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
Thursday, September 24, 2009
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
j.
j.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A bijillion MPG
So I'm down in southern California for a week of relaxing and hanging with family... And I've been riding around town a lot on a beach cruiser bike.... This is awesome! Riding a bike makes you feel like a good person, doesn't it? You're getting excercise, and not using any gas. In my mind, there are a room full of earth-muffins applauding every time I hit those pedals.
Yesterday Jess and I cruised around the beach and checked out all the million dollar shacks that line the beachfront. So that's why people bike here... They spent all their cash on a 400sq.ft. apartment. Oh wait, there's a Mercedes in the driveway. Nevermind.
It sucks that Tennessee is so unfriendly to bicycles. Everything is so far away and it's never really biking weather. Either it's too humid and hot, or it's raining. No gracias. Plus, there are no bike lanes. If you try to bike to starbucks from my house, you WILL get wrecked by a mom in a minivan who's late to her son's soccer practice.
So here's what I'm thinking.... I'm resolving (at least in my own idealistic little mind) to move somewhere more biking-and-walking-friendly before having kids.
Do you guys walk or bike places in your towns? Is it practical where you live? I wanna hear what you think of your town!
Break me off some information!
Yesterday Jess and I cruised around the beach and checked out all the million dollar shacks that line the beachfront. So that's why people bike here... They spent all their cash on a 400sq.ft. apartment. Oh wait, there's a Mercedes in the driveway. Nevermind.
It sucks that Tennessee is so unfriendly to bicycles. Everything is so far away and it's never really biking weather. Either it's too humid and hot, or it's raining. No gracias. Plus, there are no bike lanes. If you try to bike to starbucks from my house, you WILL get wrecked by a mom in a minivan who's late to her son's soccer practice.
So here's what I'm thinking.... I'm resolving (at least in my own idealistic little mind) to move somewhere more biking-and-walking-friendly before having kids.
Do you guys walk or bike places in your towns? Is it practical where you live? I wanna hear what you think of your town!
Break me off some information!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Awake and Alive Tour Map
So I had a lot of time in the Denver airport yesterday, and I got bored.... so I made a map of where we'll be playing on the Awake and Alive Tour with Skillet. Click on the map below to open it up in google maps....
In most cases, the venue names and addresses are on the map..... So come check out the tour when it comes near you!
Jonathan
In most cases, the venue names and addresses are on the map..... So come check out the tour when it comes near you!
Jonathan
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Rock The Universe
Last night we played at Rock the Universe.... in Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida. It was our first show back after taking several weeks off.... so it felt good to get out and playing shows again! The crowd was ready for some rock 'n roll, and we did our best to deliver. ;)
Our new record comes out in 9 days, so we debuted a few brand new songs, including Never Enough, The Job, and Eggshells. We also played Live Life Loud and Meaning of Life, two new songs that have already been released as singles.
Playing new songs breathes such fresh life into a show for us. It's fun to have that on-the-edge feeling of "are we going to be able to pull this off?" haha. With any luck we'll be super comfortable with these new songs within a few weeks... we're certainly going to be playing a lot of shows! Our tour with Skillet starts on Sept 24, and we're going to be playing over 50 shows this fall.... so keep an eye out to see if we're gonna be near you!
Our new record comes out in 9 days, so we debuted a few brand new songs, including Never Enough, The Job, and Eggshells. We also played Live Life Loud and Meaning of Life, two new songs that have already been released as singles.
Playing new songs breathes such fresh life into a show for us. It's fun to have that on-the-edge feeling of "are we going to be able to pull this off?" haha. With any luck we'll be super comfortable with these new songs within a few weeks... we're certainly going to be playing a lot of shows! Our tour with Skillet starts on Sept 24, and we're going to be playing over 50 shows this fall.... so keep an eye out to see if we're gonna be near you!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
MORANS!!!
I can't get enough of this photo!!!!
What is this guy is protesting............... education reform?
j.
