Night by Night http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:40:49 GMT http://bandzoogle.com 3/11/2012 Trinity Fellowship: Youngstown, OH http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1867404      After playing a solo show on Friday, and an Acoustic/Hand Percussion concert on Saturday, Denver and I were both itching to play a full set concert and to just work out some pent up things from the events of the weekend.  It was the perfect time for us to play at Trinity Fellowship.  They have an incredible auditorium in every sense of the word.  Acoustically, asthetically, and technilogically, this room has it all and sounds great from the first note to the last.  We were able to arrive early for set up and we took advantage of virtually every minute of it.  We set up as quickly as possible.  Did a few run throughs of the newest material during soundcheck and still I don't think there was a minute where one of us wasn't playing until the final 10 minutes before the show when doors opened.  It just felt great to get to a full concert setting again and it felt great to be in front of a crowd that had so many familiars in it encouraging us all the way.        The highlight for me so far on this trip has been "The Evidence" tonight we got to play it for the first time with everything we had to make it come alive and it was everything I had hoped it would become in it's live iteration.  The dynamics of the arrangement goes from a subtle, one-note melody at the start and builds without ceasing for nearly 7 minutes, all while lyrically we're singing about the character arc that God has taken the group on from the beginning until now.  If a listener doesn't finish that song with a smile then there's nothing more we can do for 'em! hahaha!        It feels like we packed an entire tour of turbulence and elation into the first 3 days.  Another week and a half until the March leg of the spring tour is over and we'll probably be laughing about things by then, but it's been an intense first few days.  To be honest though... after a fairly light touring schedule for the first quarter of 2012, this might've been exactly what we needed to get us back into effective touring shape (and sound) for what's to come.  "If I knew what was waiting on the other side of suffering, I'd have tried to enjoy the suffering a little more".  
     The highlight for me so far on this trip has been "The Evidence" tonight we got to play it for the first time with everything we had to make it come alive and it was everything I had hoped it would become in it's live iteration.  The dynamics of the arrangement goes from a subtle, one-note melody at the start and builds without ceasing for nearly 7 minutes, all while lyrically we're singing about the character arc that God has taken the group on from the beginning until now.  If a listener doesn't finish that song with a smile then there's nothing more we can do for 'em! hahaha!  

     It feels like we packed an entire tour of turbulence and elation into the first 3 days.  Another week and a half until the March leg of the spring tour is over and we'll probably be laughing about things by then, but it's been an intense first few days.  To be honest though... after a fairly light touring schedule for the first quarter of 2012, this might've been exactly what we needed to get us back into effective touring shape (and sound) for what's to come.  "If I knew what was waiting on the other side of suffering, I'd have tried to enjoy the suffering a little more".  
]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:40:49 GMT 840F445AD5952F0D58F9AE8A897CA386 3/10/12 Ignite Mansfield: Mansfield, OH http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1867343      As continued from the previous night, the bus troubles continued.  Denver didn't make it to where we could park the bus and have it looked at until the afternoon after having spent all night driving for a few dozen miles then stopping and charging the battery and the repeating the process having only spent a few hours asleep.  Needless to say, he was well worn out long before we had to start setting up for this night's events.  But we loaded as much gear as we could into my own car and we headed off to a concert series held every other Saturday night called Ignite Mansfield.  It is held in a smaller room, but there's a devout following that comes and supports the music on these evenings and it was great to meet so many new faces and be able be a part of what they are continuing to build there.        It was also a personally charging concert for us.  There were people who came out that night who we have deep bonds with and seeing all of their faces in the crowd was a catalyst for memories of all sorts and filled with nearly every emotion imaginable.  We had known in advance that some of them might be coming so we put together a set list that would be a pretty good retrospective of the band's history.  Songs like "Ran Away" and "The Fall of October" from that album, then songs like "I'm Not Sorry" and "Bending Mirrors" from What Will Remain, new songs "Take Back Again" and "The Evidence" as well as the live concert standards "I Failed", "Whithered Tree", and "Don't Fade Away".  It was whenever possible I tried to take myself out of the moment and just listen to some of the music that has spanned a decade and I felt a greatfulness for not just being able to be a part of it, but to be able to see the faces of the people we've met along the way and the powerful connections that we've had with so many great people.        Little by little, the frustrations that can come with things like bus troubles and sore throats, heavy hearts and lack of sleep... they give way to the knowledge that these are problems of a temporal world and should account for next to nothing when compared against the intersecting of people and events that are eternal in nature.  
     It was also a personally charging concert for us.  There were people who came out that night who we have deep bonds with and seeing all of their faces in the crowd was a catalyst for memories of all sorts and filled with nearly every emotion imaginable.  We had known in advance that some of them might be coming so we put together a set list that would be a pretty good retrospective of the band's history.  Songs like "Ran Away" and "The Fall of October" from that album, then songs like "I'm Not Sorry" and "Bending Mirrors" from What Will Remain, new songs "Take Back Again" and "The Evidence" as well as the live concert standards "I Failed", "Whithered Tree", and "Don't Fade Away".  It was whenever possible I tried to take myself out of the moment and just listen to some of the music that has spanned a decade and I felt a greatfulness for not just being able to be a part of it, but to be able to see the faces of the people we've met along the way and the powerful connections that we've had with so many great people.  

