It's Been a Journey

Incredible is what I have to say about the Switchfoot concert at the House of Blues in Anaheim on November 27th, 2009. Absolutely incredible. Honestly I haven't had that perfect of a night in ages. I didn't get stuck in ANY traffic getting down to Anaheim. I was at the merriest place on earth (because it was on downtown disney and that's what Disneyland is called during the holidays). I had dinner with some of my oldest and best kindred spirits. I saw an amazing concert by possibly one of my all time favorite bands. I got to drive home and see the Los Angeles city skyline clearly. And the stars were out. It was like the perfect moment in time for a few hours last night and it was just wonderful. But I'm not here to talk about my serenity of the night of black friday, I'm here to talk about Switchfoot.

Music is one of the purest forms of storytelling. Lyrics alone are intricate stories built in few words and concisely. Combined with harmonies and beats, its no wonder we often find ourselves unable to get a particular song out of our heads. Switchfoot as a band are marvelous orators of the narrative of humanity. They convey everything needed to pluck your emotions and get your empathy for their stories when you're just listening to them in your car or off your computer or through your headphones at the gym. But when you see them live, it's like the curtain has been lifted up and you can see every color of the chords they are striking. It's something similar to that moment in Ratatouille when Remy cooks and the screen explodes in visual imagery of the process. A Switchfoot concert is a place where everyone who enters is a character and as the night progresses the audience and band essentially become one voice telling the same story.

I have been following Switchfoot for years. I have been to quite a few of their concerts up and down the California coast. Each and everyone a unique experience with different audiences, different songs, different outfits, and different kindred spirits alongside me singing. And I have seen some pretty amazing performances and I have experienced once in a lifetime moments. I will never forget watching Stars performed on the pier in Santa Monica as the sun set over the Pacific. A smile will always come to my face when I think of being pushed into the gate protecting the stage in San Francisco and the bouncer taking pity and giving us water bottles. I've watched Jon climb on speakers, stage towers, bars, banisters, and pretty much anything that's taller than him. I've seen them in venues with chairs, under palm trees, in grassy fields, in balconies, outside and inside, at night and during the day. So I've experienced many a show and though each really was an nothing short of amazing, last night they cleared their own bar.

The show was exactly what it set out to be, an evening with Switchfoot. The stage was completely set up, seagulls hanging from the ceiling and all. Going into the concert I knew two things: 1) Switchfoot was going to play their whole new album from start to finish 2) I didn't know any of their new album. I know what you're thinking, being such a Switchfoot fan how did I not already have every word of the new album memorized? Well the thing is that I hadn't had time to pick up the new CD at first (I had this weird thing that I needed the physical copy and I almost caved) and by the time I did have a moment I noticed they were going to play it at their concert as if we were listening to the CD. Upon that discovery I made a decision, I would wait and hear the new CD live. I could not have made a better decision, the impact of the music was so much more intense. As the boys came out on stage I noticed one more thing that has nothing to do with the actual music, Tim Foreman was on the wrong side of the stage! How did I know this? Like I said I've been to many a concert and I am always (except for once in Soma, SD) on Tim's side of the stage. ALWAYS. It's where I gravitate to whenever I enter a venue so when he walked to stage right and not stage left (his not mine), my mouth kind of fell open. If by chance any of the members of Switchfoot do read this, can someone let me know if this is a permanent change because I need to plan accordingly (not that Drew wasn't also awesome, it's just a forced habit).

So onward to my thoughts of the show itself. It started with a bang, the strumming of the guitars setting the tone immediately. I don't know about anyone else, but my breath is taken away whenever Jon starts singing (CD or live) I mean it's powerful, passionate and just hitting the nail every single time. Needle in the Haystack Life echoes of so many of the ideas that Jon tends to discuss in his lyrics constantly. But like the incredible artists that they are, its the same story told over in different words and different tone ensuring that they are still effecting touching their audience. I heard them loud and clear what an empowering thought: We are once in a lifetime? Of course we are!

Now I'd heard the next song because though I kept away from the CD no one could keep me away from their newest video. So I could sing along with the chorus of this song, I could feel the striking thoughts as I sang the words. I made a mess of me, constantly in their songs, there's a call to look inward and not blame others. This song is no exception, jamming on the guitar and bobbing to the music we're being called into action on ourselves. Song three's mellower tone surprised me at first, you know the transition between mess and your love is a song is clear. Though Jon did pause in between these two songs to greet the audience for a few minutes. The ballad though just like the rock tunes of moments before inspired the audience to sway with emotion, sing out loud and feel the love. The love with which not only the song was mostly likely played with but with which the band has lived their lives. The line that caught my attention immediately, I've kept my dreams unbroken.

