Friday, October 30, 2009
Pic of the Day
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Live Photos
A photographer named Phil Rucker came to the show today, and handed us a few discs of photos from previous shows. Here are a couple!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Celebrity Theater
So last night we had SUCH a good show!
We played the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. If you've never been to this theater.... it's a trip. The room is circular, and the stage is in the middle of the room. The stage is also circular, and it SPINS while the show is going on! This way everyone gets to be faced by the band for parts of the show. It's a pretty bizarre way to set up a stage, and it makes for some technical nightmares, but it was a pretty amazing experience nonetheless.
I generally set up my amps off-stage, or at the back of the stage facing backwards. They've got mics on them, and I can hear them in my in-ears, so it really doesn't matter where they are exactly. Here's what they look like normally.......
Well, the problem with the show last night was that the stage is SPINNING, and I didn't have enough cable to have my amps off-stage, so I had to put them at the back of the stage. The problem with THIS, is that they'll be pointed at people's HEADS when the back of the stage faces them. That's bad news, since these amps are so loud.... SOoooooooooo this was our solution.
We covered the amps with 3-4 moving blankets, and there are also some case lids under there. Haha..... So if you were at the show, and wondered what monstrosity was hiding under all those blankets.... There you have it!
Jonathan
We played the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. If you've never been to this theater.... it's a trip. The room is circular, and the stage is in the middle of the room. The stage is also circular, and it SPINS while the show is going on! This way everyone gets to be faced by the band for parts of the show. It's a pretty bizarre way to set up a stage, and it makes for some technical nightmares, but it was a pretty amazing experience nonetheless.
I generally set up my amps off-stage, or at the back of the stage facing backwards. They've got mics on them, and I can hear them in my in-ears, so it really doesn't matter where they are exactly. Here's what they look like normally.......
Well, the problem with the show last night was that the stage is SPINNING, and I didn't have enough cable to have my amps off-stage, so I had to put them at the back of the stage. The problem with THIS, is that they'll be pointed at people's HEADS when the back of the stage faces them. That's bad news, since these amps are so loud.... SOoooooooooo this was our solution.
We covered the amps with 3-4 moving blankets, and there are also some case lids under there. Haha..... So if you were at the show, and wondered what monstrosity was hiding under all those blankets.... There you have it!
Jonathan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tours and Shows, Tours and Shows
Alright.... I KNOW.
I know I've been LAZY with blog posts recently. The truth is that I haven't been feeling particularly inspired with anything to talk about. I've felt like keeping to myself these last few weeks.... so I hope you all can forgive me for that.
Let me catch you guys up....
We're on the Awake and Alive tour, with Skillet, Decypher Down, and The Letter Black. We've been having a good time so far... but I think we're about to start having an even BETTER time, because we're getting to my favorite part of the country.... the west coast.... Tomorrow night we're playing in Phoenix, and then on to Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Redding, and then up through Oregon and Washington.
Tonight, however, was a special night for me. We had a day off in Phoenix today, and we heard that Our Lady Peace was playing in town. Now, you have to understand that OLP was one of my favorite bands growing up, and they influenced me tremendously as a guitar player and musician...... and I've NEVER seen them live.... So I knew I HAD to go. Even better, Skillet's tour manager Scotty managed to pull some strings and get us in for free! Yeah!
There were 2 opening bands, and then Our Lady Peace hit the stage......
I've gotta say, there were a ton of surreal things about this experience.
First off, they played incredibly well. The set list was a great mix of songs from each record.... They played 3 new songs from their new album Burn Burn, so there was plenty of space for the HITS! Songs like Innocent, Superman's Dead, Somewhere Out There, and Is Anybody Home had the crowd singing along. He let the crowd sing the first half of 4am on their own before really kicking in on that one. Nice touch.
Steve Mazur, the guitarist, played both new and old guitar parts faithfully. He joined the band in the early 00's, and I wasn't sure how much liberty he'd take with the parts. Well done Steve. He NAILED the "One Man Army" guitar solo. This solo was hugely influential to me, and was my inspiration for the chaotic guitar solo on "The Job" of the new HN record. I was so glad he didn't alter that particular part.
