With BarlowGirl coming to Kennewick on Oct. 5, I'm going to take the chance to look at the state of Christian music. It used to be that gospel and the bombastic pop of the likes of Carmen were about all you could get your hands on. You could even throw in Amy Grant, but when she went secular pop for a bit, the backlash hinted at how hard it was for the genre to break through to the mainstream.
There was a point in the early '90s when Jars of Clay broke down the barrier with Flood, which briefly spent some time on regular radio play. But it wasn't until the hardcore rap-rock sound of P.O.D. that many could buy the genre as anything beyond a vehicle to spread the word. Sure there were "closet Christian" songs from Creed, Vertical Horizon, then later the Calling with Wherever You Will Go, Lifehouse with Hanging By a Moment and Switchfoot with Dare You to Move. (I don't mean to cast these bands as hiding the message in their songs; the lyrics just weren't hit-you-in-the-face Christian.)
But with that breakthough, in trying to sell the genre to a younger audience, it became apparent the message wouldn't suffice. Actual pop songwriting skills that would appeal to a larger base was key. Christian music, like country, lies on the outskirts of the glitz and glam of pop charts, but definitely sells. Even now with the band Underoath at the top of the Billboard Christian chart, it seems they've caught on because their rough, ripping style is the antithesis of what you'd hear in church on Sunday.
BarlowGirl is a relative newcomer that comes off as Evanescence-light. And unlike Jars of Clay, the trio of girls lacks the stunning musicality that can lift their music beyond the message. It's, of course, fine to stay there. I'm sure the show will provide a great night for many church youth groups in town. But it's not a show any music lover would appreciate.
This all highlights the paradox that the genre sits in. If you look at popular music, there is a constant backlash from a seemingly conservative base at liberal rock stars who use their concerts as a way to preach (scratch that, urge) to get rid of the Republicans who created the supposed mess we’re in. But for the many adorers of Christian music who, I'd guess, were more on the conservative side, music with a message is fine. Read any story about Neil Young's documentary on Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's tour a few years ago and you'll see the amazing amount of criticism they endured for simply bringing up their message. Maybe they just should have spelled out the fact that their music had a message. Oh, wait. Remember that song almost 40 years ago called Ohio?
Hatch exhibit
If you're planning a trip to Seattle next month, this item courtesy of The Associated Press is one you'll want to read: A traveling exhibit of Hatch Show Print pieces, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, opens Oct. 11 at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle. Hatch has created some of the most iconic concert posters ever and created the template for which many a designer, including myself, has tried to recreate for the right story.