     Little by little, the frustrations that can come with things like bus troubles and sore throats, heavy hearts and lack of sleep... they give way to the knowledge that these are problems of a temporal world and should account for next to nothing when compared against the intersecting of people and events that are eternal in nature.  
]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:26:42 GMT 663BBCE51DD6697CDE1288A0C7D7AB17 3/9/12 Enon United Methodist Church: Enon, OH http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1867291 The Solo Show...      Denver and I packed up the bus on this Friday morning and started out from Nashville at 7am.  We didn't get but maybe 10 miles before things started going wrong and staying wrong with the bus for the rest of the weekend.   It was being worked on within 2 hours of us pulling over, which was a great thing, but once it got to be 11:am and there were more components out of the bus than in it, we knew that we weren't going to be able to get the bus and all the gear up to Ohio for this concert.  So we decided that I would drive my own vehicle up to the concert and play most of it as a solo show, but with the hopes that maybe Denver could get on the road soon enough to make it in time to join me for the "Don't Fade Away" finale.  But not only did was he not able to make it in time for that song, Denver and the bus didn't make it to Ohio until the next afternoon due to the alternators never producing a charge (despite being replaced).       It was somewhat odd and familiar all at the same time to be playing a solo concert with Coincidence Maybe songs.  I had down quite a few solo shows in the time between C?M's active years and so I already knew exactly how I would play some of the songs.  But, to be honest, between the long day, long drive, and little sleep the night before the tour (just like every other "night before the tour"), my voice didn't have anywhere near as much strength to it as I had hoped.  Sometimes though, I find that having one "distraction" that keeps your mind's attention, allows me to sort of subconsciously stay out of my own way.  I have a fault of overthinking at times during performances and it gets me to thinking myself right into a lack of confidence and some pretty unecessary and unforced mistakes.  Knowing that I needed to stay mindful of my throat's condition probably saved me from any number of other lapses in concentration.        There were definitely some memorable moments for me on this night.  The first was during Fall Away.  There's a musical break in the middle that is the last bit of calmness in the song before the song crescendos steadily through the end.  I was able to really appreciate and allow that part of the song to breath a little more than usual and for some reason it gave me a moment to take a deep breath and feel blessed that despite the day's occurances, there was still music happening that night and that hopefully good things would come from it.        But the highlight for me that evening was unveiling the song "The Evidence" for the first time in front of a live audience.  It was such a moving moment to sing and play a song that is a "Thank You" directly to God for allowing Denver and I to continue to play this music and to be as happy to arrive and have a stage to play from as we were the very first time.  It was easy to see the irony of the events of that day capped off by such a song and it helped correct the tone of the tour and replace the focus to where it should be.  "Not all the right answers, but no less the truth..."
     Denver and I packed up the bus on this Friday morning and started out from Nashville at 7am.  We didn't get but maybe 10 miles before things started going wrong and staying wrong with the bus for the rest of the weekend.   It was being worked on within 2 hours of us pulling over, which was a great thing, but once it got to be 11:am and there were more components out of the bus than in it, we knew that we weren't going to be able to get the bus and all the gear up to Ohio for this concert.  So we decided that I would drive my own vehicle up to the concert and play most of it as a solo show, but with the hopes that maybe Denver could get on the road soon enough to make it in time to join me for the "Don't Fade Away" finale.  But not only did was he not able to make it in time for that song, Denver and the bus didn't make it to Ohio until the next afternoon due to the alternators never producing a charge (despite being replaced). 

     It was somewhat odd and familiar all at the same time to be playing a solo concert with Coincidence Maybe songs.  I had down quite a few solo shows in the time between C?M's active years and so I already knew exactly how I would play some of the songs.  But, to be honest, between the long day, long drive, and little sleep the night before the tour (just like every other "night before the tour"), my voice didn't have anywhere near as much strength to it as I had hoped.  Sometimes though, I find that having one "distraction" that keeps your mind's attention, allows me to sort of subconsciously stay out of my own way.  I have a fault of overthinking at times during performances and it gets me to thinking myself right into a lack of confidence and some pretty unecessary and unforced mistakes.  Knowing that I needed to stay mindful of my throat's condition probably saved me from any number of other lapses in concentration.  

     There were definitely some memorable moments for me on this night.  The first was during Fall Away.  There's a musical break in the middle that is the last bit of calmness in the song before the song crescendos steadily through the end.  I was able to really appreciate and allow that part of the song to breath a little more than usual and for some reason it gave me a moment to take a deep breath and feel blessed that despite the day's occurances, there was still music happening that night and that hopefully good things would come from it.  

     But the highlight for me that evening was unveiling the song "The Evidence" for the first time in front of a live audience.  It was such a moving moment to sing and play a song that is a "Thank You" directly to God for allowing Denver and I to continue to play this music and to be as happy to arrive and have a stage to play from as we were the very first time.  It was easy to see the irony of the events of that day capped off by such a song and it helped correct the tone of the tour and replace the focus to where it should be.  "Not all the right answers, but no less the truth..."


]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:10:31 GMT 7CF63CD65D2135B5DDEA4E8E7AC717C8 8/23/2011 Hope Christian Church: Columbia, IL http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1226348      We were back at it again. :)  Celebrate Recovery events have started to feel like home to us.  It's amazing how similar each event is, yet the people are so distinct and memorable.  We spent a little time at Broadway Bean before heading over since we had a day off to make our way over and after reaching HCC, we immediately were welcomed by smiling faces who kept letting us know how excited they were to have us and for us to be there.  I guess I never realized how much of a difference that can make until it dawned on me yesterday.  Just kicking things off with a welcome, unstressed tone, sets so much more positive of a undertone for the evening.  It seems common sense, and yet it's not.       There were some true characters in this crowd... which we love!  The more unique, the more memorable the personality and there's quite a few there to keep us remembering HCC for some time!  During the explantion of "Don't Fade Away", we mentioned the possible passing out (jokingly as always), and they starting arranging a lineup of people to recussitate me if necessary! hahaha!  It was halarious!  Luckily the guy with the Tom Selleck moustache was last in the lineage.        Some nights, as sad as it is to say, nothing really stands out to me musically.  Sometimes its just a little more routine than others.  It's not that we're not "into it" or that we're oblivious to what's going on, but some nights the songs go a lot more like clockwork instead of being close recreations of the original inspirations.  But luckily this wasn't one of those nights.  The Big 3 (I failed, Withered Tree, and Don't Fade Away) each had personalities and feeling tonight and when that's happening, it's hard not to feel less like a person and more like a conduit.  I guess the closest I can describe it is that you just feel like you're EMITTING a song instead of playing one.  It lasted for the duration of the those three songs and it was refreshing to feel.        There was no doubt summer was still strong in the St. Louis area as we packed up the gear in the heat and humidity that would've felt oppressing at a noon hour, but felt even stickier at 10 o'clock at night.  But, we had a hotel room waiting for us, was able to settle in and rest so well that it felt like the 2nd day of the tour as opposed to the 2nd to last day! Set List: Idea Song I'm Not Sorry FreeFallin/Fall Away I Failed Withered Tree Don't Fade Away  
     There were some true characters in this crowd... which we love!  The more unique, the more memorable the personality and there's quite a few there to keep us remembering HCC for some time!  During the explantion of "Don't Fade Away", we mentioned the possible passing out (jokingly as always), and they starting arranging a lineup of people to recussitate me if necessary! hahaha!  It was halarious!  Luckily the guy with the Tom Selleck moustache was last in the lineage.  

     Some nights, as sad as it is to say, nothing really stands out to me musically.  Sometimes its just a little more routine than others.  It's not that we're not "into it" or that we're oblivious to what's going on, but some nights the songs go a lot more like clockwork instead of being close recreations of the original inspirations.  But luckily this wasn't one of those nights.  The Big 3 (I failed, Withered Tree, and Don't Fade Away) each had personalities and feeling tonight and when that's happening, it's hard not to feel less like a person and more like a conduit.  I guess the closest I can describe it is that you just feel like you're EMITTING a song instead of playing one.  It lasted for the duration of the those three songs and it was refreshing to feel.  