Jeremy and Duncan, the drummer and bassist, were SO locked in. Amazing rhythm section. The foundation of their playing left the field wide open for Steve to be SUPER expressive with the guitars. It inspired me to push the envelope a little more on the guitar... and take more chances... not play things so safe, and I sometimes like to do.
Raine's vocals were classic Raine Maida. His pitch was better than I remember from seeing him on TV shows and such back in Canada all those years ago. He seemed tired at times, but that's kind of his persona. Haha.... I was more interested in the rest of the band anyways.
Probably the most shocking thing for me was that there were only maybe 300 people at this show. This was MIND BLOWING to me, because OLP has sold more than 5 million records worldwide, and they're a massive band (especially in Canada, being good ol' Canadian boys). I got the impression that when they play in the US, this number is not unusual. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this crowd is smaller than the smallest crowd we'll have on the tour WE'RE currently on. WOW.
I can't contemplate this fact without feeling a deep sense of humility and appreciation for our fans. You guys are seriously amazing. Thanks for coming to our shows.... thanks for showing up in the hundreds and thousands..... thanks for showing up and singing along, and kazooing like crazy people. Thanks for helping make it possible for us to do what we do. I love my job, and tonight, I am exceedingly grateful for it, and inspired to push myself even further with it.
You guys are the best. Thank You!
Jonathan
I know I've been LAZY with blog posts recently. The truth is that I haven't been feeling particularly inspired with anything to talk about. I've felt like keeping to myself these last few weeks.... so I hope you all can forgive me for that.
Let me catch you guys up....
We're on the Awake and Alive tour, with Skillet, Decypher Down, and The Letter Black. We've been having a good time so far... but I think we're about to start having an even BETTER time, because we're getting to my favorite part of the country.... the west coast.... Tomorrow night we're playing in Phoenix, and then on to Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Redding, and then up through Oregon and Washington.
Tonight, however, was a special night for me. We had a day off in Phoenix today, and we heard that Our Lady Peace was playing in town. Now, you have to understand that OLP was one of my favorite bands growing up, and they influenced me tremendously as a guitar player and musician...... and I've NEVER seen them live.... So I knew I HAD to go. Even better, Skillet's tour manager Scotty managed to pull some strings and get us in for free! Yeah!
There were 2 opening bands, and then Our Lady Peace hit the stage......
I've gotta say, there were a ton of surreal things about this experience.
First off, they played incredibly well. The set list was a great mix of songs from each record.... They played 3 new songs from their new album Burn Burn, so there was plenty of space for the HITS! Songs like Innocent, Superman's Dead, Somewhere Out There, and Is Anybody Home had the crowd singing along. He let the crowd sing the first half of 4am on their own before really kicking in on that one. Nice touch.
Steve Mazur, the guitarist, played both new and old guitar parts faithfully. He joined the band in the early 00's, and I wasn't sure how much liberty he'd take with the parts. Well done Steve. He NAILED the "One Man Army" guitar solo. This solo was hugely influential to me, and was my inspiration for the chaotic guitar solo on "The Job" of the new HN record. I was so glad he didn't alter that particular part.
Jeremy and Duncan, the drummer and bassist, were SO locked in. Amazing rhythm section. The foundation of their playing left the field wide open for Steve to be SUPER expressive with the guitars. It inspired me to push the envelope a little more on the guitar... and take more chances... not play things so safe, and I sometimes like to do.
Raine's vocals were classic Raine Maida. His pitch was better than I remember from seeing him on TV shows and such back in Canada all those years ago. He seemed tired at times, but that's kind of his persona. Haha.... I was more interested in the rest of the band anyways.
Probably the most shocking thing for me was that there were only maybe 300 people at this show. This was MIND BLOWING to me, because OLP has sold more than 5 million records worldwide, and they're a massive band (especially in Canada, being good ol' Canadian boys). I got the impression that when they play in the US, this number is not unusual. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this crowd is smaller than the smallest crowd we'll have on the tour WE'RE currently on. WOW.
I can't contemplate this fact without feeling a deep sense of humility and appreciation for our fans. You guys are seriously amazing. Thanks for coming to our shows.... thanks for showing up in the hundreds and thousands..... thanks for showing up and singing along, and kazooing like crazy people. Thanks for helping make it possible for us to do what we do. I love my job, and tonight, I am exceedingly grateful for it, and inspired to push myself even further with it.
