Journal Entries

Last weekend Todd Agnew was in our church. I’ll be honest and admit I didn’t know who he was; I don’t listen to Christian radio as often as I should, and we dropped our subscription to CCM magazine a couple of years ago when it seemed all the articles were about what kind of songs Christian artists could sing and I got tired of the debate. And when driving my pickup I usually listen to news on NPR or I listen to an audio book. And when I run, I usually listen to a podcast, or to music I already own, on my iPod, and not the radio. My prime time to listen to Christian radio has historically been on the weekends when I’m out working in the yard, but I don’t do much of that in winter, and in fact, to my pleasure, I don’t do as much yard work as I used to do during anytime of the year. All that is to say I’ve fallen a bit behind in keeping up with Christian recording artists, and Todd Agnew slipped up on me.

I should have paid more attention; I enjoyed his music a great deal. And while I’m admitting stuff, I’ll add that I was a bit surprised that neither Todd nor anyone in his band had any visible tattoos or piercings. The reason I noticed this was because for the past several years Cyndi and I have helped chauffer musicians to and from and all around Rock the Desert, and those guys are always walking “works of art in progress.� We’ve grown to expect a certain musician look.

There were two things I enjoyed most about the weekend. The first was dinner on Saturday night. After the teenager worship service, part of Disciple Now, when Cyndi worked the computer that threw the lyrics up on the screen, including some she had to type up on the fly, and doing things on the fly is one of her favorite ways, and I sat beside her in the balcony so I could flirt with her while she worked, Cyndi and I stopped for dinner at, you guessed it, Rosa’s. While we were arranging our food we saw George come in with Todd Agnew and his band, and they invited us to join them. There was a lot of food on the table, and a couple dozen little paper cups filled with hot sauce and tomatillo and pico de gallo and all that. To be from Tennessee, the boys could knock down their share of Mexican food.

I like to be around artists up close, to feel their heart and their motivation. I like to hang out with anyone who is a master craftsman, no matter which craft. We had a great time with the band talking about music and college and running marathons and religion and life on the road. And as often happens after we host musicians at Rock the Desert, they become “our guys.� I notice their music when I hear it, and take personal ownership. On Monday I bought two albums by Todd Agnew from iTunes; I couldn’t help myself since he is now one of my guys.

The second thing I liked best about the weekend was the concert on Sunday night. I was once again sitting in the balcony flirting with Cyndi while she worked, but this time I brought my small handheld monocular so I could watch the band perform up close. I had a great time. I like to watch someone, anyone, walk up to a microphone and, through the power of their voice and strength of their character, carry the room. I love to watch an artist stand and deliver in full power and energy.

Excellence is contagious. It requires so much time and focus, even from naturally talented artists. Neil Peart, drummer with Rush, once wrote about an argument he had with a friend over whether excellence is a luxury. Personally, I think it is a luxury in that it takes conscious choice to achieve.

And as much as I enjoy excellence from a musician, it makes me a little jealous. I sit and listen and hope that someplace I my life I am doing that. I’m sure it will never be as a singer, but I want to stand up and use the full weight of my life to deliver the message God has given me to share, and carry the house, in energy and heart and sincerity.