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Rocking out at Spirit West Coast Christian Music Festival with MercyMe, Hawk Nelson, Thousand Foot Krutch and Rene Russo
Marian Liu, 05:41 PM in Concerts, Marian Liu, Music

Spirit West Coast rocked on Thursday!

As one of the largest Christian music festivals, it provided the edge as promised with its new rock stage. (Here’s my story about it.)

The festival stretched across the whole Laguna Seca racetrack with multiple stages, food booths and merchandise tents. It felt like the Vans Warped Tour, except maybe three or four times as big.

Thousand Foot Krutch (photographed at the right from backstage) could have easily instigated some moshing if there wasn’t an anti-moshing and no crowd surfing rule. Their strong metal belonged at Ozzfest.

Backstage before the performance, lead singer Trevor McNevan was quiet, clapped his hands repeatedly, psyching himself up for the performance. While drummer Steve Augustine warmed-up by stretching. (If you have iTunes, click to listen to their song, “The Art of Breaking.”)

4th Avenue Jones, a mix of The Roots and a much harder Black Eyed Peas, provided beautiful soulful hip-hop flavored rock. They are everything I wish the Black Eyed Peas could be (many think BEP have sold out). And with violinist Gailybird, and Jimi Hendrix inspired guitarist Timmy Shakes (from Hayward!), they quickly distinguished themselves from anything you hear on the radio. It’s surprising that they don’t seem to be on the radar. They were easily my favorite of the day. (If you have iTunes, click to listen to their song, “Stereo.”)

And, Hawk Nelson, did exactly what was intended with the new rock edge: draw in teenagers and 20-somes, many who looked like they shop at Hot Topic. (If you have iTunes, click to listen to “Take Me” and “California”)

(Photo of bassist Daniel Biro and lead singer Jason Dunn)

Their performance could have lent itself to a spot on the Warped Tour and made a fan out of Rene Russo’s daughter - both Russo and her daughter showed up backstage, and left to eat dinner with the band. The band is in an upcoming movie with Russo and Dennis Quaid, a remake of the 1968 “Yours, Mine, & Ours” with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, opening in November.(Photo of their bands’ backstage oasis)

With such a rock and punk element in the audience, there were lots of Hot Topic-like stores with a Christian bent. Brands included Lift Clothing, Disciple Clothing Company, and Truth Industries. My favorite logos were “Jesus Rocks,” “I Mosh for Jesus,” and “Christian Girls Rock.”

Headliners Jeremy Camp and MercyMe were also worth staying into the late hours for. The cool Monterey wind made it a pleasant night to watch the rockers. Jeremy Camp, with a voice like Creed’s lead singer Scott Stapp, pulled together an audience of teenagers and their parents. Listen to his song “Take You Back” and “Take My Life” on iTunes. Whereas MercyMe, who sounds like Train, (photographed at the right) felt right at home in the big stadium space. (Click to listen to “I Can Only Imagine” and “Spoken For”)

The festival continues on Saturday.

Brazilian Musician Shares Christ Through Song - Regina Mota, an Adventist musician from Brazil, speaks frequently of peace in her music.

She wants peace, and desires a land where life is beautiful. She also sees God as a poet. The cross, central to salvation, though vulgar and ugly, Regina Mota says, can be viewed as God’s poetic expression. She sings about these things in her Christian music in Brazil, a land she talks about in her songs.

On her way back to Brazil after appearing at the Seventh-day Adventist world church Session in St. Louis, Missouri, Mota visited the world church headquarters, and was interviewed by Adventist News Network.

As a member of the Adventist Church and an artist, Mota says she has a responsibility to talk about the social injustice she sees in her country, from a Christian perspective.

“We have to be responsible, yes. There are people who are living in ridiculous conditions. Nobody should be living that way. But the solution is not a political one. The solution is not this political party or that political party,” she says. “Whatever human beings can plan is not going to solve the problem.”

Atheism is “where artists meet in Brazil,” Mota says. This is one of her challenges — to present a Christian message through the arts. Her music, which she describes as “very Brazilian,” is not what typically plays on Christian radio. “That has been a very positive aspect of my work in terms of reaching these people.”

She adds, “This has been our challenge — to go to these people who would never listen to Christian music and say, ‘Hey, Christian music can sound like this too.’”

