 Festival stretches out summer days |
LuR KiNG
Flower in the Sand
Registration Date: 09-17-2004
Posts: 1,631
Location: thrown of course
 |
|
 Festival stretches out summer days |
     |
so, I live in Golden Valley MN.
Once a week a LoCaL paper is tossed in the general direction of my front stoop. for free.
I usually browse it from the front door to the recycle bin,
sometimes finding an article or two to read at the kitchen counter next to the out box.
this caught me in a unguarded moment for sure 
____________________________________________________
http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2007/07/18...on/aw12rowe.txt
Festival stretches out summer days
by Seth Rowe • Sun Newspapers - New Hope/Golden Valley ed.
(Created: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 4:05 PM CDT)
I've discovered a method of making a few days off seem like a month.
I call it the music festival.
I recently spent several days immersing myself in the alternative music culture found annually in the midst of Illinois cornfields.
The festival, which I've now attended for four years, can be found beyond the rolling hills of eastern Iowa, a bit of the flatlands of western Illinois and the anti-rock protesters at the hallowed Cornerstone Festival entrance.
The festival itself is of the Christian variety, sponsored since 1984 by the always-interesting Jesus People USA community in Chicago. The protesters are also Christian, out to protest what they consider the devil's music.
Given my group's camping area by the Fat Calf stage, one of several that featured hardcore and metal musical and sometimes theatrical acts, I can see how they might come to that conclusion, though I'm not sure any of them actually ventured that close. Perhaps the plentiful piercings and tattoos held them at bay.
And while I enjoyed finishing off my time at the festival with a hilarious, head-banging Swedish band - I'm not sure if the hilarity was intentional - I mainly kept to watching somewhat less extroverted groups. I actually found myself appreciating some of the bands from Christian rock's early days, when such rhythms were more universally considered evil.
For instance, I caught a Roe vs. Pritzl show, half of which featured Michael Roe of a group called The 77s that formed nigh on three decades ago, if Wikipedia can be believed. The site also claims that the band received Rolling Stone acclaim, but then fell victim to label-mate U2's ensuing greatness.
Another Roe-related band of an alt-country variety called the Lost Dogs also caught my fancy. Maybe I just like the guy's last name, but I enjoyed the music, which reminded me a bit of Minnesota group the Gear Daddies.
And maybe I'm just growing up a bit, or maybe I miss college a little, but I came to enjoy the festival's seminars more. I spent hours in workshops covering such topics as writing and being a writer, a balanced overview of Islam and a few topics of a somewhat political bent.
For example, I heard an author and friend of a friend describe his fight with the city of Philadelphia over the rights of homeless people. A couple of documentaries and speakers also sought to inform me of what's wrong with a society consumed with consumerism.
I'd like to think I'm OK in that regard. I don't remember the last time I bought a new shirt, and I think I've bought about one pair of new pants in, oh, the last three years. I prefer to spend my funds on loftier purposes, like, you know, musical performances, thank you.
Another seminar kept me abreast of the latest in the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History (www.one.org). Bono of U2 fame has, of course, championed the cause of increasing the amount the U.S. and other wealthy countries contribute to fighting poverty in poorer nations.
Some might debate the wisdom of linking religious ideals and political action of any sort. Nevertheless, I appreciate learning more about the views and situations these seminars and such bring up. I recall an article I read that asserted that while many European countries give a larger percentage of their budgets to fight poverty, their residents donate less than Americans to charity. Still, we can all probably agree that our citizens as a whole could do more to help out those who have been born into less fortunate circumstances elsewhere - if not through our government, then by way of personal donations to reputable nonprofit groups.
Beyond the discussions and the music, a summer festival can also be a great way to get to know your friends better and meet a few new ones. The festival to me seemed like a big summer camp, without the annoying required activities and with music that could be really weird.
I'm still recovering from the festival a bit. Listening to music until 2 a.m., then trying to sleep on the ground within spitting distance of noisy passersby can do that to you. But I suddenly feel like I'm well into summer and don't have to feel guilty about missing being outdoors.
Maybe a music festival isn't your thing. But take my advice - get away a little bit this summer, sit back, enjoy some company with friends and think a little bit about the world around you.
(Comment on this story at www.mnsun.com)
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by LuR KiNG: 07-23-2007 15:03.
|
|
07-23-2007 12:31 |
|
|
audiori 
Administrator
Registration Date: 05-27-2004
Posts: 1,383
|
|
Thats cool.. 
I had heard that the Chicago Sun (I think ?) ran a similar article about Cstone in early July. That article also mentioned the Dogs... anyone have text for it by any chance?
|
|
|
07-23-2007 12:51 |
|
|
jeffrey k.
Mr. Magoo
Registration Date: 06-01-2004
Posts: 943
Location: chicagoland illinois
|
|
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/mu...orner24.article
How would Jesus rock these days?
Music | Cornerstone is not your mother's Christian concert
Chicago Sun Times
June 24, 2007
BY JEFF ELBEL
Each summer as the Fourth of July holiday approaches, the tiny western Illinois village of Bushnell balloons to seven times its regular population. Local businesses post signs welcoming their returning guests as if they're the swallows of Capistrano, and the community seems to mount garage sales en masse.
Sarcastic rumors suggest that speeding tickets issued during this particular week may support the local sheriff's office for the bulk of the year. The buzz of activity comes courtesy of the Cornerstone Festival, a destination concert held annually on a 500-acre farm owned by Jesus People USA, a Christian community housed in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.
• Getting the lay of the land
Now in its 24th season, Cornerstone long ago eclipsed its humble origins at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Ill. These days, it rivals major festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.
But don't expect clean-cut, Sunday morning worship music here. For that sort of fare, there's always the much larger Creation Festival, held each summer in Pennsylvania, which emphasizes mainstream pop acts such as Casting Crowns and Barlow Girl. Cornerstone is loud, and it can rock hard.