     There was no doubt summer was still strong in the St. Louis area as we packed up the gear in the heat and humidity that would've felt oppressing at a noon hour, but felt even stickier at 10 o'clock at night.  But, we had a hotel room waiting for us, was able to settle in and rest so well that it felt like the 2nd day of the tour as opposed to the 2nd to last day!

Set List:

Idea Song
I'm Not Sorry
FreeFallin/Fall Away
I Failed
Withered Tree
Don't Fade Away
 
]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:20:00 GMT 6BA3A6A6676BE35E745612BF2A46D1DD 8/21/2011 University of Southern Indiana: Evansville, IN http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1226275      This concert, though the longest set that we've played on this tour, feels like a blur.  Partially because for the first time, I personally felt what I've seen many movies or Wily Coyote cartoons try to depict the feeling of when someone's just baking in the desert! hahaha!  It was a hot, humid, sun filled day and we were out on a stage with no shade and very little cloud cover or wind to mask the elements.  The good part of it was that we were able to take some time in the set to just play music and we also tried out the new arrangement of Ran Away.  It's still on the rougher side, certainly not as tight as most of the rest of our songs.  But it was a pretty fun set of songs to play and I'm glad we were able to see some familiar faces at USI and make some new connections as well.   ]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:09:30 GMT 18E8F87AB268645BC99C1840D996DC8E 8/20/2011 Mead's Corner: Wichita, KS http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1226220      After a fascinatingly unique night at The Ladder on Friday night, it was almost understood that Saturday night's concert might be a let down, but we were gladly wrong!  We amped up the set list to really push the feel of the night.  We were feeling great and almost trying to ignore the fact that we were going to have to make an all night drive in order to make it to our Evansville, IN concert that we needed to be at by noon the next day.  Whether it was a successful distraction or not, we loved bringing out the louder edge of our sound and mixing in some songs like our "Everlong" cover and packing in our tighter arrangements like "I'm Not Sorry" and "New to Me".        Like the previous night, we were impressed by the amount of great people/great musicians we were able to meet in such a short span of time in Wichita.  Having not spent too much time there previously, I was impressed with the feel of the town.  There's a mix of orthodoxy and artistry that I haven't seen many (any) other places and it creates a pretty cool vibe.        Mead's Corner itself was a great venue that's only getting better!  Similar to the Broadway Bean coffee house that we are endeared to, Mead's Corner has the old school brick building feel to it, even down to the bronze ceiling tiles, but it has all the upgrades and modernization to make it an amazing atmosphere to play in.  And I have to give a shoutout to Sam for introducing me to a "White Irishman" coffee beverage!  That drink may have singlehandedly allowed me to stay away driving until the dawn that night!        The only down side was that this was our last concert with Jack Korbel this year, and though it was a lot of fun, it never seems to last long enough. Set List: Whispers in the Wind Idea Song New to Me Everlong Bending Mirrors I'm Not Sorry FreeFallin/Fall Away Hey Ya I Failed I'm Not Sorry  Don't Fade Away      After a fascinatingly unique night at The Ladder on Friday night, it was almost understood that Saturday night's concert might be a let down, but we were gladly wrong!  We amped up the set list to really push the feel of the night.  We were feeling great and almost trying to ignore the fact that we were going to have to make an all night drive in order to make it to our Evansville, IN concert that we needed to be at by noon the next day.  Whether it was a successful distraction or not, we loved bringing out the louder edge of our sound and mixing in some songs like our "Everlong" cover and packing in our tighter arrangements like "I'm Not Sorry" and "New to Me".  
     Like the previous night, we were impressed by the amount of great people/great musicians we were able to meet in such a short span of time in Wichita.  Having not spent too much time there previously, I was impressed with the feel of the town.  There's a mix of orthodoxy and artistry that I haven't seen many (any) other places and it creates a pretty cool vibe.  
     Mead's Corner itself was a great venue that's only getting better!  Similar to the Broadway Bean coffee house that we are endeared to, Mead's Corner has the old school brick building feel to it, even down to the bronze ceiling tiles, but it has all the upgrades and modernization to make it an amazing atmosphere to play in.  And I have to give a shoutout to Sam for introducing me to a "White Irishman" coffee beverage!  That drink may have singlehandedly allowed me to stay away driving until the dawn that night!  
     The only down side was that this was our last concert with Jack Korbel this year, and though it was a lot of fun, it never seems to last long enough.

Set List:

Whispers in the Wind
Idea Song
New to Me
Everlong
Bending Mirrors
I'm Not Sorry
FreeFallin/Fall Away
Hey Ya
I Failed
I'm Not Sorry 
Don't Fade Away

]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:00:37 GMT 8454D801BD414DF51AD27FC46611446D 8/19/2011 The Ladder: Wichita, KS http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1226177      When in Wichita...   Almost any time that we're in Kansas we're going to be playing a concert with Jack Korbel or his Korbel Confluence.  It's a great time and Jack has assembled a great group of guest musicians to help him flesh out the songs he's written that span the singer/songwriter and Irish genres.  It's a fun time full of stories, reminiscing, and new adventures nearly every time we get together, so it's a welcome change of pace from being on our own as we are for most dates.        What also made the two nights of concerts in Wichita fun was knowing that we'd be playing two distinctly different sets in two distincly different environments.  The first night, Friday, was at a place called "The Ladder".  This is a room used as a gathering area twice a month for a group called "The Hall of Men".  They get together twice a month and have table readings/dissertations on a different honorable or important man at each gathering.  These men range from General MacArthur to St. Augustine.  But the criteria, as I understand it, must be that each man who is "honored" at these meetings must have progressed both faith and culture in their own unique ways.  As of yet, Jack Korbel and now C?M have been the only musicians to be featured in the hall as musicians, and while that is not the same as being "honored" by their group, we were honored to be in such company.        Because of the intimacy of the room and the company, we decided that we'd stick to a more "songwriter" oriented set as opposed to a "performance" set.  There were still the Big 3 closing out the set, but we were able to include songs like "Friend of Dispair" and "Pacify Me(and Long December)".  We also sat in on a couple of songs with Jack and the Confluence and had a great time making the evening a very family-like affair.        Also wanted to make note of how great of a time we had afterwards being able to hang out with such fascinating people.  We met a missionary to the Czech Republic who was home on furlough.  Met a guy who repairs hail damage for a living and became so well known for his trade that he flies internationally to fix high end hail damage.  (Didn't even know that existed!)  Also had a good amount of time to hang out with the owner/opporator Aaron who has/shared his heart for the community and the need to advance banners of Faith and Culture.  It was one of the most stimulating and relaxing evenings I've had in a great while and I'll be looking forward to the return trip to Wichita in hopes to recreate this night! Set List: Whispers in the Wind Idea Song I'm not Sorry Bending Mirrors Freefallin/Fall Away Hey Ya Pacify Me/Long December Friend of Dispair I failed Withered Tree Don't Fade Away        What also made the two nights of concerts in Wichita fun was knowing that we'd be playing two distinctly different sets in two distincly different environments.  The first night, Friday, was at a place called "The Ladder".  This is a room used as a gathering area twice a month for a group called "The Hall of Men".  They get together twice a month and have table readings/dissertations on a different honorable or important man at each gathering.  These men range from General MacArthur to St. Augustine.  But the criteria, as I understand it, must be that each man who is "honored" at these meetings must have progressed both faith and culture in their own unique ways.  As of yet, Jack Korbel and now C?M have been the only musicians to be featured in the hall as musicians, and while that is not the same as being "honored" by their group, we were honored to be in such company.  
     Because of the intimacy of the room and the company, we decided that we'd stick to a more "songwriter" oriented set as opposed to a "performance" set.  There were still the Big 3 closing out the set, but we were able to include songs like "Friend of Dispair" and "Pacify Me(and Long December)".  We also sat in on a couple of songs with Jack and the Confluence and had a great time making the evening a very family-like affair.  
     Also wanted to make note of how great of a time we had afterwards being able to hang out with such fascinating people.  We met a missionary to the Czech Republic who was home on furlough.  Met a guy who repairs hail damage for a living and became so well known for his trade that he flies internationally to fix high end hail damage.  (Didn't even know that existed!)  Also had a good amount of time to hang out with the owner/opporator Aaron who has/shared his heart for the community and the need to advance banners of Faith and Culture.  It was one of the most stimulating and relaxing evenings I've had in a great while and I'll be looking forward to the return trip to Wichita in hopes to recreate this night!