One thing that everyone has in common is the desire for peace, she says, but the problem is that “People just have no idea where they can find peace. And who doesn’t want peace? We want peace. We don’t want violence. We don’t want wars. … It struck me how people just talk about it but never knew where to get [peace].”

In one of her songs, she offers a suggestion on where to find peace. “What will be the future of our country?” she asks in Pra Cima Brasil. “This question is in the eyes and the souls of our people. Each day there is more hunger in the streets, in the hills. Each day there is less money to survive. Where is the justice we once had?”

The song continues: “Brazil, look toward the sky, look up. There is a chance of being happy again. Brazil, there is hope. Turn your eyes to God, the just judge.”

Mota produced a CD in response to September 11, 2001 called “Where is Peace.” She was to fly to the United States on that day to do a music tour of Portuguese-speaking communities, but, of course, was not able to. However, she and her husband came three days later, on Sept. 14, and her experiences influenced the new project, which includes songs that have already been recorded in Brazil, but reflect on a world in need of peace. Mota, a music teacher at the University of Sao Paulo, takes her music around the world, spreading out to cultures who would respond to the message she speaks of. “It’s such a great way of preaching the gospel because you’re talking about music. You’re not talking about going to church or a sermon. You’re saying ‘This is music.’ It’s a universal language.”

She didn’t always want to be in music ministry. With a father who was a singer, and a mother who is a music teacher, “music was in my blood,” she says. “I just didn’t want to work with it. Even though I was born an Adventist, my conversion was when I turned 27. I sang in groups, choirs, and did solos. But I didn’t have this ministry mindset. Music was just music. After my conversion, I finally began searching for whatever God wanted me to be doing and then that’s when I found out … actually, He wants [me] to sing.”

One of Mota’s goals is to help other Christians see Adventists in a different light than they currently do in Brazil. “Seventh-day Adventists are viewed by the other Christians [in Brazil] as very legalistic people,” she says, explaining that, although Adventists are loving people who have a great message to share, it sometimes doesn’t come across that way.

But, she adds, Adventists in there are also known for their good music. “All these churches in Brazil, they respect our music. In Brazil the [Seventh-day Adventists] are doing the best music in terms of quality and production.”

She calls God an artist in another of her songs. “One thing that humbles me is to think that this God who is the master of the universe is willing to use human beings as instruments to talk to other human beings,” she explains. “This to me, it amazes me to the point [that] … I have no words to talk about it.” It’s different to have a perfect God talking to you and to have a human being who maybe has had problems similar to yours talk to you about this God. I see [us] as these works of art still being made.”

Making music is a matter of prayer for Mota. “Every time I record a new CD, it’s a time of prayer and looking for God’s idea of what I should be doing. … I know God is directing this work and taking me to all the places He has taken me. … I’m confident that what I’m doing is according to what God wants me to be doing right now,” she says.

Mota sings to everyone, rich and poor, in Sao Paulo, in the Amazon. “This is God’s work,” she says.

Hunterdon County farm to host Christian music festival - KINGWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — “A clean Woodstock.”

That’s how Robert Grom describes the all-day Christian music concert he and his wife Kim are organizing for Aug. 13 on their Hunterdon County farm.

The Groms, in collaboration with about 50 area churches, have been putting together the event _ dubbed “Revelation Generation” _ for more than a year.

They’re expecting about 5,000 teenagers to flood their 100-acre horse farm for a day of Christian music interspersed with speakers warning kids about the dangers of drugs, premarital sex and alcohol.

The Groms, who have four children, said they decided to organize the event after hearing repeated stories about area teenagers overdosing and decided there was a need for a place where kids could come together in a positive atmosphere. Tents on the site will offer prayer and counseling.

“We’re trying to create a cool event that kids want to come to,” said Robert Grom.

To some, “cool Christian music” may seem an oxymoron. But Christian rock is growing in popularity, along with religious music in general.

According to a 2003 telephone survey by the Recording Industry Association of America, religious music ranked sixth in popularity ahead of jazz and classical music. The Gospel Music Association reports gospel music sales grew by more than 80 percent between 1995 and 2004.

Mike Nusser from the Cornerstone Christian Church in Flemington, who is helping the Groms organize the Hunterdon County event, said Christian rock is getting more popular simply because it’s getting better.

“Christian rock, it just didn’t sound that good,” said Nusser. “It was kind of cheesy.”

While in the past, Christian music has been limited to religious radio stations and music labels, Debra Akins, who writes about Christian music for Billboard Radio Monitor, says many artists are crossing over into mainstream music.

