:: :: Creation East 2oo4 :: ::
So i got an invitation a while back to attend Creation East as press this year. Creation is an annual Christian music festival held at the Agape Farm in Western Pennsylvania. After weeks of procrastination and deliberation, i finally conceded to driving up the three hours and covering this year's event. Of course there was plenty of logistics to work out and all that good stuff, but that was all just details. So as the day approached, i packed up and headed out. This is how it all went down.
"Move"
8:10, Thursday Morning. The doorbell rings. By the time i make my way down to answer, the culprit is across the street and down a few houses. Spying the power company's van up the street and the ever-present construction crews buzzing around, i figured that i was going to lose power or have my driveway blocked. Or Both.
8:20 Thursday Morning. The power is cut off. My coffee maker had finished in the nick of time. Final preparations are made, my car is packed, and i'm ready to head out and sure enough, the driveway is blocked. I negotiated my way out, and after a stop at the store for ice, fill my cooler and the travel clock starts at 8:44 AM. Plenty of time to make the John Reuben concert at noon. Or so i thought.
(All my dreams splintering, under my) "Fingernails"
10:45 Thursday Morning. I'm making really good time, and getting good gas mileage (~37 mpg, if you're interested), but in the back of my mind, i'm a little concerned about my directions. Having done some calculations over the previous half hour, i'm not entirely sure whether i'm connecting to 81 above or below the exit i need. I shrugged it off and continued on, connecting in Harrisburg and proceeding north. Sure enough, i'm too far north. At first it seems that i'm 10 exits too far north, assuming that the directions mistakenly referenced the "old" exit numbers. So, i turn around and head south, past old exit 17 and then 15. I need exit 16. So i turn around again figuring that perhaps exit 16 is only accessible via the north side of 81. Exit 15. Exit 17. Oh boy.
11:35 Thusday Morning. I've come to grips with my situation. I'm at least 60 miles north of my exit, and John Reuben's set is out of reach. My chances of catching Skillet's 1:00 show were also looking a little slim. I finally reached the exit and felt relieved that the journey was almost over. Or not. The farm is over fifty miles from the exit. I stopped for a stretch and ended up opening and holding a door open for an elderly couple, after which, the gentleman told me a story from an Ann Landers column about how a young man honors his mother, by holding doors for elderly women. Back on the road, winding my way to the farm. It was a pretty peaceful drive actually, since i was the only car on the road for a large part of it. By this time, i was pretty antsy though and i was ready to be there. I checked the clock to realize that Sanctus Real's 2:00 show was threatening to fall victim to the same fate as Skillet and John Reuben. However, the turn finally did come and i didn't even miss it the first time.
"Fight the Tide" (like a man)
2:10 Thursday Afternoon. Finally at the gate and trying to figure out what's what, i turn in my letter for admittance and ask where the Press Tent is located. I'm told the general direction to head, and who to ask for directions and i slowly make my way through crowds of people walking on the roads and a few other vehicles. The farm is almost surreal, laid out much like movies depict gypsy villages. Tents and trailors, random vehicles and campers, makeshift kitchens with propane cooktops and various camping devices litter the mountainside. I have no idea where i'm going and no one seems willing to give me directions but there only seems to be one road in so i'm sticking with it. Driving past the main stage, i catch the faint sounds of John Schlitt croaking out an unrecognizable Petra tune. The "Fringe Stage" hosts Sanctus Real as i drive by; they're performing "Closer" from the new album. One of the two songs on that album that i really wanted to hear live. Finally, after the third blank stare, i give up the hope of any staff members pointing me in the right direction of the press tent and i simply pull into an empty patch of grass, presumably a parking spot. Grabbing my gear and a bottle of Gatorade, i make my way by foot back towards the stage areas, found the press tent, and got checked in.
Sanctus Real Setlist |
- Captain's Chair
- Everything About You
- Alone
- Beautiful Day
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joined in progress |
2:30 Thursday Afternoon. Back over at the "Fringe" watching Sanctus Real finish up their set. Petra almost lured me over to the main stage when i past by en route to the press tent, pounding out "This Means War," a classic tune that immediately took me back to high school when i first saw Petra in concert. But on the way back, "The Noise We Make" was coming from the stage and the temptation was long gone. Sanctus Real had four songs left for me. I made my way through the crowd which included a number of fans wearing custom-fashioned hats constructed of aluminum foil, a throw-back to the Say It Loud album cover, as Sanctus Real performed "Captain's Chair". The bass is cranked up a bit high and it looks like Matt can't make out his vocals in the monitor; I can't hear them all that well either. The sound levels remained off as the group launched into the final three songs, all newer. "Everything About You" kicked things off and by the end, Matt was coming through clearly on lead. "Alone", the source of the new album's title ("know that i would 'fight the tide' to be with you"), was loaded with energy, much like i hoped and expected it to be. The guitar solo and bridge was really powerful. Despite the dry heat, Sanctus Real closed the set with a plug for the AIDS effort in Africa and their rendition of the U2 song, "Beautiful Day".