Cornerstone Festival director John Herrin recalls a conversation with an artist who once performed at both events. "She said that Creation Fest was the Gap, and Cornerstone was the thrift store," he laughs. "We're happy to be the thrift store. If Jesus was physically walking the earth today, I think that's where he'd be shopping."
In addition to a dozen music stages, Cornerstone offers programming that reflects JPUSA's focus on God, community and the arts. Seminar topics include "A Sustainable Future: Design as Devotion" and "Joining our Voices as ONE: Becoming Activists Who Fight Global Poverty." Presentations by faith-based charitable organizations including World Vision and Compassion International run alongside lectures from speakers such as fantasy author Stephen Lawhead.
Cornerstone's music and talk schedule also is augmented with art exhibits, sporting events, craft and activity workshops for the kids, as well as the Flickerings International Film Festival. This year, New York City-based documentary filmmaker Rob VanAlkemade will present his first feature, "What Would Jesus Buy," produced by Morgan Spurlock (of "Super Size Me" fame). VanAlkemade hopes to encounter "an audience that won't be found on a typical festival circuit." More specifically, he jokes that Cornerstone may actually harbor "believers with good taste."
But VanAlkemade recognizes his film's satirical sensibility may offend some Christians. During one scene, protagonist Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping exorcise cash registers along the Magnificent Mile, to the profound befuddlement of the consuming elite.
A Cornerstone rookie, VanAlkemade imagines (fairly accurately) the festival will be "a smaller Burning Man festival without the nudity and drugs, and probably with better music."
In the beginning
In 1984, the Cornerstone Festival's debut featured pioneering acts of the Christian alternative music scene, such as the Seventy-Sevens (who mixed Elvis Costello's observational bite with British New Wave and blues-based rock) alongside Undercover's punk rock and The Choir's ethereal chime. Some of the old guard continue to perform today, albeit in different configurations. In 1991, Seventy-Sevens guitarist Mike Roe joined the frontmen of The Choir, Daniel Amos and Adam Again to form the Lost Dogs, which was often compared to the Traveling Wilburys in concept and style. The group, which performs at the festival on Friday, has since evolved into a credible and crowd-pleasing alt-country act with nine albums.
In 2007, Roe and company remain a reliable draw, but he remembers the days when they were decidedly hip. "There was a time when, literally, from the moment I stepped out of the van, I was a celeb -- mobbed by people. I could sign autographs and take pictures for hours. Now, we're just old guys," he laughs. "Cornerstone is a place where the old-timers won't let it die, but it's also a place where they get it. I appreciate that there are still people who want to hear us."
Also appearing at the inaugural festival were groundbreaking rockers from the 1970s such as Resurrection Band, who drew musical inspiration from acts like Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane. Glenn Kaiser, former frontman for these rafter-rattling "Jesus music" rockers, was an original member of JPUSA. He currently serves on the community's pastoral staff. After returning from dates in Iceland, the blues-based Glenn Kaiser Band performs Wednesday at Cornerstone.
Kaiser says Resurrection Band's experience with international festivals fueled the desire to mount a stateside event -- one that welcomed people on the cultural fringe, and included "teaching on issues many churches seemed to either overlook, or didn't know how to dialogue about."
Today, Kaiser helps cultivate Cornerstone's inclusive atmosphere. "The festival is for everyone who is seeking Jesus, even if they don't know it," he explains via e-mail. "Our job is to present the rich diversity within the larger body of Christ in such a way that pre-believers and longtime followers alike can appreciate Him and one another more."
Fundamental protests
Cornerstone is so inclusive, in fact, that -- to give outsiders a flavor of the festival's standing within the Christian community -- in 2006 the festival was protested by fundamentalists.
Members of Pilgrims Covenant Church of Monroe, Wis., voiced objection to Cornerstone's apparent consent regarding styles of music, dress, tattoos, body piercing, and its taste in films. Referring to his experience at the festival, pastor Ralph Ovadal's blog warns that attempts to "lure the sinner to Jesus with worldly devices is bearing some very evil fruit among the young of this nation." Cornerstone staffers and volunteers brought water to their detractors during the oppressive July heat, which was refused, according to JPUSA sources.
"Showing respect for everyone, regardless of who they are or what they believe," Herrin adds, "is a big part of following Jesus."
__________________
"push out the jive, bring on the love...." monty burns
|
|
|
07-24-2007 20:24 |
|
|
audiori
Administrator
Registration Date: 05-27-2004
Posts: 1,383
|
|
Ahh yeah that must be it. Thanks for posting that Jeffrey.
Hmm.. didn't realize it was written by Elbel.
|
|
|
07-24-2007 22:41 |
|
|
LuR KiNG
Flower in the Sand
Registration Date: 09-17-2004
Posts: 1,631
Location: thrown of course
Thread Starter 
|
|
Mike Roe mentioned in both articles 
|
|
|
07-25-2007 09:16 |
|
|
nick
Baby Elvis
Registration Date: 12-02-2004
Posts: 80
|
|
Great articles! How come nothing like protesting ever happened when I went to Cornerstone?! That would be great! Of course back then I would have been a hot headed doofus that would do more harm than good
|
|
|
07-26-2007 06:57 |
|
|
Marti
Radioactive Crow
Registration Date: 06-01-2004
Posts: 10,098
Favorite 77s album: Drowning with Land in Sight
|
|
That water-carrying business impressed me so much that I e-mailed them. It's a shame it's all in the family.
Matt. 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
__________________
“This Jesus that the Christians speak of, he sounds like a good man. Why don’t they follow his teachings?” - Crazy Horse
|
|
|
07-26-2007 13:12 |
|
|
|