Set List:

Whispers in the Wind
Idea Song
I'm not Sorry
Bending Mirrors
Freefallin/Fall Away
Hey Ya
Pacify Me/Long December
Friend of Dispair
I failed
Withered Tree
Don't Fade Away
 
]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:41:53 GMT 4EA706C37ED592A69301AB5D75D4D737 8/16/2011 Cornerstone Church: Blue Springs, MO http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201698      So we really make no attempt to hide the fact that we are trying to be missional in our travels. We try and use past successes and failures to fuel sounds and songs that can be an encouragement to others as they travel their personal life paths. But every now and then, the equation turns on us and we are the recipients of the blessings perhaps moreso than those we came to try and minister to. Such was the case at Cornerstone. Not only was the time well spent getting to know people and telling and listening to stories, but the outpouring of support for us both that night and into the next day via support for our bus repairs were nothing short of a timely blessing.      This concert was the 7th straight day of concerts to kick off this tour, and whereas that would normally be a time where we start to feel worn down or wore out, we were instead reinvigorated and ready to go for another seven. We have a couple of nights off to make sure that we’re as physically ready (throats especially) as we are mentally and spiritually, but the encouragement that came last night will go along way as we push forward towards this weekend’s concerts that will mark the halfway point of this third leg of our summer tour. I cannot overstate how nights like this helps make the sometimes chaotic existence of the road seem so much more like “home”.   Set List: Idea Song I'm Not Sorry FreeFallin/Fall Away I Failed Withered Tree Don't Fade Away        This concert was the 7th straight day of concerts to kick off this tour, and whereas that would normally be a time where we start to feel worn down or wore out, we were instead reinvigorated and ready to go for another seven. We have a couple of nights off to make sure that we’re as physically ready (throats especially) as we are mentally and spiritually, but the encouragement that came last night will go along way as we push forward towards this weekend’s concerts that will mark the halfway point of this third leg of our summer tour. I cannot overstate how nights like this helps make the sometimes chaotic existence of the road seem so much more like “home”.
 

Set List:
Idea Song
I'm Not Sorry
FreeFallin/Fall Away
I Failed
Withered Tree
Don't Fade Away

 
]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:58:38 GMT 4EC41A49F8316D5C4010B1106A7C55B2 8/13/2011 Homers Coffee House: Overland Park, KS http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201685 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Whenever we enter into Kansas territory, there&rsquo;s a good chance that you&rsquo;ll see us play with Jack Korbel. That&rsquo;s his side of the world and if ever we&rsquo;re given a chance, we love sharing the evening with him and his very literal, visual lyrics. Since we were here the last time he has added his cousin on Bourahn and BGV&rsquo;s, and a extremely talented young violinist named Jenny Bowen (yes, that really his her very appropriate last name). It has definitely enhanced the overall concert experience and makes it a great group of folks to hang out with. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;If you&rsquo;ve never been, Homer&rsquo;s is very well run, very comfortable coffeehouse that does a great job of bringing in live music and making the atmosphere enjoyable where music&rsquo;s playing or not. Glenn Winkler and his wife have done a great job of making Homer&rsquo;s a spot that we enjoy making sure that try and play everytime we come through. A fun sidenote to the evening: There were at least a half-dozen native Buckeyes in the room that night. It was fun to start to connect the dots on the travels that had brought so many Ohioans into the same room on a random August evening. <a target="_new" href="http://www.jackkorbel.com">www.jackkorbel.com <a target="_new" href="http://www.homerscoffeehouse.com">www.homerscoffeehouse.com      If you’ve never been, Homer’s is very well run, very comfortable coffeehouse that does a great job of bringing in live music and making the atmosphere enjoyable where music’s playing or not. Glenn Winkler and his wife have done a great job of making Homer’s a spot that we enjoy making sure that try and play everytime we come through.
A fun sidenote to the evening: There were at least a half-dozen native Buckeyes in the room that night. It was fun to start to connect the dots on the travels that had brought so many Ohioans into the same room on a random August evening.

