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This Past Weekend in VA & SC
Mon., Jun. 12. 2006 10:28pm EDT
Yes, Virginia, there IS a sandwich clause ... one that allowed us to play the Old Dominion State on Friday and on Sunday, while sandwiching South Carolina in on Saturday. It was remarkable to us how many fans from our May concerts in Virginia returned Friday in Stafford VA and/or Sunday in Penn Laird VA, and how many new and longtime fans attended their first concerts.
And so many people from both Carolinas, Georgia and even Alabama drove three hours or more to see us Saturday in Folly Beach SC. We were blown away! Saturday's showgoers also got a rare treat -- "Twins Came Out" performed with ApologetiX alumnus Bob Flaherty on the drums. Although Bob isn't the one who played it on the "Biblical Graffiti" CD, he was our drummer when we originally started playing that parody in concert.
Here are excerpts from four emails we received (from three different states) about Saturday's concert that made us even more glad we had a slice of South Carolina on that sandwich.
From South Carolina:
I wanted to let you know something that happened after your concert this weekend. We drove about 220 miles, from Anderson, SC, to get to Folly Beach (after moving 600 miles from PA to SC recently). I scheduled my vacation around the concert to make it.
First of all, my kids really had a great time! I did too, but I wish that it had lasted longer. (The audience probably wasn't the most active/responsive you've ever seen, but it was a long, really hot day. I was wiped out by 7:00pm myself.) Seemed to me like everyone there really enjoyed it anyway. (Nice fake keyboards, Karl!) I appreciate that you still put on great show even when attendance was less than expected.
Next, Jeff, Erin, and Teri quite enjoyed speaking with you too - and getting their Folly Beach 2006 T-shirts autographed. Jeff was the 14 year old almost tall enough to join your band, at 6' 1" and Teri was the totally not-shy 6 year old. I don't think you met my 4 year old.
And last, but definitely not least, my 11 year old, Erin - dubbed "Erinopolis" by J, had a surprise for us later. She told me the next day that she had "asked Jesus into her heart" (her words). She got baptized around age 7, but I guess had not fully given herself to the Lord. I believe she did this when you presented the gospel before the last two songs, or later that evening.
Just wanted to say thank you, and I'll keep praying for your ministry and your families. God bless you.
Scott
Anderson SC
The Folly Beach concert was my first chance to see you guys in concert, though I have almost your whole catalog on CD. (I need to find out about those "fan club only" CDs....) We spoke briefly after the show; I asked about your background (because I was so impressed with your verbal skills) and you said you majored in journalism. I watched the DVD this afternoon, so now I'll have to share it with some friends. (Some of my CDs are still with friends in Georgia; I guess the music was meant to be shared.)
My kids--ages 8, 11 and 13--are getting introduced to lots of good old rock 'n roll songs through your CDs. It's fun to share the music, orignal and parodies, with them. As they frequently say when we get in the car, "Windows down, music up!" Thanks for what you do. I can't fathom life on the road the way you travel, but I'm glad you're up to it. I hope we can bring you back to the Charleston area sometime--but meanwhile, keep up the good work!
Shalom,
Tom Thompson
Mount Pleasant SC
PS - I posted a few of my own photos of the Folly Beach concert--the ones with alliterative captions (Folly Frivolity, Foly Fans, etc).
From Georgia:
What a great concert! It was the best ApologetiX show I've had the pleasure of attending. (Editor's Note: he's been to a bunch.) It made the whole weekend road trip worthwhile. I hope you had plenty of additions to your fan club and sold tons of CD's, because from talking to people after the show I can tell you that your ministry touched a whole lot of lives.
I'll burn a CD of pics I took at the show and mail it because the file's too huge to email. Take care, and I'm trying to find a way to approach the Fan Club and getting everyone to pitch in and buy you guys an RV. If the Partridge Family could convert a School Bus, we ought to be able to put you fellas in a vehicle that works and is fun to travel in.
Peace,
Tony Ferrante
From Alabama:
I had such a great time at the concert on Saturday! As always, it was a treat to visit with all you guys again. And I was so glad my dad got the chance to meet you too. He really thought a lot of you all ... He said you were all such nice young men AND he liked the music! He is a die-hard country fan ... and had never been to a concert before (except he said he saw Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs when he was eight years old). But he liked it and said you were all very talented (like I didn't already know! :)
Your pal in AL,
Hope Johnson
Editor's Note: Hope and her dad drove six and a half hours from Alabama to get to the concert.
Here's a great email we got from a young lady who attended Sunday's show in Penn Laird:
I am sure you get 50,000 of these messages every day, but I just wanted to say thank you for the concert in Penn Laird last night. The fierce entertainment competition in our bustling metropolis *cough* was blown out of the water and it was a really awesome time. It isn't often we get amazingly talented groups to come to this area (shocking).
My current location in my "walk of faith" is unbelievably rocky as the church I am a member of is dying at an alarming rate and between home, college and work, it's hard not to turn away from faith. Your all's concert was really refreshing last night and just brought a lot of things back into better focus.
I hope this rambling message isn't out of line and I know you have "hard-core" followers out there, but I just feel like you should know you are not only reaching those concrete in their walk of faith but those who are currently blindly tripping and stubbling along as well. So a big thank you and God bless.
M.G.
Penn Laird VA
Special thanks to:
Lou and Alisa Lockwood, who not only coordinated Friday's concert in Stafford but also drove two hours to Sunday's concert so they could bring a piece of Jimmy's equipment we'd accidentally left behind two days earlier. Moreover, the Lockwoods told us this interesting tidbit: one of Friday's concertgoers first heard us after he bought a used car and discovered an ApologetiX CD under the seat!
Thanks also to:
our other concert coordinators: Ken Evans (Folly Beach) and Carla Monger (Penn Laird).
our merchandise coordinators: Barbara, Barbara, David, David, Mike, Tom, and Regina (Stafford); Tracy, Rachael, Heidi, Donnie "Bubba", and Dianne (Folly Beach); Laura, Jaden, Carla, Kelly, Megan, and Sheila (Penn Laird).
our roadies and sound men: Micah, Steve, Andrew, and many others.
Honorable mention to:
Dave and Katie Breidenbach, who drove nine hours from Tiffin OH to Friday's concert -- and all this AFTER they had driven our newly repaired van from South Bend IN to Cleveland OH earlier in the week!
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