The Christian band Jars of Clay recently played at the Live8 concert in Philadelphia and another called Switchfoot made an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and has a video playing on MTV and VH1.

Akins says the growing visibility of Christian music is partly because music labels are finally realizing there’s a huge market for it.

“It’s become more evident that there are more people out there who want more family-friendly entertainment,” said Akins.

The Groms got a crash course in Christian music when they first got serious about the concert idea. So far, they’ve signed nine bands, mostly rock, and a number of speakers.

Ticket prices range from $7.50 to $20, depending on age and how far in advance people buy their tickets. Any profits will go to Young Life, a New Jersey Christian organization to help children, although Kim Grom says she doesn’t expect they’ll make any money after expenses.

While there are many Christian music festivals around the country, including one in Pennsylvania that attracts hundreds of thousands every summer, Akins said there are relatively few in the Northeast and very few put on by private individuals.

The Groms say they intend to make this an annual event at their Revelation Farms, named after the Book of Revelation.

“The Bible says, ‘Make a joyful noise,”‘ said Kim Grom.
By REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press Writer

The sponsors of the first-time Christian music event are the owners of Revelation Farms , Robert and Kim Grom, a husband and wife team who have dedicated their 100-plus acre horse farm to youth events and to raising money for youth-oriented charities. All proceeds from Revelation Generation will be donated to Young Life, a non-profit, non-denominational, Christian organization based in Milford, N.J. committed to impacting the lives of children and preparing them for the future.

“We created the Revelation Generation music festival because we believe this type of music event would provide teens and young adults some relief from life’s struggles and a message of hope for the future.” — Kim Grom, Co-founder and sponsor, Revelation Generation

Meet Kim Grom and the Groms’ partners in this music festival, an ecumenical coalition of more than 50 churches from the Hunterdon/Somerset County area. Other partners include: Young Life and the Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program.

Popular Christian music artists Further Seems Forever, Paul Colman, BarlowGirl, Katinas, Skillet and Stellar Kart will be performing at Revelation Generation.

Christian/Gospel Music – On the Cusp of a $1 Billion Industry

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Christian/Gospel music is the sixth most popular music category in overall music sales, with 43.4 million units sold in 2004. The Recording Industry Association of America reports that Christian/Gospel music is nearly a $1 billion dollar industry, outselling Latin, Jazz and Classical music combined (Nielsen SoundScan data).

GOSPEL IN THE PARK : Singer Susie Luchsinger makes tour stop at annual Eaton Days - GREGORY HOENIG / ghoenig@greeleytrib.com Susie Luchsinger performs for a crowd in Eaton Park. Luchsinger’s country/gospel concert on Sunday was the finale of the annual Eaton Days celebration.

As another perfect sunset descended over the Colorado mountains, Christian singer Susie Luchsinger uplifted Eaton residents with the music and words of God at Sunday’s concert in Eaton Park.

With more than 150 people in attendance, the performance was part of Eaton Days, a three-day hometown celebration that ended with a concert featuring the gospel/country singer.

“I want to encourage people that there is hope in God,” said Luchsinger, who moved people to clap, pray and sing along to inspirational songs that she has written, along with songs that have special meaning to her.

The concert also featured a performance by gospel singers Fernando Caballero and his two sons, Eli and Fernando, along with inspirational speeches by Pastor Jason Mcspadden of Faith Lutheran Church in Eaton and a message from Luchsinger’s husband, Paul.

“Just because we’re kin to someone famous does not mean we’re not immune to hard times,” said 48-year-old Luchsinger, who is the younger sister of well-known country music singer Reba McEntire.

Luchsinger is on tour to promote her new gospel album, “Count It All Joy,” and is set to release her new single, “There’s Still Hope,” today.

For the past two decades, the singer has released 14 albums produced by Psalms Ministries Inc., which Luchsinger runs with her husband, who is a rodeo champion.

Raised in Chockie, Okla., Luchsinger began singing on her own in 1984 after performing as a backup singer for her sister.

It was in 1984 when Luchsinger realized she was called by God to become a gospel singer.
Staff Reports
July 11, 2005
When she began having problems in her marriage that year, Luchsinger knew she had to do something to show that she empathized with others who were also having problems in their lives.

“I was so convicted, because I knew I wasn’t doing what the Lord wanted me to do,” said Luchsinger. “Songs meet (people) where they’re at and what they’re going through in their life.”