www.jackkorbel.com
www.homerscoffeehouse.com

]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:56:46 GMT 07A39604CD9C55F63630E7DE85B4D8FB 8/12/2011 1st SBC Topeka: Topeka, KS http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201650 &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Our first trip to Topeka was a great one, but it didn&rsquo;t start off that way. By the time we reached Topeka, we had been driving 5hrs each day on the this tour, dealing with electrical/battery issues in the bus, feeling a little worn out, and then trying to pick a dry spot in the clouds to unload the bus... but that was the end of the doldrums as we were immediately picked up in spirits by the company and fellowship with the people at Topeka&rsquo;s CR. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;One particular point that made a lasting impression was the attendance of someone who lifted everyone&rsquo;s spirits. Dave, the currently head of Topeka&rsquo;s CR, informed me shortly before we played that the founder of their group had suffered a stroke almost a year ago, and though his health had stablized, his depression had deepened to the point where he didn&rsquo;t leave the house much anymore. But apparently on this particular day, he awoke in great spirits and wanted to come out and hear the music. So he showed up and right as we were going on, he was wheeled in. His arrival took on a personal level with me because this man looked identical to my grandfather who has passed away. I mean IDENTICAL. It was odd and comforting all at the same time. The most touching moment of the night was when I looked over as we were entering into &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Fade Away&rsquo;s&rdquo; finale and he, with his one good hand, reached for his wife&rsquo;s so that they could clap together to the music, with a smile as wide as the Mississippi. That image will stay with me for a while. I hope, for a long while.      One particular point that made a lasting impression was the attendance of someone who lifted everyone’s spirits. Dave, the currently head of Topeka’s CR, informed me shortly before we played that the founder of their group had suffered a stroke almost a year ago, and though his health had stablized, his depression had deepened to the point where he didn’t leave the house much anymore. But apparently on this particular day, he awoke in great spirits and wanted to come out and hear the music. So he showed up and right as we were going on, he was wheeled in. His arrival took on a personal level with me because this man looked identical to my grandfather who has passed away. I mean IDENTICAL. It was odd and comforting all at the same time. The most touching moment of the night was when I looked over as we were entering into “Don’t Fade Away’s” finale and he, with his one good hand, reached for his wife’s so that they could clap together to the music, with a smile as wide as the Mississippi. That image will stay with me for a while. I hope, for a long while.
]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:53:46 GMT 93A0C0609150C7267C8DC7F53E2D8FE2 8/11/2011 Broadway Bean Coffee: St. Louis, MO http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201642 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We are always excited prior to arriving at Broadway Bean. Not only are Larry and Vesna (the owner/operators) great people to hang out with, but the coffeeshop itself is amazing, the atmosphere is relaxing, and Vesna&rsquo;s painting while we play is mesmerizing. This return trip to Broadway Bean was no exception. We had a great time hanging out with our friends beforehand and there was a great turnout throughout the night. It&rsquo;s fun to watch people come and listen to the music, then walk back and watch Vesna painting, then come back, then order a drink, then come back... and so on as the evening progresses. It really is a great time. We&rsquo;re thinking about doing a live web-cam concert broadcast when we come back in 2012. If you have any advice or suggestions re: that, let us know! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Just so you know that we really do listen to our friends and fans: We posted a question on Facebook asking for people's first favorite C?M song so that we could see some of the older songs return to the set list. &nbsp;Ran Away came up and so we've been putting some time in at sound checks to try to create an arrangment. &nbsp;We were working on it pre-show and Larry started really digging what we were putting together, so we threw it into the set list for the evening and retitled it, for one night only, &quot;The Larry&quot;. &nbsp;In turn, Larry agreed to that their drink &quot;The Concoction&quot; (denver's favorite) would be known on this night as &quot;The Denver&quot;. &nbsp;My favorite drink is the Mayan Chai, and we decided that with it being so close to 2012, it's best not to upset the Mayans by changing the name of their drink. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Vesna sent us a photo of the finished painting from the night we were there and I, being the curious person I am about any and all things that involve the visual arts, asked her what inspired her to see this painting come to fruition and here&rsquo;s what she wrote: &nbsp; &quot;When I hear the music played live by Travis and Denver, a desire to wonder, to imagine, to travel places unseen, opens deep inside of me. The quickest way for me to reach the furthest distance, to visit those places, is through painting.&nbsp;The music of Coincidence Maybe, the evening that they performed at Broadway Bean (8/11/11), carried me to the place represented in the painting that I call &quot;The Hidden Place&quot;. If you're interested in purchasing either of the paintings inspired during our performances, or any other of Vesna's works, contact either us or her at:&nbsp; V&amp;L Creative 314-369-1467 816-352-3764 www.vesnadelevska.com vandlcreative@yahoo.com 7608 S. Broadway - 1st Floor St.Louis, MO 63111 &nbsp;
     Just so you know that we really do listen to our friends and fans: We posted a question on Facebook asking for people's first favorite C?M song so that we could see some of the older songs return to the set list.  Ran Away came up and so we've been putting some time in at sound checks to try to create an arrangment.  We were working on it pre-show and Larry started really digging what we were putting together, so we threw it into the set list for the evening and retitled it, for one night only, "The Larry".  In turn, Larry agreed to that their drink "The Concoction" (denver's favorite) would be known on this night as "The Denver".  My favorite drink is the Mayan Chai, and we decided that with it being so close to 2012, it's best not to upset the Mayans by changing the name of their drink.  

     Vesna sent us a photo of the finished painting from the night we were there and I, being the curious person I am about any and all things that involve the visual arts, asked her what inspired her to see this painting come to fruition and here’s what she wrote:
 

"When I hear the music played live by Travis and Denver, a desire to wonder, to imagine, to travel places unseen, opens deep inside of me. The quickest way for me to reach the furthest distance, to visit those places, is through painting. The music of Coincidence Maybe, the evening that they performed at Broadway Bean (8/11/11), carried me to the place represented in the painting that I call "The Hidden Place".

If you're interested in purchasing either of the paintings inspired during our performances, or any other of Vesna's works, contact either us or her at: 

V&L Creative
314-369-1467
816-352-3764
www.vesnadelevska.com
vandlcreative@yahoo.com
7608 S. Broadway - 1st Floor
St.Louis, MO 63111



 
]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:45:00 GMT 7B0C66802C9B16D6AEA8DDE4559CEE39 8/10/2011 Highpoint Church: Memphis, TN http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201636 &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; As far as our association with Celebrate Recovery groups, this was the place where it all started. Last year we asked to play at the church and they had us perform for their Celebrate Recovery group. We showed up, set up, and prepared to do what we usually do when... BAM! We were hit by an unveiling of a new outreach that we had never heard of before but would soon become VERY familiar with. For those of you who aren&rsquo;t familiar, Celebrate Recovery is an outreach that was started by Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) to be a 12-step program for any sort of addiction or hang-up. It&rsquo;s been the single most moving and viable ministry that we&rsquo;ve witnessed in the church during our travels and it&rsquo;s been an amazing thing to watch. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;It was moving to return and to already look back on the 25+ Celebrate Recovery groups that we&rsquo;ve been a part of, and all of the stories we&rsquo;ve heard, shared, and continue to be a part of, even though it&rsquo;s only been 1 year since we&rsquo;ve been partnering with them. &nbsp;
     It was moving to return and to already look back on the 25+ Celebrate Recovery groups that we’ve been a part of, and all of the stories we’ve heard, shared, and continue to be a part of, even though it’s only been 1 year since we’ve been partnering with them.