What is this guy is protesting............... education reform?
j.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Reality TV
So yeah, I've had some time off recently..... and that means I've ended up watching some good ol' reality TV with Jess here and there. After watching my fair share of it, I've noticed some common threads between every reality show........ besides from the obvious facts that they cast the most unstable people possible, and the cameras go where the drama is.... Here are my observations:
1. Our favorite characters are the ones we hate. Sure, there's one "nice" person in the group that we naturally identify ourselves with, but we all love watching that unstable one go off on a rant, being a complete jerk, don't we?
2. The dumber the better. We love watching dumb people do dumb things. I guess it makes us feel intelligent and successful?
3. Nobody ever accepts apologies. An apology is just an opportunity to drag up what happened all over again and take up another 10 minutes of screen time talking about what happened 10 minutes earlier in the episode.
4. Being a gold digger is boring. All the celebrity shows about women who live off their rich men (real housewives, girls next door, etc...) reveal the dark side of what happens when fame and money come without a busy career. They're constantly coming up with random things to do..... like "let's throw a theme party" or "let's do a photo shoot for fun" or "let's senselessly remodel a room in the mansion". It's seems as though they're constantly trying real hard to find things to occupy their time. They could get a job! Oh wait, they have one, that's what all the cameras are. Ok, clock in.... action....... look ridiculous........... and cut!
5. Everybody's the victim. I don't think I've ever heard anybody say "I've had it pretty easy in life, you know?" It doesn't matter if they've been raised with a silver spoon, or in a barn..... they've all "been through a lot", and "never been given a chance by nobody". If drama goes down on set, "It ain't my fault! I've had a rough life. The other girls have had it easier than me." Umm.... they say the same about you.
6. They're out to find their "true love". Really? They're getting paid to choose between 20 of the most unstable people the producers could cast.... and the sequel is already being planned.... Oh, but you'll be devastated that it didn't work out the first time, won't you?
7. It's all about variety. Let's make a reality TV show..... How about a dating show! Let's come up with some super original twist shall we? Sure, there's been dating shows on reality TV before..... but how about a dating show with a washed up rock star? Been done? Ok, then let's do one with overweight people! Oh, that's been done...... well, what about people formerly on OTHER reality TV shows?! Oh that's been done? Dang it!
8. EVERYONE has an assistant. What does a housewife with no discernable career (other than frumping around the house in pajamas in front of a camera) need an assistant for?
These shows are pretty bottom-of-the-barrel TV. So why are reality TV shows so plentiful?
Because they're cheap to produce (it's cheaper to stock a house with vodka and cameras than to cast a scripted drama), they cast the lowest bidders ("i can be on a TV show?!"), and the bar for being famous is so low that they can make a celebrity out of a trailer park superintendent (I smell a HIT SHOW!).
........aaaaand cut.
Jonathan
1. Our favorite characters are the ones we hate. Sure, there's one "nice" person in the group that we naturally identify ourselves with, but we all love watching that unstable one go off on a rant, being a complete jerk, don't we?
2. The dumber the better. We love watching dumb people do dumb things. I guess it makes us feel intelligent and successful?
3. Nobody ever accepts apologies. An apology is just an opportunity to drag up what happened all over again and take up another 10 minutes of screen time talking about what happened 10 minutes earlier in the episode.
4. Being a gold digger is boring. All the celebrity shows about women who live off their rich men (real housewives, girls next door, etc...) reveal the dark side of what happens when fame and money come without a busy career. They're constantly coming up with random things to do..... like "let's throw a theme party" or "let's do a photo shoot for fun" or "let's senselessly remodel a room in the mansion". It's seems as though they're constantly trying real hard to find things to occupy their time. They could get a job! Oh wait, they have one, that's what all the cameras are. Ok, clock in.... action....... look ridiculous........... and cut!
5. Everybody's the victim. I don't think I've ever heard anybody say "I've had it pretty easy in life, you know?" It doesn't matter if they've been raised with a silver spoon, or in a barn..... they've all "been through a lot", and "never been given a chance by nobody". If drama goes down on set, "It ain't my fault! I've had a rough life. The other girls have had it easier than me." Umm.... they say the same about you.
6. They're out to find their "true love". Really? They're getting paid to choose between 20 of the most unstable people the producers could cast.... and the sequel is already being planned.... Oh, but you'll be devastated that it didn't work out the first time, won't you?