"I'm Not Ready"
3:05 Thursday Afternoon.Time is beginning to escape me. I realize quickly that i've seen part of a show, but i still have nowhere to stay the night, other than my trusty car. So i spent the next bit of my time at Creation trying to get in touch with a friend who had offered the use of part of his tent. Unfortunately, the mountains may be beautiful to look at, but they are not so fond of cell phone signals. So that was a bit of an endeavor, and, glancing at my watch, i realized it was about time for a prescheduled press conference with Audio Adrenaline. I managed to get a voicemail sent, a time set to meet up, and i headed over to the press tent. The guys showed up and took turns fielding questions about the upcoming album, tentatively titled "Undefeated" ("A follow-up to the non-traditional worship album 'Worldwide', discussing the victory we share in Chist"), college ("We're not exactly the spokespeople for [higher] education"), and the Hands and Feet orphanage project in Haiti ("We're selling a gig on eBay, pretty cool, huh?"). Question time ended before i got my turn and i packed up and headed over to see Cool Hand Luke.
Cool Hand Luke Setlist |
- I'm Not Ready
- Dreams for Sale
- Sequence #3
- chatter
- One Time
- piano interlude/intro
- Skydive
- So Shall It Be
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4-ish Thursday Afternoon. I got over to the fringe stage to a smaller crowd than i imagined, got some logistics squared away and Cool Hand Luke took the stage, opening with an enjoyable piano-based introduction. It's pretty strange to watch a band performing and realize halfway through the first song that the drummer is actually the lead singer. Even more impressive, the vocals were neither blaring nor drowned out. Listening through the first half of the set ("I'm Not Ready", "Dreams for Sale", and "Sequence # 3"), the group exudes a sound very true to their CDs. The vocals are amazingly solid; they don't fluctuate with the emotion of the drumwork as one might expect. Mark Nicks talked a little bit about the history of the festival and how when it was originally conceived, the emphasis was likely on the message rather than the merch tables. Then, introducing "One Time", he points out that "no one ever says that they learned the best lessons during the easy times of life." The set continues with a really pretty piano solo, diving into the full sound of "Skydive" which features some spiffy vocal accents to the music. It seemed that the sound engineers got a little over-zealous during "So Shall it Be", the show's closing song, cranking up the volume levels and causing some feedback from the cymbals. Overall the show went really well, a splendid blend of the piano-based melodies and the distinctive vocals, a sound that i expected to get lost in the outdoor venue.
"Rushing"
The Mint Setlist |
- Flashlight
- Alright
- Let Go
- The Backs of Our Friends
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(Partial Setlist) |
Next on stage, as i gathered things together and ran around settling in for the evening, was The Mint. I really wish that i had gotten to the campgrounds earlier so that i could've had more time to simply enjoy this very impressive young band. With a sound similar to The Swift (but better and with a much sharper edge), The Mint was nothing short of spectacular, treating us to songs such as "Flashlight", "Alright", and "The Backs of Our Friends". They also have a song, which they performed, called "Let Go" that reminded me of a Universal Royalty song ("Override") that i think would be a pretty tremendous radio hit if it were released. Anyway, i feel like i'm kind of glossing over this show because i was somewhat distracted, but let it be known that The Mint puts on an excellent show with a very full sound that completely engages the crowd.
The next hour or so found me splitting time trying to get a cell phone signal, popping in at the press tent to see what was happening and catching bits of one of the speakers' message. I was actually in my car charging my camera as Plumb began her set on the mainstage. I heard "Stranded" over the radio and it sounded a bit off but nonetheless, i packed back up and made my way down to the crowds to catch a little of the show. I got up to the stage in time to catch the last song ("On My Own"?) which was pretty solid. Glancing around the stage, i was instantly hit with the obvious statement of: "We're just like Evanescence... only not." Oh well. I headed over to the food court for dinner before the "big shows" of the evening....
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This is called a cliff-hanger, designed to make you feel compelled to come back looking for part two of this Creation East Feature. Indeed, this is only the first part of the series. Part Two features the stories about Switchfoot, Audio Adrenaline and Starfield. Future additions to this feature will include a photo gallery, more concert commentary, and plenty of good goodness for your viewing pleasure. Please stay tuned.
... there's more at the TRu (TRudATmusic.com)
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