 
]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:38:22 GMT 95FAC28E899CC0AE2D510A4A94E31CFC 7/31/11 Pickerington Church of the Nazarene/Westerville Alliance Church: Central Ohio http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201595 &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Sunday two-fers. They are the most rewarding and worthwhile days we have on the road. We start in the morning in one location partnering with a church in the course of their service(s), and then we cap off the day by playing a concert at another location. This particular one was rough because it was our third and fourth concerts in a 48 hour period, but we only had 2hours of sleep to work on after traveling the night before. However, we were so warmly welcomed and helped out from the start of the morning to the end of the day, that we truly felt very little of the effects from that lack of sleep. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The music was feeling especially &ldquo;tight&rdquo; as it hopefully does when we&rsquo;ve had nearly a dozen shows running back to back. That sort of precision, makes the confidence side of the performance so much easier. When the performance side of things can be pushed as far into the subconscious as possible, it&rsquo;s much, much easier to allow for the sincerity and integrity of the music shine through. I&rsquo;ve long hoped that would be a hallmark of our concerts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We are a lucky pair of guys to have the friends and support that we do. On this day alone we were able to play two concerts, spend an afternoon meal alternating between halarious stories and memories with a married couple who we admire and enjoy, be reacquainted with pillars of our history and upbrining, and then cap off the day with heartfelt hugs and embraces with people who automatically bring a smile to our face by their mere presence. It was a great ending to the second leg of our Summer tour, and the drive home couldn&rsquo;t have been faster or smoother, which is what we pray for!      The music was feeling especially “tight” as it hopefully does when we’ve had nearly a dozen shows running back to back. That sort of precision, makes the confidence side of the performance so much easier. When the performance side of things can be pushed as far into the subconscious as possible, it’s much, much easier to allow for the sincerity and integrity of the music shine through. I’ve long hoped that would be a hallmark of our concerts.
     We are a lucky pair of guys to have the friends and support that we do. On this day alone we were able to play two concerts, spend an afternoon meal alternating between halarious stories and memories with a married couple who we admire and enjoy, be reacquainted with pillars of our history and upbrining, and then cap off the day with heartfelt hugs and embraces with people who automatically bring a smile to our face by their mere presence.

It was a great ending to the second leg of our Summer tour, and the drive home couldn’t have been faster or smoother, which is what we pray for!]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:30:00 GMT 0D75C4F14E4777050BC90BBB44CA921A 7/30/2011 Kenton Street Fair: Kenton, OH http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201508 &nbsp; &nbsp; At this point, we&rsquo;ve been longing to play a concert in air conditioning again. We&rsquo;ve spent the long days of July in outdoor or not A/C venues and the idea of playing outdoors in the heat and humidity was less than savory for us. But when we got to the site, it was a gorgeous day! Still hot, but the air was much dryer, people were out having a blast, and our moods picked up right then and there. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We were also excited to get to see some faces that we met the previous year and sure enough the second we saw J.T. and Adam Crabb it was all good in the &lsquo;hood. Our set took place over the course of the sunset and as the usual rule goes, if there&rsquo;s setup or soundcheck issues, the show usually goes phenominal. If it&rsquo;s smooth sailing up until the first song, be wary... This one was a near disaster getting up and running. It was nobody&rsquo;s fault, and everyone was working their tails off, but just some weird issues with equipment and getting the stage switched over. But as soon as the stage and sound was ready... well, it was just a great night with plenty of smiles to be seen. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I&rsquo;m not sure if it&rsquo;s something that you would normally think about, but the personal lives of traveling musicians are very odd and strange things. There&rsquo;s very little about what we do that can be classified as &ldquo;normal&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s compounded exponentially when you take those lives and try to have meaningful relationships with those you love. The constant change between &ldquo;long-distance&rdquo; relationships to being at home for what never feels long enough can absolutely keep life always feeling...shifting. This is not a complaint, but only a way of sharing why it is so rewarding when there are fellow musicians with whom you can form a community of understanding and support when traveling, and I wanted to take a moment and say &ldquo;THANK YOU&rdquo; to those groups or guys who have been there and back again and are willing to be an encouragement to us and others. The sharing of these experiences can save so many head and heartaches. I am hoping that we can follow in those examples as well.      We were also excited to get to see some faces that we met the previous year and sure enough the second we saw J.T. and Adam Crabb it was all good in the ‘hood.
Our set took place over the course of the sunset and as the usual rule goes, if there’s setup or soundcheck issues, the show usually goes phenominal. If it’s smooth sailing up until the first song, be wary... This one was a near disaster getting up and running. It was nobody’s fault, and everyone was working their tails off, but just some weird issues with equipment and getting the stage switched over. But as soon as the stage and sound was ready... well, it was just a great night with plenty of smiles to be seen.

     I’m not sure if it’s something that you would normally think about, but the personal lives of traveling musicians are very odd and strange things. There’s very little about what we do that can be classified as “normal” and it’s compounded exponentially when you take those lives and try to have meaningful relationships with those you love. The constant change between “long-distance” relationships to being at home for what never feels long enough can absolutely keep life always feeling...shifting. This is not a complaint, but only a way of sharing why it is so rewarding when there are fellow musicians with whom you can form a community of understanding and support when traveling, and I wanted to take a moment and say “THANK YOU” to those groups or guys who have been there and back again and are willing to be an encouragement to us and others. The sharing of these experiences can save so many head and heartaches. I am hoping that we can follow in those examples as well.
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:05:00 GMT 021BEACEB34ECFEF4A40B7EC87709FFC 7/29/2011 Kiski Family Camp: Apollo, PA http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1201507 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;This camp and it&rsquo;s partnering youth camps were some of the first out of state concerts we ever played when we were first starting out. We built relationships in those first few years that have spanned the life of the band, but more importantly, have been a part of our personal lives as well. The joy in all of this is seeing the growth in the lives of people we know, year in and year out. The other fun aspect is being able to put together a set list based more around the names of people you know you&rsquo;ll see instead of the names of the song... &ldquo;This song is for Patrick, this one&rsquo;s Beth&rsquo;s favorite... This one is needed for Jackie, and this one&rsquo;ll put a smile on Leigha&rsquo;s face... and whether it&rsquo;s what anyone wants to see or not... Ethan&rsquo;s gonna dance to this one!&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp; This year also marked the 100th gathering at that camp. That&rsquo;s a number that just amazes me when it&rsquo;s referring to a lineage of folk who made it a priority in their lives to take a week or so and make sure they gathered together there. Glad we could be there for some of &lsquo;em! &nbsp;
    This year also marked the 100th gathering at that camp. That’s a number that just amazes me when it’s referring to a lineage of folk who made it a priority in their lives to take a week or so and make sure they gathered together there. Glad we could be there for some of ‘em!