Luchsinger will perform at the Weld County Fair on July 23 and at Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 24

Worship takes center stage at Lifest - It looked like a sea of clapping hands before the main stage at Lifest.

Thousands were on their feet, clapping their hands over their heads, singing along during the Sunday morning worship service.

On stage was singer, songwriter and worship leader Peder Eide, with the words to the song projected on the jumbo-tron at stage left.

“The reason we live,” the lyrics went, “is to give God glory.”

Christians say worship — like the singing — is the way they glorify God. And while music helps many worship, the act isn’t confined to churches or times of singing.

“The Bible makes it clear, that’s what we were made to do,” Eide said. “It becomes more than just a Sunday gig.”

Candy Herman, of Appleton, said worship, for her, is a daily activity.

“As you worship you grow closer to God,” Herman said. “It’s a personal experience and helps you understand who Jesus is.”

Worship music has increased in popularity and visibility since the late 1990s, with many Christian recording artists releasing worships albums.

It has also sparked a kind of subset of Christian music for praise and worship albums by artists like Eide or Chris Tomlin, one of the most well-known worship leaders.

Tomlin – who looks like a rocker with wide sunglasses and frosted spiky hair – led worship twice on Saturday at Lifest. Many of those worshipping Saturday night at his performance didn’t need the words projected on the screen because Tomlin’s songs, perhaps the hymns of this generation, are used in many churches and played often on Christian radio.

Worship, Tomlin said, is “what do you put the most value on in your life. Every person who breathes worships, worships something.”

Getting the audience involved, Eide said, helps keep the worship times from becoming rock concerts.

“When you ask people to participate, that whole stage thing disappears,” Eide said.

And the worship leaders likely feel the same thing as the worshippers, as Theresa Graves of Green Bay described it, “like I am in touch with the Lord.”

During the last chorus of the old hymn Amazing Grace, Tomlin stopped singing, letting the crowd carry the song, placed the capo on his guitar for the next song, stepped back from the microphone, and raised his own hands to heaven, like the hundreds on the other side of the stage.

By Bethany K. Warner
of The Northwestern

Gospel fills air in Denison

By Joyce Godwin
Herald Democrat

Lawn chairs filled the streets with the same anticipation as Willy Nelson fans waiting for the first chord of his concert. Friday night’s Music On Main event in downtown Denison struck another successful note as more than 300 turned out for the all-gospel venue.

Following an introduction from Larry Matthews, Susie Viars-Andrews took the stage set up between the 300 and 400 blocks of Main Street. She broke into a strong version of “American Christian” that received a rousing applause and shouts from the audience who continued to stream into the concert area even as late as 8:30 p.m.

Andrews performed a string of several songs before the group Rejoyce of Sherman joined in for another song with Andrews.

Paul Garland and Company followed Andrews and Rejoyce on the stage for another set of Christian music - a mix of contemporary and old-time hymns. When the band started into the chords of “The Heart of Worship,” the audience clapped and cheered because of the song choice.

In the next block, little ones grabbed water guns and hid behind walls that were set up for that purpose. They seemed to take much glee in running around the area, ducking behind the barriers and raising up to fire off a stream of water at opponents only to duck down avoiding return fire.

In another area, children participated in chalk art on the sidewalks and dancing was led by representatives of the Gotta Dance studio.

Gary Sewell
Herald Democrat

Members of the group Rejoyce played in several different settings at Muisc on Main Friday evening in Denison.

The Little Miss Main contest continued Friday night and four more little girls were added to the group of finalists who will compete on the final night of Music on Main. Avery Weger, Alexia Garland, Kristy Tucker and Abby Garland were the excited little girls now looking forward to July 22, the last Music on Main event, to see which little girl will go home with the title and savings bond award.

Paula Cawthon of Sherman said she loved the gospel venue and hoped to see more of it. She said she and her husband were having a great time. “I wish we had been coming (to Music on Main) before,” she said. “We’re going to try to come to the rest of the events.”

Back on the concert stage, the choir from Progressive Baptist Church of Sherman filled the stage.

Children of all ages filled out the group and entertained the crowd with more Christian music.

Ricardo and Odee Ayala were also there from Sherman. Odee Ayala said the couple had been to Music on Main every Friday night. “I thought it was really neat,” she said. “Especially this group.” Odee Ayala was referring to the group Rejoyce that was on stage at the time. “They make it very easy to listen,” she said.