You guys are the best. Thank You!
Jonathan
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Selling a 1980's Custom Telecaster
Hey Guys....
I'm selling a one of my guitars on ebay right now.... It's a telecaster was custom made under the name Ed's Guitars, sometime back in the 1980's. It has aged beautifully since being made.... and plays great. More details are available on the ebay listing...
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE EBAY LISTING
I used it extensively on our new Live Life Loud album..... so it's a fun guitar to send to a new owner!
Jonathan
I'm selling a one of my guitars on ebay right now.... It's a telecaster was custom made under the name Ed's Guitars, sometime back in the 1980's. It has aged beautifully since being made.... and plays great. More details are available on the ebay listing...
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE EBAY LISTING
I used it extensively on our new Live Life Loud album..... so it's a fun guitar to send to a new owner!
Jonathan
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Mountains and The Valley
I've been reading through My Utmost for his Highest by Oswald Chambers the last few days, and this particular part was a huge eye opener for me.
The Place of Exaltation
. . . Jesus took . . . them up on a high mountain apart by themselves . . . —Mark 9:2
We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18 ). We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life— those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.
We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, "What’s the use of this experience?" We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.
Jonathan
-- Post From My iPhone
The Place of Exaltation
. . . Jesus took . . . them up on a high mountain apart by themselves . . . —Mark 9:2
We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18 ). We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life— those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.
We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, "What’s the use of this experience?" We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.
Jonathan
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Firsts and Lasts
Today is the first day of the Awake and Alive tour that we're a part of this fall.... along with Skillet, Decyfer Down, and The Letter Black. First and last days of tour always get me thinking... about the future, about the past.... about how crazy life has been the last 5 years. I'm trying to remember all the tours I've been on... let me try to recount them.
2004
Fight The Tide Tour - Sanctus Real, Seven Places, Hawk Nelson, Ever Stays Red
2005
Fight The Tide Tour pt 2 - Sanctus Real, HN, Ever Stays Red
X Tour - Falling Up, KJ52, Seventh Day Slumber, HN
Diverse City Worldwide Tour - AudioAdrenaline, tobyMac, Kutless, HN
Art of Breaking Tour - TFK, HN, Dizmas, 4th Ave Jones
2006
Winterjam - Newsboys, tobyMac, Zoegirl, HN, Krystal Meyers
Art of Breaking Tour pt 2 - TFK, HN, Falling Up, Run Kid Run
Smile (End of the World) Tour - HN, Project 86, Falling Up, Run Kid Run
Beyond Measure Tour - Jeremy Camp, HN, Adie
Winter Wonder Slam - tobyMac, HN, The Afters, Family Force 5, Aeisha Woods
2007
Winterjam - Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, HN, Sanctus Real, Britt Nicole
Tooth and Nail Tour - MXPX, HN, Classic Crime, The Fold, Sullivan
Baseball Tour - HN, The Send
Revolve Tour - Natalie Grant, HN, Aeisha Woods, KJ52
2008
Green Tee Tour - HN, Run Kid Run, Capital Lights
Baseball Tour - HN, Run Kid Run
Revolve Tour - Natalie Grant, HN, Krystal Meyers, Group 1 Crew
2009
Winterjam - tobyMac, Brandon Heath, HN, Francesca Battestelli, Stephanie Smith
Rock & Worship Roadashow - Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, HN, Tenth Ave North, Addison Rd.
Awake and Alive Tour - Skillet, HN, Decyfer Down, The Letter Black
Wow. I managed to complete most of that list without googling. That's around 600 tour shows.... including one-offs and festivals, we've probably played nearly a thousand shows in the last 5 years. Wow. No wonder it's flown by.
It almost feels as if I've been somewhat isolated from the real world these last few years. Being on the road can be good therapy, but it can also be a big carpet under which it's tempting to sweep your problems. Everything is put on hold when you're on the road.... and when you do 120-150 shows a year, as we've settled into recently, anything put on "hold" can remain there for quite some time. Some people are cut out for the road, and some aren't.
