For all the Christian Music fans

Hey, I was just wondering how many of us memversians like to listen to Christian contemporary music.

What is your favorite Christian Band?

What is your favorite genre of music? (Contrary to popular belief, Christian music has many genres, such as Contemporary, Modern, Rock, and gasp Scream-o)

Who has gone to Winter jam in the past? (If you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do)

Thanks,
~Claire

1. Probably Tenth Avenue North.

2. I have a few. Rock, Christian Rap, Dubstep, Soundtrack…

3. No, what is it?

Hello Claire.

I really like tobyMac, and my favorite genre is probably rap or pop. I like rock too, but I'm not sure it's my favorite. I have never been to Winter jam before. What exactly is it?

Well to put it simply….

Winter Jam 2013 3rd Draft 4/28/13

This was my first year going to Winter Jam, and the third big-name concert I have been to; although the largest by far. The event took place in Grand Rapids on March 24th at the Van Andel arena (which seats about 12,000 people). The doors opened to the public around 5:30 pm, the same time the concert started. Winter Jam only charges ten dollars per ticket, and showcases ten bands, making it an amazing deal as concerts go.
Due to both price and the fact that Winter Jam is the biggest Christian concert tour nationwide, people were lined up around the arena for a long way. Unfortunately, the people at the back of the first line (who had, by the way, been there since noon) never made it in the doors. There is no crowd control outside the building, so someone decided to create a second line at the very beginning instead of joining the first line and just going around the arena again. This allowed people such as my group (my mother, sister, and cousins) who got there at 3:45 pm to get in before people who had been waiting in line much longer. This is my biggest complaint about the entire experience, because it isn’t fair not to sell tickets until the doors open, and it isn’t fair to the people in line not to have crowd control, ensuring that tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis.
Once inside the doors, however, things got exponentially better with each passing moment. We sat in the balcony facing the stage and off slightly to the right. From where we were, the stage looked tiny. The concert had already begun when we found our seats, so we missed all but the last two minutes of the first artist performance, Capital Kings. After they were done playing, OBB (a band of brothers) showed their talent on stage. But after OBB was my least favorite performance of the night: Jason Castro. After him came the other seven music artists of the night: Royal Tailor (who has amazing vocals and some fancy footwork), Jamie Grace (the only female artist there), Sidewalk Prophets (the band I went to see), Red (who had some awesome flames and a voice changing microphone), Newsong (the creators of Winter Jam), Matthew West (a true inspiration), and TobyMac (who needs no introduction in parentheses, and who also ran 20 minutes over time).
The intermission was probably the worst part of the night inside the building. It was impossible to move anywhere with so many people flooding the hallways, and due to getting stuck in a 60 (or so) human sandwich, I missed the first song performance by Matthew West. I also believe that was how I came down with Influenza type B.
Right before intermission, however, the host of the concert gave a short sermon on giving things up for Jesus and showing how we are like mirrors that can reflect him out to people. Considering the sermon and the music, it got me thinking of how this affected different groups of people there. Firstly, there are the youth groups that made it in; there is a ton that could be discussed afterward. Besides, what better way to talk to teens than in their own language (music)? Then there are the secular groups of people who saw a big concert coming to the arena; these people were ministered to through God-centered music, and being shown how things can affect us so easily. There is also the impact this concert can make on any new Christians that wanted to get more involved in the music that is based off Christianity; the artists there delivered a powerful message in their songs and own experiences they decided to share. Then the sermon came in the middle to really drive the point home. And finally, there is the impact the experience made on me. I was very impressed by the music quality and the sermon brought to mind some things I didn’t think about before. I enjoyed myself and could be confident that everything was good and God-honoring. 
Every artist had a merchandise booth in the main hallway, and these booths were continually crowded by fans buying cds and such. I (one such fan) bought a Sidewalk Prophets cd and t-shirt, got my other SWP cd signed by the band, and also bought a Red cd (which is now gifted to a friend).
All things considered, Winter Jam was a blast—the experience was fantastic, and I am so glad I went. However, unless they sell tickets beforehand or have some kind of crowd control, the only way I would go again is if I bought a JamNation pass, which is a preordered, guaranteed access pass, better seating, and a meet with the artists of that year’s Winter Jam. The price is fifty dollars though, so the real question is: is it worth it? And my answer is: absolutely yes! 

