NTB | Kalamazoo State Theater | 10.6.12

I'm not sure I've ever really been to a "real" concert.... I mean, other than the Fairgrounds.  I've seen Destiny's Child, Smashmouth and Third Eye Blind (how's that for variety!) but all back in high school/college and all at fairground type locations.  I've never been a huge "groupie" over any particular band until the past few years.  Coldplay has been on my MUST SEE list for some time now, and they along with Jack Johnson and Needtobreathe play constantly on my iTunes at home.

I first heard of Needtobreathe about a year and a half ago at church.  I go to a pretty modern church and I equate our Sunday worship to attending a concert with amazing preaching in the middle.  The first songs I heard were Something Beautiful and Lay Em Down.  They brought tears to my eyes.  I know, weird.  I totally get teared up in church.   My friend Sadie let me borrow her NTB cd and I was hooked from that point on.

A few months ago Jane mentioned listening to them and loving them, and it just so happened they were touring near us so we made plans to see them in concert.

A little backstory- the singer is Bear Rinehart.  His brother, Bo Rinehart is uhm, guitarist or something or other.  Anyhow, its a "brother band" with some other great members as well.  They grew up in NC and their father was a preacher.  The brotherly love I saw on stage was just so touching.  Bear was constantly uplifting his brother and talking about what a great songwriter he was.  And he'd give his brother these devilish grins on stage while playing.  There was one point he reached over and kind of ruffled Bo's hair.  So sweet.  Made me smile and hope my boys adore eachother like that someday.

(photo taken from Needtobreathe FB page)

We met up with one of Jane's college teammates, Kristin, and her husband Craig.  (Who also were clients of mine last year!).  Pure awesomeness is the fact that Kristin texted Jane earlier in the day and told us her husband got us backstage passes!  He has become friends with Bear through business, so he was meeting up with them before the show as well.  Anyhow, we met up for dinner with Kristin, Craig and another couple (Erin and Eric) at the Radisson, and then stopped by a bar near the theater to have a couple drinks.

The concert- blew me away.  Craig and Eric were kind enough to use Eric and Erin's tickets and sit in the balcony while the 4 of us drooling ladies got to sit in the 7th row from the stage (mind you in an older theater, so a small venue).  Oh my word.  The show was AMAZING.  The energy and passion that they put into the show is just soooo.... awesome.  I'm an official Needtobreathe groupie for sure.  I can't wait until their next show!

After the show we waited with Kristin and Craig while they chatted with the band manager (WHAAA?!) and joked about golf and talked about kids etc.  Then he took us downstairs to meet up with Bear!   I was sooo nervous as we walked downstairs.  I could not believe we were just shooting the shit with their band manager and were about to meet the very singers that were just on stage.  That I listen to on my radio.  WOOO!  

Oddly, Bear is super charismatic on stage and full of energy and jokes.  In person, he's extremely quiet. Jane and I kind of just stood back while Craig laughed and joked with them about golf and upcoming fundraiser functions they're doing together.  Kristin, thank goodness she's chatty, has had dinner with Bear and Seth at her house, so she had something to talk about at least.  Then Bo came up and introduced himself and us ladies ended up talking to him about his son who is 6 months old and was born 6 weeks early (and was the reason he didn't make it to Kristin and Craigs for dinner b/c his wife went into labor early).  






I am totally bummed I didn't just muster up the guts to ask for a picture with them.  It felt so weird that Kristin and Craig were just chatting with them and the manager like old friends, and I thought a "So, by the way can I take a pic with you" would seem weird.  And part of me was thinking maybe they'd offer... but they are so humble, looking back there is no way they were going to say "Oh you want a picture with me?" HA who does that??   It was so surreal to just be standing there shooting the shit with these guys, and really I wanted to scream "OH MY GAWWWDDD!!!"   HAHA!  We did get a picture on the set as we were being walked out.

Both brothers were so incredibly humble, kind and down to earth.  Completely amazing people to look up to and I can see them going so far with their music.  If you haven't listened to Needtobreathe, you must.  While they are a contemporary Christian band they write so that anyone can enjoy their music- anyone can relate to their songs in whatever way might suit them.  

For me, I relate mostly in a religious way, though some songs really speak to me as a person doing the mom thing and struggling with trying to find my footing in this world.   I wish I had more time to blog during the day when I have thoughts of how these songs really speak to me.  I would love to write up some posts on what the words mean to me right now, in this place I'm in in life.