This Past Weekend in AL, AR & TX
Tue., Sep. 11. 2007 4:31pm EDT
It was a grueling schedule this past weekend in Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas (twice), but God gave us lots of grace. We played in Muscle Shoals AL on Friday at 10 p.m.; in Pine Bluff AR Saturday at 3:40 p.m; Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio TX Sunday at 9 a.m.; and Houston TX Sunday at 7 p.m. Then we drove from Houston to Pittsburgh, making it in 24 hours.
Saturday's performance took place at the 7th annual Vertical Fest, with Decypher Down, Disciple, Superchic[k], and Seventh Day Slumber. Sunday morning's show was held at Fort Sam Houston military base. There were plenty of troops and civilians on hand.
We spent only four hours in a hotel the entire weekend (Friday night); the rest of the time was either spent setting up, playing, loading, or driving. But our fans put the "fan" in "fantastic," whether it was the folks who came to see us or those who came along to help, such as our tag team of bus drivers -- Dana Brown, a father of five from Richmond VA and Dan Huber, a father of three from Corsica PA -- or our substitute soundman, Charlie "Batman" Freed, from Cleveland OH, who also filled in for us the previous weekend in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan.
Special thanks to:
Our concert coordinators: Mike Noles (Muscle Shoals); Bruce Roberts (Pine Bluff); Chaplain (Major) Jonathan Etterbeek (San Antonio); and Chris Reese and Tim Davis (Houston).
Our merchandise coordinators: Anne, Wanda, and Hope (Muscle Shoals); Tom, Luann, Mark, Lisa, and Gretchen (Pine Bluff); Dan (San Antonio); and Mandy (Houston).
Honorable Mention to:
Brandi, Jenna, and Caleb Leasure, who drove from Ohio to see us in Alabama. They've now seen us play in 18 states/provinces, and have been to at least one concert for a record-breaking 11 straight weekends. Derrick Leasure, the father of the family, has had to miss a few because of nursing school, but he's still not far behind, with 15 states/provinces.
Maggie Shroads, who accompanied the Leasures to Muscle Shoals, has now seen us over 60 times in 10 states/provinces.
Chris Bailey (formerly Christopherson) drove from Wisconsin with her sister to see us in Arkansas, her 51st concert in 15 states.
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