 
]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:05:00 GMT C17A81E631E0BFFE97C14C85C0B415D7 7/27/2011 Kellish Hill Music Barn, Manlius, NY http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1139009 Well... they can't all be winners. &nbsp; There were a total of 5 people who came to the concert last night. &nbsp;Yep. &nbsp;Turns out that a local &quot;Flavor of the City&quot; event that included a free concert from a very, very talented guitar duo got postponed and moved onto this night. &nbsp;So you could either go into the town square and see a free concert in the midst of scores of quite capable men and women with grills and meat, or you could come and buy a ticket and see us play.... but no grills. &nbsp;&nbsp; However, three of the people who came out to see us drove at least 45 minutes to get and so we made sure that it was worth the drive. &nbsp;We threw in a couple of songs that we haven't played yet on this tour and we made sure that if nothing else, those 3 knew they were appreciated. &nbsp;And even on the nights that don't turn out like we hope, it's easy to forget that there are always people who have to dig ditches for a living, and yet we're lucky enough to be able to have at least 3 people who wanted to hear our music on this particular night. &nbsp; Set List: Whispers in the Wind Idea Song Bending Mirrors FreeFallin/Fall Away Hey Ya Friend of Despair&nbsp; I Failed Don't Fade Away &nbsp;

There were a total of 5 people who came to the concert last night.  Yep.  Turns out that a local "Flavor of the City" event that included a free concert from a very, very talented guitar duo got postponed and moved onto this night.  So you could either go into the town square and see a free concert in the midst of scores of quite capable men and women with grills and meat, or you could come and buy a ticket and see us play.... but no grills.   

However, three of the people who came out to see us drove at least 45 minutes to get and so we made sure that it was worth the drive.  We threw in a couple of songs that we haven't played yet on this tour and we made sure that if nothing else, those 3 knew they were appreciated.  And even on the nights that don't turn out like we hope, it's easy to forget that there are always people who have to dig ditches for a living, and yet we're lucky enough to be able to have at least 3 people who wanted to hear our music on this particular night.  

Set List:

Whispers in the Wind
Idea Song
Bending Mirrors
FreeFallin/Fall Away
Hey Ya
Friend of Despair 
I Failed
Don't Fade Away
 
]]> Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:48:06 GMT D10E5DAB7AE3FCE3CA445CB1AEA3FF1B 7/24 & 26th/2011 Liverpool Community Church, Liverpool NY http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1138985 &nbsp;7/24 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We had an extraordinary morning playing in Rome, and sometimes that can make it harder to get excited about playing in the evening. &nbsp;The heat of the day made it doubly difficult to get the excitement level up to where it needed to be. &nbsp;Luckily, Justin and Nicole, who were our &quot;hosts&quot; both as the people who brought us into the church as well as the couple whose home we stayed in, brought iced coffee to save the day. &nbsp;It filled in where the body was lacking and within a few songs, all was right with the world. &nbsp;It's amazing how a little caffeine can go a long way! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;We were excited to see a few familiar faces, but to also realize that the majority of those in attendance that night were new to us. &nbsp;I love having the opportunity to watch people's reactions to certain parts of the set. &nbsp;The iphone piano solo, the ending to &quot;Don't Fade Away&quot; and even the end of &quot;I Failed where it seems to take people a second to realize that the song is over and then another second to determine what their reaction to it was. &nbsp;:) &nbsp;And so it was on this Sunday evening concert. &nbsp; &nbsp; Set List: Bending Mirrors New To Me Idea Song I'm Not Sorry FreeFallin/FallAway Hey Ya I Failed&nbsp; Withered Tree Don't Fade Away &nbsp; 7/26 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;For this event, it was a small chapel-like room that would've been much too small for us to set up our complete stage arrangement, so we went with just the djembe and guitars. &nbsp;It's a lot of fun for us to have opportunities like this because it allows us to be more spontaneous and improvisational with the songs. &nbsp;The response always is very positive and there are definitely plenty of fun crowd watching moments during this sort of concert as well. &nbsp;We changed up our set to make way for some of the more Djembe appropriate songs, but not too much... Denver's red hands at the end of the concert can attest to that!&nbsp; Set List: Bending Mirrors New to Me Idea Song FreeFallin/Fall Away Whispers in the Wind I failed Don't Fade Away &nbsp;
     We had an extraordinary morning playing in Rome, and sometimes that can make it harder to get excited about playing in the evening.  The heat of the day made it doubly difficult to get the excitement level up to where it needed to be.  Luckily, Justin and Nicole, who were our "hosts" both as the people who brought us into the church as well as the couple whose home we stayed in, brought iced coffee to save the day.  It filled in where the body was lacking and within a few songs, all was right with the world.  It's amazing how a little caffeine can go a long way!  
     We were excited to see a few familiar faces, but to also realize that the majority of those in attendance that night were new to us.  I love having the opportunity to watch people's reactions to certain parts of the set.  The iphone piano solo, the ending to "Don't Fade Away" and even the end of "I Failed where it seems to take people a second to realize that the song is over and then another second to determine what their reaction to it was.  :)  And so it was on this Sunday evening concert.  
 

Set List:

Bending Mirrors
New To Me
Idea Song
I'm Not Sorry
FreeFallin/FallAway
Hey Ya
I Failed 
Withered Tree
Don't Fade Away
 

7/26

     For this event, it was a small chapel-like room that would've been much too small for us to set up our complete stage arrangement, so we went with just the djembe and guitars.  It's a lot of fun for us to have opportunities like this because it allows us to be more spontaneous and improvisational with the songs.  The response always is very positive and there are definitely plenty of fun crowd watching moments during this sort of concert as well.  We changed up our set to make way for some of the more Djembe appropriate songs, but not too much... Denver's red hands at the end of the concert can attest to that! 