Mostly, I love being on the road. I enjoy my morning coffee routines. I like waking up in a different place every day. I love walking around the various cities of this country. I love that I have some minimal level of familiarity with nearly every city in this country. I love playing guitar for a living. I love making music.
Even so, touring is hard on you. I've seen it age people...... If you're talking to someone who has toured extensively for 10+ years, you can see those years on their face. You can hear it when they speak. It's interesting. Some people wear those signs as a badge of honor. Others try to hide them. Some are clueless to the presence of any of these things.... but regardless, the years are there.... as bags under their eyes, or a hoarseness of voice. I sometimes wonder how I've been changed by the last 5 years of touring.
It's on days like this.... the first day of this fall tour.... that I wonder. A lot.
I wonder if this is a lifelong obsession for me, of if it's a phase that I go through during this time in my life. Really, I'm quite content with either, as long as I'm where God wants me to be. As I get older, my priorities change though. If I have kids in the next few years, I suspect priorities will shift even further. Being away from family will get more and more difficult. I used to just LOVE playing shows and having fun on the road... now I feel more of a need to have a sense of purpose, if I'm going to be away from home.
Some days feel more full of purpose than others. It's the others that sometimes leave me asking "What was the point of THAT day?" ..... and the older I get, the more frustrated I get when I have to ask myself that. But then every once and a while something wonderful happens... and I get to see a little glimpse into the life of someone our music has affected.... and I wonder how I could ever question the purpose of what we do. That is a pretty humbling feeling, and reminds me of the responsibility we all have to be good stewards of what we are given.
In the end... I refocus on the tasks of the day. Today I need to finish tweaking arrangements for the show, I need to change some strings, and prepare for the first show of the tour. I'll probably make some more coffee later. I'll make some new friends, and catch up with some older ones. I'll fill my day with tasks and errands.
The shows on this tour are selling incredibly well... there are going to be a lot of packed out theatres and concert halls. It's going to feel great playing to such great crowds each night.
Here we.... go!
Jonathan
2004
Fight The Tide Tour - Sanctus Real, Seven Places, Hawk Nelson, Ever Stays Red
2005
Fight The Tide Tour pt 2 - Sanctus Real, HN, Ever Stays Red
X Tour - Falling Up, KJ52, Seventh Day Slumber, HN
Diverse City Worldwide Tour - AudioAdrenaline, tobyMac, Kutless, HN
Art of Breaking Tour - TFK, HN, Dizmas, 4th Ave Jones
2006
Winterjam - Newsboys, tobyMac, Zoegirl, HN, Krystal Meyers
Art of Breaking Tour pt 2 - TFK, HN, Falling Up, Run Kid Run
Smile (End of the World) Tour - HN, Project 86, Falling Up, Run Kid Run
Beyond Measure Tour - Jeremy Camp, HN, Adie
Winter Wonder Slam - tobyMac, HN, The Afters, Family Force 5, Aeisha Woods
2007
Winterjam - Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, HN, Sanctus Real, Britt Nicole
Tooth and Nail Tour - MXPX, HN, Classic Crime, The Fold, Sullivan
Baseball Tour - HN, The Send
Revolve Tour - Natalie Grant, HN, Aeisha Woods, KJ52
2008
Green Tee Tour - HN, Run Kid Run, Capital Lights
Baseball Tour - HN, Run Kid Run
Revolve Tour - Natalie Grant, HN, Krystal Meyers, Group 1 Crew
2009
Winterjam - tobyMac, Brandon Heath, HN, Francesca Battestelli, Stephanie Smith
Rock & Worship Roadashow - Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, HN, Tenth Ave North, Addison Rd.
Awake and Alive Tour - Skillet, HN, Decyfer Down, The Letter Black
Wow. I managed to complete most of that list without googling. That's around 600 tour shows.... including one-offs and festivals, we've probably played nearly a thousand shows in the last 5 years. Wow. No wonder it's flown by.
It almost feels as if I've been somewhat isolated from the real world these last few years. Being on the road can be good therapy, but it can also be a big carpet under which it's tempting to sweep your problems. Everything is put on hold when you're on the road.... and when you do 120-150 shows a year, as we've settled into recently, anything put on "hold" can remain there for quite some time. Some people are cut out for the road, and some aren't.
