In 1994, when I was 15, I remember telling my friend, while we were listening to Weezer's first record, "I don't think I'll spend any money on secular music when there's so much good christian music out there." This was probably the apex of my narrow thinking about and loyalty to christian music. I changed my mind that very summer when I discovered the burgeoning post-hardcore and emo bands/genres. More on this another time.
Growing up, I was exposed to basically three types of music at home: children's music, church music/popular christian music, and 'the oldies'. If you had talked to me when I was 11, I knew every word and note of The Beach Boys Endless Summer record, but not a single The Police song; sung happily along with The Imperials Sail On while washing dishes with my brother and sister, but only knew one Michael Jackson song (Beat It); was familiar with just about every single song from Disney animated movies, but had never even heard of U2.
My first independent foray into christian rock was in 1990. I was 12, almost 13. I rode my bike over to my local christianconvenience store bookstore and bought, with my own money, my first christian rock tape. I cannot remember the band or record, although I can still see the cover image in my mind: two men, twins or maybe brothers, in their late 30s, long permed brown hair with big bangs, wearing loose black tank tops revealing plenty of chest hair, one holding a guitar, the other a bass. It was a holdover of 80s hair-metal. The music was mediocre at best. I can't remember a single song today, although maybe if I heard them again, it'd feel familiar, comfortable, laughable.
I started 7th grade, junior high, in 1990 and like most kids, was trying to find my place; acceptance into a group or clique was paramount and the phrase 'peer pressure' was an understatement. This was a pre-internet world, and the fads of my locality were king. Very quickly, I abandoned listening to christian music, other than at church and youth group, and jumped on the popular culture bandwagon. Wearing headphones in bed, I listened to Casey Kasem's top 40 countdown on Sunday nights, staying up too late, feeling bleary on Monday morning. I started buying pop rap; Young MC, MC Hammer, Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch, enjoying everything from love ballads, like Extreme's More than Words, to a crazy mix of rock bands like Spin Doctors and Scorpions--whatever the radio offered. I got my first drum set in 1991, and learned the basics of coordinating my limbs by drumming along to these songs in my basement, wearing headphones listening to mix tapes. I stayed on the pop music wagon until 1992.
In the summer of 1992 I was 14, and via church youth group friends, was introduced to two bands that simultaneously shattered and expanded my musical understanding and palate: Mortal, and The Crucified. I also heard whispers about a glorious music festival called Cornerstone, where I could see these bands play live. I instantly felt a connection to the music, the style, even the ethos. I couldn't get enough of this harder-sounding music. And they were christians! It was a double win: good music, good message. They weren't singing about chasing girls, but about chasing God (whatever that meant). Even if my parents disliked the music, they could read the lyrics and give their blessing, which, thankfully, they did. Almost overnight, I stopped shopping at the mall, and started shopping at my local thrift stores. I quit my cross-country running team mid-season and bought a skateboard. I turned off the radio. I started buying lots of christian alternative/punk/industrial/goth music with money I'd earned from babysitting and copied friends' tapes. The following summer I attended my first show and made my first pilgrimage to Cornerstone music festival. I had begun a lifelong journey.
Looking back, the exposure to alternative, independent music, via christian alternative, independent music was the most defining season of my adolescent life. My experiences in that sub-subculture helped shape my worldview, values and ethics.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Growing up, I was exposed to basically three types of music at home: children's music, church music/popular christian music, and 'the oldies'. If you had talked to me when I was 11, I knew every word and note of The Beach Boys Endless Summer record, but not a single The Police song; sung happily along with The Imperials Sail On while washing dishes with my brother and sister, but only knew one Michael Jackson song (Beat It); was familiar with just about every single song from Disney animated movies, but had never even heard of U2.
My first independent foray into christian rock was in 1990. I was 12, almost 13. I rode my bike over to my local christian
I started 7th grade, junior high, in 1990 and like most kids, was trying to find my place; acceptance into a group or clique was paramount and the phrase 'peer pressure' was an understatement. This was a pre-internet world, and the fads of my locality were king. Very quickly, I abandoned listening to christian music, other than at church and youth group, and jumped on the popular culture bandwagon. Wearing headphones in bed, I listened to Casey Kasem's top 40 countdown on Sunday nights, staying up too late, feeling bleary on Monday morning. I started buying pop rap; Young MC, MC Hammer, Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch, enjoying everything from love ballads, like Extreme's More than Words, to a crazy mix of rock bands like Spin Doctors and Scorpions--whatever the radio offered. I got my first drum set in 1991, and learned the basics of coordinating my limbs by drumming along to these songs in my basement, wearing headphones listening to mix tapes. I stayed on the pop music wagon until 1992.
In the summer of 1992 I was 14, and via church youth group friends, was introduced to two bands that simultaneously shattered and expanded my musical understanding and palate: Mortal, and The Crucified. I also heard whispers about a glorious music festival called Cornerstone, where I could see these bands play live. I instantly felt a connection to the music, the style, even the ethos. I couldn't get enough of this harder-sounding music. And they were christians! It was a double win: good music, good message. They weren't singing about chasing girls, but about chasing God (whatever that meant). Even if my parents disliked the music, they could read the lyrics and give their blessing, which, thankfully, they did. Almost overnight, I stopped shopping at the mall, and started shopping at my local thrift stores. I quit my cross-country running team mid-season and bought a skateboard. I turned off the radio. I started buying lots of christian alternative/punk/industrial/goth music with money I'd earned from babysitting and copied friends' tapes. The following summer I attended my first show and made my first pilgrimage to Cornerstone music festival. I had begun a lifelong journey.
Looking back, the exposure to alternative, independent music, via christian alternative, independent music was the most defining season of my adolescent life. My experiences in that sub-subculture helped shape my worldview, values and ethics.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
I look forward to an in-depth exploration on Mortal, and, as I already mentioned, the Crucified. For what it's worth, MC Hammer was kind of Christian there for a while, though the authors of Breakaway Magazine were trying to figure out why he would record a song called "Soft and Wet." I didn't get until years later. What a perv.
ReplyDeleteI have laughed out loud 3 times already! Keep it coming old guys. I will read this every day!
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