Hills Alive
Hills Alive. It was great! Need I say more?
Well of course...
So Hills Alive 2014, for those of you who don't know, is a FREE Christian music festival that happens every year in Rapid City, SD. The first year we were here I don't think I knew about it, and last year Jeff returned from deployment that same weekend so we missed it then. Bless his heart, he was scheduled for a TDY this year so he has missed it yet again. But I was determined to find myself there for at least a couple days of it so I managed to get some video clips of each artist. I went both Friday and all day Saturday but skipped Sunday.
Friday night I met up with a couple friends and we saw At The Wayside, Satellites & Sirens, Kerrie Roberts, Rhett Walker Band, and The Afters. Since Friday's performances are held at the downtown square it was more of an artist showcase. Most of those artists went on to perform a full set on either Saturday or Sunday. Regardless, Friday was an awesome evening! I really enjoyed it...
Saturday we pretty much stayed put at the main stage and saw Unspoken, Lybecker, Leeland, 7eventh Time Down, Rhett Walker Band, and The Afters. A friend of mine has a son who wanted to go so badly so I brought him with me that day and met up with about 9 other friends. (Major thanks to John for reserving our turf on the field.) We lost all our shade after about 2:00 and I realized three coats of SPF50 apparently weren't going to help me much that afternoon. Nevertheless, it really wasn't THAT bad and the breeze kept us cool along with our supply of water people brought. I was happy. :) Leeland is always a favorite of mine to see live and 7eventh Time Down was excellent. So was Rhett Walker Band and The Afters during their full set. Noah and I decided to skip Steven Curtis Chapman (sorry if that offends any a die hard fans lol) and go see We As Human at the Rapid Fire stage. I was impressed. I didn't think they'd be good live but they really ended up being my favorite show.
I use the term "show" losely because, in fact, I didn't actually view ANY band I saw as "showy". I mean, yes, they were performing and getting the crowds involved. But they did so in a way that was personable and humble,in my opinion. I can really appreciate that when what I'm viewing is more than just a concert. The songs and the music seemed to be as fresh and transparent as the day they were written and produced. That seems hard to come by anymore....
My top 3 favorites of the day were We As Human, 7eventh Time Down, and Leeland. Overall I truly enjoyed all the artists so it's hard to come up with a top three. Unspoken's lead singer certainly has a great voice and I enjoyed listening to him. Kerrie Roberts is a tiny little thing with a lot of soul and I so wish I could sing like that lol. Rhett Walker Band had that southern rooted sound which reminded me of home and bands that used to perform in the area. I could go on and on about different aspects of each performance but intstead I'll just encourage you to come see for yourseld next year!
I think one of the hard things about living here is NOT usually having access to great artists like the ones at Hills Alive. Orlando, Lakeland, the beach areas, Jacksonville, or even in my hometown (Ocala)...there was always someone playing nearby that we could go see. And granted, I listen to quite a variety of styles in the Christian music industry - and even some outside of that genre, so I'm not wanting a Hills Alive event every weekend. But it would be nice if more great ones, in my opinion, would come a little more west.
Anyway, if we're still here I will be planning on attending Hills Alive 2015 without a doubt. In the mean time, I need to go find myself an Aloe Vera plant. :)
Well of course...
So Hills Alive 2014, for those of you who don't know, is a FREE Christian music festival that happens every year in Rapid City, SD. The first year we were here I don't think I knew about it, and last year Jeff returned from deployment that same weekend so we missed it then. Bless his heart, he was scheduled for a TDY this year so he has missed it yet again. But I was determined to find myself there for at least a couple days of it so I managed to get some video clips of each artist. I went both Friday and all day Saturday but skipped Sunday.
Friday night I met up with a couple friends and we saw At The Wayside, Satellites & Sirens, Kerrie Roberts, Rhett Walker Band, and The Afters. Since Friday's performances are held at the downtown square it was more of an artist showcase. Most of those artists went on to perform a full set on either Saturday or Sunday. Regardless, Friday was an awesome evening! I really enjoyed it...
Saturday we pretty much stayed put at the main stage and saw Unspoken, Lybecker, Leeland, 7eventh Time Down, Rhett Walker Band, and The Afters. A friend of mine has a son who wanted to go so badly so I brought him with me that day and met up with about 9 other friends. (Major thanks to John for reserving our turf on the field.) We lost all our shade after about 2:00 and I realized three coats of SPF50 apparently weren't going to help me much that afternoon. Nevertheless, it really wasn't THAT bad and the breeze kept us cool along with our supply of water people brought. I was happy. :) Leeland is always a favorite of mine to see live and 7eventh Time Down was excellent. So was Rhett Walker Band and The Afters during their full set. Noah and I decided to skip Steven Curtis Chapman (sorry if that offends any a die hard fans lol) and go see We As Human at the Rapid Fire stage. I was impressed. I didn't think they'd be good live but they really ended up being my favorite show.
I use the term "show" losely because, in fact, I didn't actually view ANY band I saw as "showy". I mean, yes, they were performing and getting the crowds involved. But they did so in a way that was personable and humble,in my opinion. I can really appreciate that when what I'm viewing is more than just a concert. The songs and the music seemed to be as fresh and transparent as the day they were written and produced. That seems hard to come by anymore....
My top 3 favorites of the day were We As Human, 7eventh Time Down, and Leeland. Overall I truly enjoyed all the artists so it's hard to come up with a top three. Unspoken's lead singer certainly has a great voice and I enjoyed listening to him. Kerrie Roberts is a tiny little thing with a lot of soul and I so wish I could sing like that lol. Rhett Walker Band had that southern rooted sound which reminded me of home and bands that used to perform in the area. I could go on and on about different aspects of each performance but intstead I'll just encourage you to come see for yourseld next year!
I think one of the hard things about living here is NOT usually having access to great artists like the ones at Hills Alive. Orlando, Lakeland, the beach areas, Jacksonville, or even in my hometown (Ocala)...there was always someone playing nearby that we could go see. And granted, I listen to quite a variety of styles in the Christian music industry - and even some outside of that genre, so I'm not wanting a Hills Alive event every weekend. But it would be nice if more great ones, in my opinion, would come a little more west.
Anyway, if we're still here I will be planning on attending Hills Alive 2015 without a doubt. In the mean time, I need to go find myself an Aloe Vera plant. :)
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