Date: 07 July 1997
To: RichMailList
From: scatcat@kidbrothers.net (Danl Blackwood)
Subject: [RichMailList 143]: Stone Mountain, GA 06/28 reviews

• Debbie Jackson's Stone Mountain review
• Terri Daugherty's Stone Mountain review
• Steve Busey's Stone Mountain review

From: Debbie Jackson
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 07:50:10 (EDT)
Subject: Rich Mullins

I went to the Rich Mullins concert at Mt. Carmel Christian Church in Stone
Mountain, GA (this is also where I attend church).  Some friends talked me
into going.  I have to admit that I am not a listener of comtemporary
Christian music.  I tend to like classical and piano (instrumental stuff).  I
expected loud, noisy, and not a general good time.  My first experience with
Christian contemporay music was when someone took me to an Audio Addrenialine
(I can't spell), which I really didn't like.  

Boy, was I surprised by the Rich Mullins concert!  I was so moved by this
concert and this person.  When he talked about the awsomeness of God, I felt
like he was talking one on one with me.  He hit on some areas of my life that
have been causing me some great struggles, but he helped put some things back
in perspective.   My favorite songs though were when he (they) sang acapello,
and when they used the cello and dulcimer -- beautiful!  When he had the
audience sing with him, you could just feel the wonder of God moving through
the room.  

Anyway, I can't really describe it, but it was a wonderful experience.  Not
magical or mystical or anything like that.  I just left feeling good.  

Now, I do have to add that I liked when the guys from "This Train (?)" sang
with Rich Mullins; they were great also.  But, alone, their music was way to
loud.  I think I would have liked it, it was just to loud.

I'm not sure if you are interested in any of this.... but I did want to just
write and ask to be added to your mailing list.

Thanks,

Debbie Jackson

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From: Terri Daugherty
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 22:25:31 (EDT)
Subject: Atlanta concert review...

Hello everyone!
I am pleased to join the group as a "critic".  We attended the Rich Mullins
concert last night, Sat. June 28 at the Mt. Carmel Christian Church.  It
started almost exactly on time at 7:30.  Gay Quisenberry came out and talked
about Compassion U.S.A.  Then Rich came out in his usual low key manner and
introduced Mitch McVicker as one of the "best song writing talents I know."
Mitch really impressed me.  I didn't know what to expect.  I've read all the
reviews over the past few months and they do seem to continue on an uphill
trend.  He had a very folksy sound that my husband and I enjoyed very much.
   
   His set follows:

   His Love (Is Right Here)
   Freedom
   The Lemonade Song
   Only Love Will
   Take Hold Of Me

Next Rich took the stage and started with the dulcimer version of  Nothing
But the Blood.  That really started things moving in the right direction,
setting a very worshipful tone.  His set went as follows:

   Awesome God
   Brother's Keeper
   Boy Like Me/ Man Like You (with whistling)

(This struck me as strange with him doing the whistling because I distinctly
remember him saying in '93 that he had someone else whistle on the album
because he couldn't whistle.  So he just played guitar during the whistling
interlude in '93.  Secondly he looks uncomfortable without an instrument in
hand.)

   Madeline (When She Prays)

I got the impression from the other review that this was a much older girl.
She is still a baby -- not quite 2.  Really touched me because I have a son
almost the exact same age.

   78 Eatonwood Green
   Calling Out Your Name
   Such A Thing As Glory
   Ready For the Storm (with the Irish sweater story, of course)  
   
I'm so glad I finally got to hear this story I've been reading about
online for so long! (-;

   Waters of Babylon  
   
(For those of you who have not heard this yet, it is an
incredible acapella sort of round, breathtaking and beautiful.)

   I See You

He left the stage for the break at this point.  That song is sort of awkward
to end with because the audience just keeps going until someone stops them.
They had already brought up the lights, opened the doors to the Compassion
tables and left; but the audience kept on.  We probably would've sat there
singing back and forth thru the break had Gay not come up on stage and told
us to go to the tables.  Rich had made his Compassion speech just before "I
See You".

After the break, Rich sang "And You Did Not Have A Home", then introduced
This Train.  We enjoyed them so much, we bought their CD.  Really different!!
Incidently, they do a cover of Amy's "Baby Baby" that is almost
unrecognizable.  It's funny for me to hear 'cause I am a big Amy fan.  I
highly recommend this CD.

   This Train set:

   Every Word You Said (the one about Mr. Rogers)
   Like It or Not
   I Saw the Light  

(We had a couple of teenagers dancing too.  Really adds to the mood!)

   Monster Truck  

(not that there would be any Kiss fans reading this but there is a
reference to a very famous Kiss song in the middle of this one.  I'm not
a Kiss fan either but just big on my knowledge of pop music in general
so I caught this one.  Write in anybody if you figure it out!)

Then Rich came back out with:

   I Will Sing
   Sing Your Praise To the Lord

Then Rich told us that coming to Atlanta is now very special to him because
his best friend in the world lives here.  He introduced Beaker and had him
come up onto the stage to do "Where Mercy Leads" with him.  Rich tried to get
Aiden to come up too but he didn't want to at all.  So Rich just pointed and
said "Oh well.  That's who the song is written for!"  

   Hold Me Jesus
   While the Nations Rage
   If I Stand
   Screen Door (with the cups)

Rich then explained all about the Canticle of the Plains and Mitch sang
"There You Are". This Train then did Atomic Power with Rich and Mitch
singing and playing on it. Mitch then sang "Hope". Rich came back with:
Bound to Come Some Trouble

Then he spoke about things that troubled him -- like all politicians,
Republicans, Democrats, etc.  He told us there were no answers in life,  just
stupid questions..... O.K., to each his own Rich!

