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1. Snowy Commute

It usually takes me an hour to get to work in the morning. For some, that’s unthinkable…but I don’t mind it. Lots of time to pray, listen to music, listen to sports talk radio, and brainstorm about ideas I have. Sometimes I’ll even do all 4 of those in the span of a minute.

This morning it took me about 90 minutes to get in. Why? This is why:

As seen from my windshield around 7:45am this morning

…and that was after most of the traffic had thinned out. Brutal commute…and I just talked to a coworker who’s still out there and has it much worse. Nothing like being unprepared for a wintry blast in November.

2. Albums I’m Somewhat Looking Forward To

Next Tuesday: Coldplay (Prospekt’s March EP), The Killers (Day and Age), Kanye West (808s and Heartbreak)

February 2009: The Fray (self-titled), and the yet untitled Derek Webb CD he is currently working on.

March 09: New Switchfoot

Some Point in 2009: new U2

there’s probably more, but that’s all i can think of right now…

3. Self-Titled Albums

Speaking of The Fray’s new self-titled CD, why do band’s self-title their EPs anyway? I’ve never understood this. Can anyone tell me the reason? It comes across as so un-creative and lazy.

Dave: So, we’ve spent hundreds of hours writing these songs, working out the parts, recording them all, and having them mixed and mastered. What should we call this collection of songs, which represent so much hard work and creativity that we’ve all poured into this record?

Theo: I don’t know.

Johnny: How about we just call it the same title as our band name?

Dave: Well, I was thinking we could call it “Brand New Familiar”. I mean, I feel like a theme that runs through all of these songs is the notion that we’re staying true to ourselves, but at the same time we’re willing to explore new places lyrically and sonically. So while there’s a familiar feel to what we’re doing, it’s a direction we’ve never been before. Plus, in our lives, a few of us are heading in that same direction. Johnny, you’re getting married again in March…Theo, you’re wife is pregnant with your third kid. And you know, me, I’m fresh out of rehab again, so I think we’re all headed to a place we’ve been before, but in a new way. What do you think? “Brand New Familiar”?

Theo: Nah, I think I like just naming it after our band.

Johnny: Yeah, it’s easier to remember.

Dave: You’re right, what was I thinking? Pass me an Aquafina and that sudoku book, would you?

4. Guest Post at Stuff Christians Like

I hesitate to post this because I don’t want to jinx it, but I was asked by Jon Acuff at the wildly popular Stuff Christians Like blog to write a guest post for the site. So I’ve been working on that for the last couple of weeks and I think I’ve got it ready to go. He said he would post it in the next few weeks, so I’ll give you a heads up as to when it is going to go live. Very excited about this.

5. Friday’s Special Video

My son Parker will turn 6 in December, which blows my mind because he’s our youngest. But here’s a video that equally blows my mind when I watch it. It’s him playing drums a few months after he turned 2 (Feb 05). He used to play his drums every day, but he really doesn’t play them much anymore. Maybe we should have pushed him to stick with it? I don’t know. But check this out, especially around the halfway point when he finds his groove and starts channeling Will Champion from Coldplay. (oh and there’s a cameo at the end from a 4.5-year old Kylie)

Parker Finds His Groove from Bryan Allain on Vimeo.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Tags: Coldplay, Derek Webb, Stuff Christians Like

Here on the cusp of electing the 44th President of the United States, this is what I know:

+ I have very few political posts left in me. I’ll probably comment on the election when it’s over, but that will be it. I’m thrilled that this is going to be decided (hopefully) tomorrow.

+ I hate what politics have become in America. I’m not saying I have any solutions to fix the system, all I’m saying is that I can’t stand the divisiveness, the rhetoric, and the fear that is being used as currency. Think about the last few months of campaigning. We are trying to be scared into not voting for the other candidate. Look at the letter Focus on the Family sent out trying to scare Christians into what 2012 might look like. Did you read the letter? I thought it was way over the top and irresponsible. Including lines like “It’s almost impossible now (in 2012) to keep any children from seeing pornography.” and “Gas now costs more than $7.00 per gallon, and many democrats now openly applaud this…” Really Mr. Dobson? And Obama’s campaign hasn’t been much better. Playing off the dismal approval rating for Bush, they’ve been trying to scare people into believing that McCain is the next Bush. This is what it comes down to now with all the negative advertising: (which according to reports, both candidates’ ads have been more than 60% negative) Which guy do I dislike the least? What a shame.

+ I do not think you are limited to 2 choices tomorrow. My buddy Jake and I went back and forth on this a couple weeks ago, but I still believe it is okay to vote for someone other than the big two. I also believe it’s okay not to vote, which I know is an unpopular position to take. Yes, men have died and shed blood to protect our right to vote. I am very thankful for that. But they have also died to protect my right NOT to vote. I am thankful I live in a country where I am not forced into voting for someone. If I have a good reason to abstain (if there is such a thing), I can abstain. That is a right as well. And as for voting for a third party candidate, I believe it is your duty to do so if your conscience compels you to. Many of you dislike both candidates, yet still feel compelled to vote for one over the other as “the lesser of two evils”. That’s fine. If you feel compelled to do that, it is your right, and I support that. But if I feel that Bob Barr or Chuck Baldwin or Ron Paul or whoever will make a better choice than the Big Two, and I feel compelled to vote for one of them, then that’s what I’m going to do. And I don’t think it’s a cop out, either. How can staying true to your conscience ever be a cop-out?

+ Derek Webb recently wrote an article for Patrol Magazine in which he says some of the same things I’ve just said, only better. He makes the case that scripture does not command Christians to vote, and that it should be a matter of conscience. Worth the 5-minute read, if you have 5 minutes.