Mostly, I love being on the road. I enjoy my morning coffee routines. I like waking up in a different place every day. I love walking around the various cities of this country. I love that I have some minimal level of familiarity with nearly every city in this country. I love playing guitar for a living. I love making music.
Even so, touring is hard on you. I've seen it age people...... If you're talking to someone who has toured extensively for 10+ years, you can see those years on their face. You can hear it when they speak. It's interesting. Some people wear those signs as a badge of honor. Others try to hide them. Some are clueless to the presence of any of these things.... but regardless, the years are there.... as bags under their eyes, or a hoarseness of voice. I sometimes wonder how I've been changed by the last 5 years of touring.
It's on days like this.... the first day of this fall tour.... that I wonder. A lot.
I wonder if this is a lifelong obsession for me, of if it's a phase that I go through during this time in my life. Really, I'm quite content with either, as long as I'm where God wants me to be. As I get older, my priorities change though. If I have kids in the next few years, I suspect priorities will shift even further. Being away from family will get more and more difficult. I used to just LOVE playing shows and having fun on the road... now I feel more of a need to have a sense of purpose, if I'm going to be away from home.
Some days feel more full of purpose than others. It's the others that sometimes leave me asking "What was the point of THAT day?" ..... and the older I get, the more frustrated I get when I have to ask myself that. But then every once and a while something wonderful happens... and I get to see a little glimpse into the life of someone our music has affected.... and I wonder how I could ever question the purpose of what we do. That is a pretty humbling feeling, and reminds me of the responsibility we all have to be good stewards of what we are given.
In the end... I refocus on the tasks of the day. Today I need to finish tweaking arrangements for the show, I need to change some strings, and prepare for the first show of the tour. I'll probably make some more coffee later. I'll make some new friends, and catch up with some older ones. I'll fill my day with tasks and errands.
The shows on this tour are selling incredibly well... there are going to be a lot of packed out theatres and concert halls. It's going to feel great playing to such great crowds each night.
Here we.... go!
Jonathan
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Livin Life Loud!!!
For a band guy there are several days that are pretty special.... You know, there's birthdays, and Christmas... wedding anniversaries and holidays. There is also STREET DAY!
Our new Hawk Nelson record, Live Life Loud hits stores and online today!
.... and for today ONLY it's available for $3.99 as a download on Amazon. CLICK HERE to check it out!
It's crazy to think about so much time and effort finally culminating in a single day like this (I bet any woman who has given birth would tell me I know NOTHING about the subject). Really though... we spent months working on these songs, arranging them, recording them, talking about album artwork, shooting photos for it, shooting a video, doing interviews, writing thank-you's, and all that good stuff.... So in a way, LLL is our little baby. Haha.
This is only the 3rd time I've had a label-release of an album I've been so much a part of (I joined HN several months after Letters to the Prez came out, so Smile was the first HN album I was a part of). I hope there are many more to come!
Anyways.... this album is a bit different for us. I hope that you guys see growth in this record.... and furthermore, I hope we're growing in a direction you all would like to go....
Jonathan
Our new Hawk Nelson record, Live Life Loud hits stores and online today!
.... and for today ONLY it's available for $3.99 as a download on Amazon. CLICK HERE to check it out!
It's crazy to think about so much time and effort finally culminating in a single day like this (I bet any woman who has given birth would tell me I know NOTHING about the subject). Really though... we spent months working on these songs, arranging them, recording them, talking about album artwork, shooting photos for it, shooting a video, doing interviews, writing thank-you's, and all that good stuff.... So in a way, LLL is our little baby. Haha.
This is only the 3rd time I've had a label-release of an album I've been so much a part of (I joined HN several months after Letters to the Prez came out, so Smile was the first HN album I was a part of). I hope there are many more to come!
Anyways.... this album is a bit different for us. I hope that you guys see growth in this record.... and furthermore, I hope we're growing in a direction you all would like to go....
Jonathan
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Live Life Loud Music Video!
Our video for Live Life Loud was released today on myspace..... click here to visit the myspace page.... or watch it below!
Hawk Nelson "Live Life Loud" Music Video
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I'm Jonathan Steingard... I live in Nashville, TN, and I play guitar for a band called Hawk Nelson. This is my blog and main online home.... along with a few others listed below:
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