Another Shermanite was in the audience Friday night. David Davis said he was too tired to make it to the Hot Summer Nights in Sherman the night before so he and daughter Renita, 15, came to Music on Main. “It’s the first time I’ve been here,” he said. “I like it (music) more country.”

The whole event is free to the public each week and there are two more scheduled.

July 15, battle of the bands featuring Outset, Backroads and Sundogs; July 22, winner of the battle of the bands and Crush.

For more information about the Music on Main events for 2005, call the Chamber of Commerce office at (903) 465-1551 or visit the Web site of the Denison Merchant’s Association at www.dmatx.org.

CHRISTIAN MUSIC’S HOTTEST Toronto, Ontario, July 8 /PR Direct/ - TORONTO- Worship band Casting Crowns, reigning winner of the Gospel Music Association’s prestigious Dove Award for Group of the Year, will headline Encounter Ontario, a first-of-its-kind provincial Christian heritage day, incorporating Christian music and an expo, 10am-11pm, Saturday, August 20, 2005, at the Ontario Place/Molson Amphitheatre complex, at 955 Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto.
Casting Crowns’ self-titled CD was the fastest selling debut Christian artist disc in recent years. At the center of Casting Crowns is Mark Hall, a youth pastor, who, until recently, was writing music primarily for the kids in his youth groups. Casting Crowns grew out of two of Hall’s stops along his youth ministry path, first while leading a youth group in Daytona Beach, Fla., then transplanting and growing when Hall moved to a new position in Atlanta, Georgia.

Discovered and signed in early 2003 by Mark Miller, of country music’s Sawyer Brown, to be the debut artist for Beach Street Records, an imprint Miller founded and leads for Provident Label Group, Casting Crowns found themselves in the enviable position of making their first major label record with Christian music icon Steven Curtis Chapman as co-producer, Chapman’s first time producing another artists’ work.
Hall’s presentation of straightforward and challenging Christ-centered lyrics found a home at Christian radio which embraced hard-hitting #1 charting songs like “If We Are the Body,” “Who Am I” and “Voice of Truth.” These songs played a considerable role in the band’s success, helping them sell over a million copies of their debut disc.

Those who buy tickets for Encounter Ontario in Toronto will most likely be treated to material from the group’s brand new CD, Lifesong, scheduled for release on August 30. Lifesong explores what an authentic life of worship looks like, desiring to ask the hard questions like “Why are you doing that?” instead of “What are you doing?”

“Lifesong,” the project’s first radio single, is undeniably a worship song, but as lead singer and founder of the group Mark Hall says, “It’s our kind of worship song-one that asks questions first. What is worship really? Why are you doing this? Worship is not a song; it’s the heart that lifts the song. It’s the motivation behind it. Life is worship, not singing.”

Once again produced by Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown, Lifesong continues in the same vein as Casting Crowns’ debut, delivering messages that cut to the heart of the matter, not mincing words to appease the masses, but choosing to poke and prod the church out of indifference and apathy. With songs like the album’s anthemic track, “Love Them Like Jesus,” along with “Praise You In This Storm,” Hall has again written a stirring collection of songs that unapologetically and effectively targets believers, with most of the material being taken from their continued involvement in their home church.

“It’s the ministry that creates the songs, not the other way around,” states Hall. “From 14 years of being a youth pastor, if I haven’t been through it myself, I’ve been through it a hundred times with someone else. The songs are just about life; it’s where we all live.”

With their self-titled debut album having reached RIAA Platinum status (for sales of one million copies), and the Platinum certification of their Live From Atlanta DVD release, Casting Crowns continues to notch up remarkable achievements. Including their Group of the Year win, Casting Crowns and Mark Hall were honored with seven total Dove Awards at the 2005 Gospel Music Awards, including Song of the Year (”Who Am I”) and Songwriter of the Year for Hall.

For the year 2004, Casting Crowns was the most played artist on all Christian radio formats combined, and performed to more than one million people in concert.

If you want to see Casting Crowns when they come to Toronto for Encounter Ontario on August 20, get tickets early, as seating is assigned and will sell-out quickly. Tickets are $42.50 Cdn., which includes admission to Ontario Place, the Canadian National Exhibition, the Casting Crowns’ concert and several other concerts, including Carried Away, Manic Drive, Greg Sczebel, Kurt Carr and God Rocks. U.S. attendees can get tickets through www.itickets.com, while Canadians can get tickets through www.ticketmaster.ca key word encounter or by phone 416-870-8000. They’re also available at most provincial Christian bookstores, by calling 866-620-7827 or at the festival’s informative website, www.encounterontario.com.

