\u00a0 Seeing Switchfoot live at the National in Richmond, VA was a special thing. \u00a0It\u2019s an interesting…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2011\/12\/show-review-reaching-generations-with-switchfoot.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Idol Chatter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-12-06T20:12:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-12-06T20:14:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/idolchatter\/files\/2011\/12\/switchfoot1-300x199.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"S. 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