+ Finally, a question: Which network should I watch the election coverage on tomorrow night? What will you be watching on? One of the major news networks, or will you go cable with CNN, MSNBC, or FOX News?

Tags: 2008 Election, Bob Barr, Derek Webb, Ron Paul

We walked with purpose. We walked with conviction. The green room behind us, the packed auditorium in front of us. “Walk of shame?” I asked Derek…”Walk of shame,” he responded with a chuckle.

There were nine of us altogether. Charlie, Brandon, Sara, Sandra, Derek, myself, and 3 other guys dressed in black with white neckties. I would soon discover these guys were not an armed security detail, but rather the talented percussion section who would spend the next 3 hours keeping the beat.

We pushed open the door and suddenly we were just off-stage, to the right. Though a carefully placed folding partition blocked the view of our entrance to most in attendance, a handful of folks saw us and began clapping and yelling. Should I take the stage? I thought about it for a split second…probably not a good idea. The crowd did not come here to see Sara Groves place a rogue stage crasher in a full nelson so Charlie Peacock could pepper his ribs with body punches (not that they wouldn’t have enjoyed it). The crowd came to see good music. Who was I to get in the way of that?

I thanked Derek again for the free tickets, and found my way back to Erica while the rest of my shame-walking posse took the stage and opened the show with a rousing rendition of Sara Groves’ “Add to the Beauty”. From the moment the first chorus kicked in I knew it was going to be a great night.

And it was.

This was the Art*Music*Justice Tour. An idea dreamed up by Sara Groves and her husband Troy. It was about bringing great music and important causes to hungry ears. Erica and I were happy to make it up to Messiah College on Saturday night to take it in.

As for the Art and the Music, all five of the performers on stage played their own unique part in the evening. Whether it was solo performances of their own material or jointly leading the assembled crowd in familiar choruses, they knocked it out of the park. Musical highlights for me were Sara Groves’ “Add to the Beauty”, Sandra McCracken’s “Lock and Key”, and Sara Groves’ “I Saw What I Saw” (video below). Derek Webb’s “Savior on Capitol Hill” was awesome as always, of course.

As for the Justice portion, they did a great job highlighting two causes: Food for the Hungry and the International Justice Mission. I was especially intrigued by the work IJM is doing to free women (often young girls) from human slavery and sex trafficking. The stories of rescue and freedom were incredibly inspiring.

On a personal level I was inspired by two things. First, like I just mentioned, I was inspired to learn more about IJM, and I look forward to possibly supporting this organization for the great work they are doing. Secondly, I was inspired by the artists themselves, that they would use their platform for this cause. I had just posted about this a few days ago, and there I was Saturday night seeing it in action. People using their platform to help others. I said it then and I’ll say it now, that’s where I want to be. I want to be in the position to influence others so I can influence them to help others.

I sat there on Saturday night thoroughly enjoying the music, but more than that thinking, “I’m 32 years old and I’ve been working as an engineer for 10 years, and what do I have to show for it? I have equity in my house, no other debt, and a great standard of living where my wife and kids are taken care of. I am so thankful for these things. But am I really using all of the talents and abilities God has given me to make a difference? Am I willing to risk the safe things to take chances? Am I willing to step out and see what could happen?” We only have so much time here on earth, and if at the end of my career I’ve been working as an engineer for 25 years, is that going to be ok with me? I don’t know. For some people I think that’s right where they’re supposed to be. For me, I’m not so sure. Just being honest here. It’s something I think about a lot and have been praying about a lot.

So yeah, maybe some day I won’t head from backstage to my seat in the balcony. Maybe someday I’ll finish that walk up onto the stage to read from a book I’ve written or to speak to a gathered crowd. I have no idea if that’s what God has for me down the road. I know I have the desire, and I think I have a seed of the talent it might take, but who knows.

If my life does take that direction at some point, I can assure you of this, I will always be looking to use those opportunities to help others and use my platform for purposes outside of myself. Thanks to Derek Webb, Charlie Peacock, Brandon Heath, Sara Groves, and Sandra McCracken for showing me an example of that on Saturday night.

ps…(click here to see if one of the last few dates of the Art Music Justice Tour happens to be near you…and click here to see a video of “I Saw What I Saw”)

Tags: Art Music Justice, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Sara Groves

A few interweblinks I thought were interesting while you try to wrap your head around a football season without Tom Brady…

+ My friend Sam Davidson wrote today about why he is voting for Obama (and why he donated to Obama’s campaign). I don’t know Sam very well, we exchanged a few emails when I interviewed him for his Prayers For Blowouts Sports Survey, but I appreciate the work he’s doing with CoolPeopleCare. It’s interesting to note that while some conservatives were giggling at Sarah Palin’s jab at community organizers, some folks, like Sam, took offense to republicans who “pissed all over the nonprofit sector last week” at the RNC.

+ My friend Buddy says there has been a shift in this election from “Republican vs. Democrat” to “Liberal vs. Conservative”, and he argues strongly that while God was liberal in terms of his love and grace, the political agenda of liberals is anti-biblical.

+ My friend Jason Boyett thinks the choice of Palin as the VP has made this a much more interesting race. He says, “Palin doesn’t change my vote, but she’s gonna make the next two months a whole lot more exciting.”

+ Over at the Burnside Writers Blog my friends Jordan Green and John Pattison have been posting thoughts on the election with some regularity. Even better though, Jordan posted this How-To on nabbing houseflies with your bare hands.

+ I heard a rumor that Derek Webb has an Obama sticker on his guitar case. I can’t confirm or deny this, but if it’s true, it might mean that Derek is voting for Obama. Then again, I also heard a rumor that Derek has a McCain tattoo on the small of his back, so really, there’s no way of us knowing anything at this point…

Tags: Derek Webb, McCain, Obama, Sam Davidson