Back to the rocking. Here Jon took a few more moments to explain his inspiration for the song The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues). In the true tradition of songs such as Beautiful Letdown or Meant to Live, the music sent Tim and Drew into playing their guitars with their entire bodies. Their hands controlled the strumming, their heads moved to the beats, their feet moved them about the stage. And it's really just very fun to watch, it's like being at a wedding and not being able to deny yourself the chance to dance because the bride and groom are grooving so lovingly on the dance floor. Back into something of a ballad, I can't even describe how much I loved this song. Again first time I had heard it and the chorus was something that seemed to ignite a flame somewhere inside me. Do you love me enough to let me go? How many images those words pushed into my mind. I no longer was just seeing Jon singing his heart out into the mic. It's wasn't just Drew humming the chorus into his newly acquired mic. It wasn't just Tim bouncing onto his toes as he sang parts of the song. No I saw memories, friends, family, movies, books, articles, characters and stories yet to be written all flashing before my eyes.

Free was played next, I liked the song but at this point I was having some trouble seeing as someone taller than me had just moved right into my line of sight. And then started what I at that moment, from the second they started the oh-oh-oh part I declared my favorite. Why? I like the rhythm, I love the energy, I could just feel the happiness bubbling to the surface. I can't even explain how I think it happens, there are just songs that can do that. Especially some of Switchfoot songs. And Jon explained it before they started playing about how it was (as the namesake of the album) about the storm coming, the storm leaving, the storm happening. Something like the eye of the storm, as someone shouted to him. This song is about fighting, its about always keeping up the fight even when you see it coming for you. Fighting even when your in the grit of it. Fighting even after its gone and your tired enough to just stop. And the melody of the song itself promises the ability to keep you energized in the fight because you can't silence my love. It's an anthem that's antagonizing the storm itself and being the type of person I am, I loved it.

The next song had me on the verge of tears before they even started it. And immediately debunked Hello Hurricane (at least at that moment) as my favorite song of the album. Jon took some time again, explaining. He wanted to apologize (while still partially blaming his dad) for giving up the  piano as a kid. Now I've meet Mom Foreman (like I said, I've seen them A LOT) and she's pretty much the sweetest lady ever and so proud of her sons. So that pretty much set the tone for that song and then Jon started playing the piano, after jibbing at Jerome for a few moments. And it's really just a beautifully epic song about the whole of life from the beginning to the part where you get beat up to moving forward. Life lesson learned over and over in their songs again because two of the first songs I ever heard of theirs. Amy's song - have a fire and plow through. Dare you to Move - get up off that floor friends and start again.

Bullet Soul was next, reminding me a little of sounds of Playing for Keeps and the album of Learning to Breathe. The overlying theme of the album at this point seemed clear enough, move forward in the world with love. And Switchfoot seemed ready to push us with their music, push every listener forward through their storm at least enjoying the soundtrack playing. I really liked the idea of "I want to start from the start" thinking of the need of myself  and others to jump into the middle of everything. Moving into Yet, the guys all moved forward which is possibly the only time I've seen Chad out from behind his drums  (besides when he's not on stage). The band moving closer to each other, moved the audience closer, created a close knit atmosphere for this narrative about inner struggle with a firm affirmation that the fight was still going on. My favorite part of this song? All the words, confusion and dreams and breaking hearts. Going through my own current struggle, the echoing moment of "If it doesn't break you're heart, it's not enough..." resonated. The words  break repeating seemed to beat with my heart. But the true moment was when Jon and Tim sung together for a few moments, it felt like a grand moment of walking in front of a family window and seeing brotherly affection. It's not something you can fake and its not something that anyone is generally privy to unless they are family. So from thanks guys for letting us be part of your family last night.

The last two songs of the night were somewhat of a blur but next was Sing it Out. Sing it Out struck me as a another chapter to go with Your Love is  A Song. It's a story about asking for help, about being supported through your troubles by another and the sentiment made me grateful for the countless kindred spirits and moments of my life. It was also satisfyingly fulfilling to sing the words of this song out loud with the band and though I didn't know all of them yet, I could gather the main gist of it well enough to partake. The last song of the new album (Hello Hurricane, for those who missed it) Red Eyes brought all new elements for me to intake. I watched Chad on the drums for a little while. I giggled at watching Tim play the what I suspect was a xylophone (him not being on my side of the stage). I noticed the repeated theme of home, eyes and sorrows. The constant search and the ever hoping battle. I was in awe at the mixing of the first and the last song, a poetic tribute to coming full circle about the everlasting ability to come back from anything.

I have almost another hour of the concert left to review. But I fear that this is getting extremely long so here is where I insert a commercial break.