Set List:

Bending Mirrors
New to Me
Idea Song
FreeFallin/Fall Away
Whispers in the Wind
I failed
Don't Fade Away
 
]]> Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:40:32 GMT 218EF1F61CD252041CD24DE864C95B34 7/23-24/2011 New Testament Church, Rome, NY http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1129565 &nbsp; &nbsp; After a very personal concert in Rochester (they usually are!), I sort of expected that there would be some sort of let down the next night (there usually is!). &nbsp;But I had no idea the the warm welcome and support that was waiting for us as soon as we arrived. &nbsp;When it comes to life on the road, there's a BIG difference between showing up and being made to feel &quot;welcome&quot; as opposed to showing up and being treated like you're just the personified entity of a contract that needs fulfilled. &nbsp;It's a blessing and uplifting to be welcomed into a church body, family, or other venue. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This feeling of welcome only begins to describe our experience at New Testament church. &nbsp;Their own praise group, led by our first point of contact with the church, Kurtis, kicked off both the Saturday night and Sunday morning events. &nbsp;There is a transparancy and authentic spirit to what they do and my favorite part was when they were singing an old school gospel-flavored accapella song about laying your burdens down. &nbsp;I couldn't do anything but smile the whole time. &nbsp;Just sat and smiled and thanked God for the moment. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As we played we felt like the congregation was not only following us on the journey that we were leading them on, we felt like at different points in the two events they were pushing us onward, encouraging us, and reaffirming us to carry on. &nbsp;Not just for the remainder of our time with them, but for the coming months ahead. &nbsp;There's a very interesting feeling when you have someone speak excitedly about what's coming down the road for you. &nbsp;Probably similiar to when you're a kid and your brother or sister tell you that they know what you're getting for your Birthday and you're definitely going to like it. &nbsp; We're already combing the calendar to find the nearest date that we can get back to Rome and spend time here again. &nbsp;It was a true oasis on the road for us. &nbsp; Oh... and I'd be doing a disservice if I did not mention a food that we tried for the first time and can't stop raving about... Tomato Pie. &nbsp;Unreal. &nbsp;Absolutely Unreal. &nbsp;
    This feeling of welcome only begins to describe our experience at New Testament church.  Their own praise group, led by our first point of contact with the church, Kurtis, kicked off both the Saturday night and Sunday morning events.  There is a transparancy and authentic spirit to what they do and my favorite part was when they were singing an old school gospel-flavored accapella song about laying your burdens down.  I couldn't do anything but smile the whole time.  Just sat and smiled and thanked God for the moment.  

    As we played we felt like the congregation was not only following us on the journey that we were leading them on, we felt like at different points in the two events they were pushing us onward, encouraging us, and reaffirming us to carry on.  Not just for the remainder of our time with them, but for the coming months ahead.  There's a very interesting feeling when you have someone speak excitedly about what's coming down the road for you.  Probably similiar to when you're a kid and your brother or sister tell you that they know what you're getting for your Birthday and you're definitely going to like it.  

We're already combing the calendar to find the nearest date that we can get back to Rome and spend time here again.  It was a true oasis on the road for us.  

Oh... and I'd be doing a disservice if I did not mention a food that we tried for the first time and can't stop raving about... Tomato Pie.  Unreal.  Absolutely Unreal.  
]]> Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:13:05 GMT 85202A0E62F715D6DB583C04CACAE6FD 7/22/2011 Lakeshore, Rochester, NY http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1129535 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;It took 8 years, but it has finally happened. &nbsp;We had the cops called on us.... &nbsp; In the administrator's defense, she really didn't know that a random, ugly, white bus would be parked and plugged in at the church. &nbsp;Luckily when she saw the Tennessee plates on the bus it clicked and she called the police back and no one had to suffer what it would've looked like to wake us up early after an overnight drive. &nbsp;That wouldn't have been a pretty sight for anyone! hahaha &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I wish that I could say that it's a nightly occurance for us to realize just how blessed we are to get to do what we do. &nbsp;But when the realization does hit, it's a powerful thing to feel the elation of not only being able to play music for as many people and for as long as we have been able to, but also to be able to see the impact that the message has had on people not just in the present, but through the past few years. &nbsp;Rochester is an easier place that most for us to see those feelings personified in the lives of good people that we met on some of our first concert tours. &nbsp;To see the lives they have now, to feel the history between us feel like an additional being embracing in each hug, it's nearly impossible to not feel the weight and the charge of this and many other moments. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I can't say for sure that this is what pushed us to have such a great feeling while we were playing, but it surely never hurts. &nbsp;All that to explain that when entering into the finale of &quot;Don't Fade Away&quot; tonight, the thought crossed my mind that &nbsp;&quot;While we honestly like most people we meet as we travel, we truly love some of you&quot;. ;) &nbsp; &nbsp;SET LIST: Bending Mirrors New to Me Idea Song I'm Not Sorry FreeFallin/Fall Away Hey Ya I Failed Withered Tree Don't Fade Away &nbsp;
     I wish that I could say that it's a nightly occurance for us to realize just how blessed we are to get to do what we do.  But when the realization does hit, it's a powerful thing to feel the elation of not only being able to play music for as many people and for as long as we have been able to, but also to be able to see the impact that the message has had on people not just in the present, but through the past few years.  Rochester is an easier place that most for us to see those feelings personified in the lives of good people that we met on some of our first concert tours.  To see the lives they have now, to feel the history between us feel like an additional being embracing in each hug, it's nearly impossible to not feel the weight and the charge of this and many other moments.  

    I can't say for sure that this is what pushed us to have such a great feeling while we were playing, but it surely never hurts.  All that to explain that when entering into the finale of "Don't Fade Away" tonight, the thought crossed my mind that  "While we honestly like most people we meet as we travel, we truly love some of you". ;)
 

 SET LIST:

Bending Mirrors
New to Me
Idea Song
I'm Not Sorry
FreeFallin/Fall Away
Hey Ya
I Failed
Withered Tree
Don't Fade Away
 
]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2011 09:55:00 GMT 26281D00C644F62116018965430F606E 6/19/2011 Smith Grove Baptist/Adams Bros Coffee, Greenville, IL http://coincidencemaybe.com/fans.cfm?feature=1734728&postid=1122278 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tour finales. They are a special night because the are the animal that is TOUR FINALES. What you may take seriously, cannot be taken seriously. When a very, very small turnout would normally try and crush a spirit, some impromptu fun stands in its stead. Such was the case with the Adams Bros Coffee performance that capped off our June tour. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;There were less than 20 people in the building that evening. Being that it was Fathers Day, hot, and located on a town square of a college town whose college was already out of session, there was little that could&rsquo;ve been done about it. So instead we had a great time taking requests, allowing individuals to &ldquo;sponsor&rdquo; songs a la Sesame Street... (Bending Mirrors will be brought to you today by the number 4 and Eli Miller!)... and we played, for the first time, a block of three songs back to back that included Foo Fighters, Rich Mullins, and and old Hymn. It may be the first time those the have EVER been played in sequence by us or ANYONE! hahaha. But we want to express our thanks and gratitude to those who came out and helped make it a truly fun evening by becoming part of the experience. You guys were great! Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:50:00 GMT 897A92CFBEC3924BAC8D6C57F5C80E44