Larry Norman FAITH & MUSIC

“I’m just an artist, reaching toward Heaven.”

– Larry Norman

Larry Norman, 58, performed his last concert a week ago in his adopted hometown of Salem, Ore. He’s known as the father of Christian rock. He said he physically doesn’t feel good enough to continue performing. He suffers from serious heart problems and lingering effects from injuries in an airplane accident in 1978.

His retirement draws to a close one of the most important careers in music. Norman was responsible for creating the genre of contemporary Christian music.

As a boy in the mid-1950s, Norman, to the chagrin of his father, started playing rock-style music. He mixed the message of the gospel with the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll. As he grew older and his music found an audience, he was harshly criticized by many Christians for making “devil music” and selling out his faith.

He didn’t waver and continued to make songs that blended faith and rock. His audience continued to grow, and by the time the Jesus movement was in full force in the early ’70s, Norman was established as one of its prominent voices. His song “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” was its anthem.

He started winning the attention and accolades of mainstream rockers such as Janis Joplin and Pete Townshend. In fact, Norman wrote a musical called “The Epic” that inspired Townshend and The Who to write “Tommy.”

Norman’s album “Only Visiting This Planet” was released in 1972 by MGM Records and is considered by many to be the most significant Christian album ever made.

In 1974, Norman started his own label, Solid Rock. During this period he is credited with discovering many Christian musical artists, including Keith Green, Randy Stonehill and Mark Heard.

His success and growing media attention confirmed to many Christians his secularism. The Christian label that distributed his music thought some of his new songs were too controversial and wouldn’t release them.

The fears of Norman’s secularism have turned out to be wrong. Throughout his life, he has been consistent about sharing the gospel and reaching out to those in need. Norman sums up his thoughts on music on the Web site www.larrynorman.com:

“I believe that the song which overflows from your heart is the song God wants to hear.”

I respect him for his boldness and perseverance and for his music. He’s a sincere and devoted artist and deserves to take a break.

Peace & music Christian festival draws tens of thousands

SHIRLEYSBURG, Huntingdon County –There was plenty of peace, fellowship and music at Creation ‘05.

Touted as the largest Christian music festival in the country, the 27th annual festival packed in a record number of music lovers this year. The unofficial word from staff was that there were 85,000 people in attendance Wednesday, the first day of this year’s event. Festivities continue through Saturday.

“We’re up 15 percent from opening day last year,” press coordinator Anita Crawford said Thursday.

Last year, 60,000 people showed up on the first day. Those figures, though, do not include single-day sales or any latecomers who showed up but didn’t stay for the entire festival.

“Last night was the biggest Wednesday opening night,” press coordinator Adrian Martinez said. “It’s literally camp city.”

Martinez, who has attended Creation Fest for the past 11 years, said this year’s festival features two additional tents for vendors, an Internet café, dozens of speakers, prayer tents and fireworks.

“Good speakers, good bands, good food and good people” is what it’s all about, said Sam Hartman, youth pastor of the Righteous Outreach of Christ Kids, a State College-based program.

Despite the hot weather, festival participants lined up for hours to get front-row spots for some of their favorite performers, including Switchfoot, Relient K, Barlow Girls, TobyMac and Michael W. Smith. Some people were even lined up at 5 a.m. Thursday to get a prime spot in the front, said James Schomer, vice president and treasurer of WRXV “Rev FM” in State College.

While the music is cited as the primary reason for the continued success of Creation Fest, some people attend the event to further religious tradition.

Dana Landin attended Creation Fest in 1994, and this year he decided to drive 12 hours from his home in Algonquin, Ill., to camp out and hear some of his favorite bands with his children.

“I was a youth pastor then. Now I brought my kids. I guess they’re my youth group,” Landin said as he scanned a Steven Curtis Chapman CD at the festival gift shop. “It’s good for my kids to see thousands of other teens worshipping God and being into Christian music.”

Shane Smith, youth pastor at the Calvary Community Church of the Nazarene in Rochester, N.Y., agreed.

The festival “helps people see that they’re not alone. To see that there are other people looking for God. It’s a sense of community.”
By Ivonne D’Amato
idamato@centredaily.com