   Sometimes By Step
   Creed
   There's Not A Friend
   It Is Well (With My Soul)

Before he sang "It Is Well" he talked about telling the other guys how
good we sang in Atlanta.  He has said this the last two times he was in
Atlanta. Instead of me being too flattered, I'll assume that he says
this everywhere! (-:  But I will admit when they stopped playing, we did
sound really good! Then we did the "Hallelu, I'm Gonna Sing,  and Swing
Low. He ended with "Doxology".

It was a great evening somehow more than I expected which really says
something because I went with high expectations!  I usually end up
disappointed when I do that but not with Rich.  He exceeds all my
expectations.  He is a truly gifted man, even if he is REALLY
opinionated!!

Love In Christ,
Terri Daugherty
Stockbridge, GA

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From: Steve Busey
Subject: RM Concert Review 
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 11:17:57

Saturday June 28th was a wonderful Spirit filled evening in Stone
Mountain, GA. Must have been a thousand people in a beautiful new church
(which could probably have held 1500 comfortably). The show started on
time with Rich coming out to introduce Mitch McVickers, who did 3 or 4
of his own songs, about 20 minutes worth. Mitch pointed out that most of
his songs turned out to be about love. ("I guess I'm in a songwriting
rut... ;^}") Keep your eyes open for this guy's CD when it comes out
next year. 

Then as the sunset beamed thru the large arched windows, Rich and the
band came in (7 musicians altogether, including Rich and Mitch) and
began an extended instrumental jam, with Rich on the dulcimer, which
went right into Awesome God. Open your show with your biggest song and a
standing ovation? What do you do for an encore?? Over three hours later,
we found out...  ;^}

As you can imagine, the crowd spent at least half the show on their feet
clapping and singing along (there were spots where the band would just
stop and let the crowd sing for a minute before joining back in). In
fact, at the midway break, he had the audience split in two, one side
singing a line, the other side echoing it. He walked off the stage with
the audience left singing. We'd probably still be there singing if the
emcee hadn't come out and plugged the shirts, CDs and Compassion packets
in the lobby. Prior to the break, Rich gave an impassioned talk about
Compassion USA (which focuses on Native American Indian and inner city
urban programs). You could have heard a pin drop as he related some of
his first hand accounts and stories of Compassion involvement. After the
break, he came out and reported that last year, the Atlanta concert had
the worst showing for Compassion sponsorships, this time after the
break, they were tied for the best showing. And there were more people
signing up after the show when I picked up mine.

As for music, in addition to Mitch, the band included a three man "power
trio" called This Train. They did 4 songs by themselves in the first
set. A very high energy rock trio. Very funny guys. ("You may thing
we're weird, but we're gonna spend eternity together, so you may as well
start liking us now!") Tunes with lines like "I'll love you whether you
like it or not" or their love song, "Monstertruck", and a tune inspired
by Mr Rogers ("..or can I call you Fred?"). At one point they talked
about "supporting artists who make records for a living, or in our case,
artists who make records." Then they did one of their favorite old
spirituals, "...you may not recognize it at first...", which was "I Saw
The Light". The crowd was on their feet for all four numbers. Their CD
is titled "You're Soaking In It".

After the midway break, Rich came out and did a new unaccompanied vocal
song about Jesus as a homeless man. After that got everyone back in
their seats, he let Mitch do a couple more numbers, then they did some
songs from Rich's new play "Canticle of the Plains" about St Frank of
Wichita in the 1800's, based on St Francis of Asissi. The rest of the
show was all vintage RM songs, with musicians coming and going with each
song. (It seemed like the musician-instrument arrangement changed with
each song.) When they did "Screen Door" (an acapella number with kind of
a hambone rhythm), they brought a long table up on stage, and the five
singers stood shoulder to shoulder. Rich started with a stack of five
plastics cups in front of him. They then went into a choreographed
routine of hand clapping, table slapping and cup flipping until all the
cups were at the other side of the table, all while singing the song.
Very impressive! (That's the only picture I took all night, hope it
comes out)

Beaker showed up (apparently lives in Atlanta?) and did "Let Mercy Lead"
with Rich, a song Rich apparently wrote for Beaker's son, who was also
there. Rich gave another "speech" near the end of the second half, about
a lot of things, state of CCM, of Christians in general ("it's not
enough to be 'blessed' anymore, you have to be 'anointed'. Being a
Christian is becoming wetter and wetter..."), government "aid", poked
fun at some denominations and himself ("I once thought about joining a
monastery, but I'm too chicken to be a Catholic, much less a
Franciscan"). In the first half of the show, Rich introduced "Ready For
The Storm" with the Irish sailor story. He finished the second half
"speech" with the end of the sailor story, and led right into "Creed". 

The big closing number was a medley with the crowd singing three parts,
from "I'm Gonna Sing, I'm Gonna Shout", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and
"Saints Go Marching In". Then Rich said he had one more song, and
started "God be with you til we meet again..." and as the crowd finished
the benediction, Rich and the band disappeared from the stage, once
again avoiding a major ovation. All told almost 3 and a half hours,
which, to borrow an expression from a friend, "blessed our socks off"...
(Rich's too, apparently, as he spent most of the evening barefooted!)
Catch him if you can.

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