7. It's all about variety. Let's make a reality TV show..... How about a dating show! Let's come up with some super original twist shall we? Sure, there's been dating shows on reality TV before..... but how about a dating show with a washed up rock star? Been done? Ok, then let's do one with overweight people! Oh, that's been done...... well, what about people formerly on OTHER reality TV shows?! Oh that's been done? Dang it!
8. EVERYONE has an assistant. What does a housewife with no discernable career (other than frumping around the house in pajamas in front of a camera) need an assistant for?
These shows are pretty bottom-of-the-barrel TV. So why are reality TV shows so plentiful?
Because they're cheap to produce (it's cheaper to stock a house with vodka and cameras than to cast a scripted drama), they cast the lowest bidders ("i can be on a TV show?!"), and the bar for being famous is so low that they can make a celebrity out of a trailer park superintendent (I smell a HIT SHOW!).
........aaaaand cut.
Jonathan
Sunday, September 6, 2009
PRS SE Semi-Hollow
So this year at Creation East Festival, I played a Paul Reed Smith SE Semi-Hollow guitar during our performance of Live Life Loud.... it was one of the guitars on display in the PRS booth at the festival. You can see it in this video.
I played the guitar for our last song to help promote PRS, who make my favorite guitars out there. That particular guitar was on display and for sale in the booth.... and I found out later that somebody bought it. That's kinda neat.... (email me if it was you!)
In any case, I enjoyed the guitar so much that I managed to get my hands on another one, and I'm gonna be playing it on our fall tour with Skillet. If any of you guys read my "3 guitars under $700" blog, this guitar was one of the ones I raved about. The pickups are clear and chimey, the build is really fantastic, and it's light as air. Truly one of the most comfortable guitars to play.
So if you come out to one of the Skillet tour shows we're on.... and see this guitar.... now, you know what it is!
j.
I played the guitar for our last song to help promote PRS, who make my favorite guitars out there. That particular guitar was on display and for sale in the booth.... and I found out later that somebody bought it. That's kinda neat.... (email me if it was you!)
In any case, I enjoyed the guitar so much that I managed to get my hands on another one, and I'm gonna be playing it on our fall tour with Skillet. If any of you guys read my "3 guitars under $700" blog, this guitar was one of the ones I raved about. The pickups are clear and chimey, the build is really fantastic, and it's light as air. Truly one of the most comfortable guitars to play.
So if you come out to one of the Skillet tour shows we're on.... and see this guitar.... now, you know what it is!
j.
Friday, September 4, 2009
New HN Song - Alive
We released a new Hawk Nelson song on our Myspace today.... called "Alive".
Check it out!
myspace.com/hawknelson
What do you think?
j.
Check it out!
myspace.com/hawknelson
What do you think?
j.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Musical Drive Through
So I found these two guys that make funny videos...... Rhett and Link... ever heard of them?
Anyways.... check out this order they placed at taco bell through song.... and the guy actually got the order pretty much right!
j.
Anyways.... check out this order they placed at taco bell through song.... and the guy actually got the order pretty much right!
j.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
New Song for September - Can't Stop
Hello folks....
As promised, I have a new song to share with you this month! Go to the music section of this website to check out a new song called "Can't Stop".... Also as promised, you can download the song for free, or donate whatever you like in return for the download....
Aaaaaaaand the winner of the art contest is Taylor Napier..... here was her design!
The artwork is embedded in the mp3 and will show up in iTunes or on your iPod. Thanks Taylor!
Keep checking back for news regarding next month's release.... remember.. I'll be releasing a song a month right here, and you can submit artwork for each release as it comes up. Thanks for all your submissions! Hope you like the new song!
Jonathan
As promised, I have a new song to share with you this month! Go to the music section of this website to check out a new song called "Can't Stop".... Also as promised, you can download the song for free, or donate whatever you like in return for the download....
Aaaaaaaand the winner of the art contest is Taylor Napier..... here was her design!
The artwork is embedded in the mp3 and will show up in iTunes or on your iPod. Thanks Taylor!
Keep checking back for news regarding next month's release.... remember.. I'll be releasing a song a month right here, and you can submit artwork for each release as it comes up. Thanks for all your submissions! Hope you like the new song!
Jonathan
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