Sorry, I realize that was a long reply, but I had a writing project on that topic. :) I want to go into Music Journalism, so this was a precursor to some other Concert updates as I get older and go to college. :D

Hmm…. I didn't like TAN so much….. I always thought their vocals were still a bit raw. But if you like them, I suggest you check out Matthew West, Royal Tailor, and Unspoken. They all have fantastic vocals and are similar in genre. :)

1. I personally like Sidewalk Prophets.

2. I am open to almost any genre (but if it's gospel music, gag me.)

3. I have an explanation in another post. :)

Just saw a group at my church called This Hope….. They are a quintet that has amazing vocals and great overall sound. You should check them out! Here is a link to my favorite song that they did:

They were amazing, and their cds are moving. I suggest they are worth looking into. :)

i like the Newsboys best. Skillet is pretty cool as well.

Skillet is the best EVER!

Skillet is the best EVER!

my favorite songs from them are Hero, Awake and Alive, and Monster. i also like brandon heath

Those are amazing too, but don't forget COMATOSE, our favorite!

May I post my sister's thoughts on Skillet here?

Nope! Haha Jk

Those are amazing too, but don't forget COMATOSE, _our_ favorite!

We saw them live!
Be jealous, Be very jealous…

My sister says: "If you want to know what Skillet sounds like to me, picture this: the vacuum is running with a sock stuck in it so that it is making a screeching noise, dishwasher is going with too many plates in it and they are clanging together, the dryer is running with marbles in it, and all four little siblings are playing Indians and screeching at the top of their lungs." As you can probably tell… she really likes Skillet! :S

We went to winterjam twice, our sister went one year we didnt go.
We also went t Rock and Worship roadshow the year FF5 was there! THAT was EPIC ^Excpet back then we hated FF5^

HA! Thats funny!

Not when you're deaf at 20 from listening to music that's to loud. :P

♪ "And if its too loud! Well than you must be too old!" -Wake the dead, FF5

We went to winterjam twice, our sister went one year we didnt go. We also went t Rock and Worship roadshow the year FF5 was there! _THAT_ was _EPIC_ ^Excpet back then we hated FF5^

I've heard about that. I have a lot of friends who go to it.

We went with youth group one year, the girls wanted to go 5 hours before it started (BC i told them of my bad experiene with dad and connor the year beofre when we got the nosebleed section seats, behind the stage) And the boys didnt, so we had fun playing games while waiting in line and got good seats, whereas the guys got the worst seats ever! xP xD

Not when you're deaf at 20 from listening to music that's to loud. :P

I like Skillet, and you know what I do if it's too loud? I turn to volume down (not all the way of course). :P

Yep. :) If that works for you great! :D

My sister says: "If you want to know what Skillet sounds like to me, picture this: the vacuum is running with a sock stuck in it so that it is making a screeching noise, dishwasher is going with too many plates in it and they are clanging together, the dryer is running with marbles in it, and all four little siblings are playing Indians and screeching at the top of their lungs." As you can probably tell... she really likes Skillet! :S

We've heard that MCP before. And it remains MCP.

Those are amazing too, but don't forget COMATOSE, _our_ favorite!

We saw them live! _Be jealous, Be very jealous..._

We are jealous, we are very jealous….

I turn to volume down (not all the way of course). :P

Haha! I always do the same, no matter what music I'm listening to. :-) There's one song that sometimes comes on my internet radio with the subtitle "Turn up the Music", but like the rest of the music on my Nook, I always listen to it with the volume as low as it goes (without it being muted, of course!) and my earbuds only partially in my ears. :-D I really need to write to Barnes & Noble and tell them that the next version of the Nook that they make needs to accommodate people with sensitive ears. :-P