Saturday

Saturday Photo Hunt::Music, Part II - Night of Joy 2007...


DSC05118
Cinderella's Castle - Night of Joy 2007


This was my view of the David Crowder Band concert....


DSC05022

As my daughter Emily states below, she was in the VIP section in front of the stage. Why was I not in the VIP section? Because I chose unlimited free refreshments (lemonade, coffee, water, granola bars, cookies, and brownies) and visits to an air-conditioned lounge throughout the night as my VIP privilege. I personally think I got the better deal - but then I'm more than a couple of decades older than my daughter and not nearly as energetic.



It may appear that I was quite a distance from the stage, but I loved where I was standing. I didn't miss a thing. The music was not too loud, and there was little to obstruct my view. The people enjoying the music around me were perfectly delightful. They sang with enthusiasm, laughed heartedly, and danced freely. It was a "magical" hour, as daylight slowly gave way to the twinkle lights in the trees and the bright and colorful stage lights. I've more to say about the whole experience, but will save those thoughts for another time.


I've zoomed in a little here for a closer look at Crowder and most of the band.


DSC05026


And closer still for a collage of the tall, thin, rather eccentric-appearing, but very talented David Crowder.


DavidCrowder


Another collage of photos from the Third Day concert much later in the evening and even further back from the stage.


thirdday


Emily wrote about the evening in her blog and she gave me permission to share some of what she wrote, along with two of her photos and an explanation of why she did not take more:

Night of Joy was incredible! I don’t even know that I can come up with words that would make sense to describe last-night, besides it being a completely God-filled night.

First of all the fact that I had been sick with a bunch of mess for over week and yesterday morning I felt even worse only to have it all wiped out when we got ready to leave the hotel, it was insane! I am never drinking Red Bull ever again though, I was a spaz most of the day and I’m already strange enough so, thank you Red Bull for making me an even bigger freak. Back on topic…I was able to get in the VIP section for both David Crowder Band (or wait, at Night of Joy they were listed as the “Dave Crowder Band”) and Chris Tomlin, and let me tell you, I am sooooo glad I was up there for both of them because if I had only chosen one I would’ve regretted it. Both “shows” were amazing.


David Crowder:

I was up there all by me onesy since the rest of the crew from town hadn’t gotten there yet and I needed to let out all that spastic energy I was talking about. These guys are great, you laugh, you worship, you sometimes wonder what he’s doing, it’s the package ya’ll. My back got killed from jumping with my arms around someone shorter than me on one side and another person taller than me on the other side. I had an absolute blast! I’ll try to remember the set list, but I have no idea what the order was.

O Praise Him
Here Is Our King
You Are My Joy
Here I Am To Worship
Everything Glorious
Undignified
I Saw The Light
Forever and Ever, Etc.
Open Skies
Sing Like The Saved
Big Finale: It’s A Small World, Crowder style…oh baby.

We “met” David Crowder on our way to see Chris Tomlin. I still fell kind of bad about something though. We were just walking and a girl that was with me just yelled “DAVID!”, I thought she was talking about our friend David (it’s the Red Bull’s fault) so I kept walking and then another girl I was with started walking towards the castle and almost ran over me so I turned around and stupid me and my big fat mouth that reacts without asking the brain first, said kind of loud “Hey it’s Crowder.”. I looked over and some other girls were freaking out and I instantly felt sick in my stomach for pointing him out. I think he was trying to get back to the “safe area” but then someone asked for an autograph and then we got a picture and I think some girls after us got him too. I feel really bad for probably ending the peace. I need to shut my trap more. I’d like to talk to him one day as a human being…because *gasp* he is one, hopefully he won’t remember me as “The Girl Who Ended the Peace At Night of Joy 2007”.
_______________________________________________________________________
          Chris Tomlin: (It’s fun to say it in a German accent and it’s like Kreece Tomlen) 

God was so active in the place when Chris Crew (they need a band name because that sounds gangster.) were on stage. There were a few things that I’m sure satan was trying use to get people out of “the moment” and it was a little tough at times to focus, but of course God is stronger and kicked satan’s booty. I’ve got to try and think of the moments that stuck out to me.

Chris was talking about how amazed he is with how God has used his songs and all that good stuff (it really is good, but if I tried to tell you what he said I would ruin it), a guy yelled “I love you Chris!” and it was really funny, Chris was trying hard not to laugh he can try to deny it but I saw it, but then some people started yelling “Yeah you rock!” and things like that and Mr. Humble Tomlin said “Okay, okay, that’s enough.”. At first I thought about the story in his book where he stopped the entire crowd while doing a wave and gave them a pep talk, so I was like “Way to go people, you got Florida in trouble with Chris Tomlin.”, I don’t like being in trouble, but he moved on smoothly. I only took four pictures during his entire set, I really felt God telling me not to, plus I felt like Jesse Reeves (bass player) was glaring at me every time I lifted my camera up so I was a little paranoid lol.

During his ending medley he went from How Great Is Our God into Our God Reigns (I was so happy) and then back into How Great. Well somewhere in between the songs, there was a long pause, all the lights were down low and it was total silence. Imagine with me…thousands of teenagers….silent. No cell phones. No whispers. No clicks from cameras. Just God and a bunch of His kid’s.

When they did "We Fall Down" he divides us up and has the guys sing by themselves and then the girls. When the guys sang I got chills AGAIN like back in March, but wow the guys really did an amazing job, they really sang their hearts out.

My absolute favorite moment of the entire night was during How Great Is Our God. Chris grabbed the mic stand, walked down the runway of the stage, put the stand down at the end and said “This is your song”, turned the mic towards us, “So sing it.”. He walked back to the main part of the stage and the audience just took off with the song. It was so AWESOME! It gets better too. It had been nasty hot all night and as we were singing “our song”, a cool breeze came through. Our God is just…wow. It was also amazing to see my friend Chelsy's’s reaction. It was her first concert experience and she didn’t want it to end.

Alright now onto Chris’s setlist:

Your Grace Is Enough
Holy Is The Lord
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Let God Arise
Forever
Indescribable
Famous One
How Great Is Our God/ Our God Reigns

_______________________________________________________________
Isn't she wonderful? God sent me the BEST daughter.