I spend Friday morning back at the dorms catching up on email (turns out there’s a lot) and typing up some brief notes and impressions—mostly reminders to myself of things not to forget when I sit down later and type up and flesh out my handwritten notes. I’ve been taking regular notes, but I’ve also been tossing around in my head this feeling that there are effectively two Cornerstone festival here this week. The first one—the mainstream one, to be blunt about it—is printed up in a nice schedule book with a colorful map: it’s the one scheduled by the organizers, with a lot of thought given to layout, set times, etc. The other Cornerstone festival—the fringe/peripheral/underground one—is the one that takes place in an improvised manner on the generator stages along the main road. You can spend all day just walking past these stages, seeing bands that just showed up to play someone’s impromptu stage without being booked, and never enter the fest proper for the ‘official’ sets.

By the time I finally get back to the festival on Friday, it’s already after noon, but I’m feeling like that’s just fine—there really isn’t anything for me to do in the mornings, other than check out another Bible study or worship service. I grab some coffee and walk around a little bit before sitting down and checking out the schedule to see what I want to do first. I see that there’s actually a Bible study with Cool Hand Luke over in the Jesus Village Tent scheduled to start at 1:00 pm, so I head over there to check it out. Cool Hand Luke’s another band that my sister Esther told me to check out if I can; all I really know about this band is that the lead singer (who also doubled as the drummer) was interviewed extensively for the Cornerstone documentary Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? I take a seat in the tent next to a friendly girl who ends up leaving halfway through the session. The lead singer comes out and introduces himself—Mark Nicks—before starting his discussion. His session is less a Bible study than it is a testimony with some personal insight into a particular Bible passage, and I actually find it really inspiring, informative, and introspective into how a specific musician is using his faith to continue charting a path through his life.

He starts with a passage that begins at Mark 11:12, in which Jesus curses a fig tree for not producing fruit outside of its season. He pages back to a passage that demonstrates that Jesus knew when fig season was, and asks what we can take from this passage? The message that Mark takes away is that God expects great things of people, regardless of whether or not they’re ready to be fruitful in the calling to which He’s brought them. After going through this passage, Mark steps back a little bit and goes into the testimony portion of his talk.

After finishing the last Cool Hand Luke tour, Mark needed a job. He has new priorities since getting married eleven months ago, and needs to be very mindful of the needs of a family as opposed to the needs of a single young man. He had had a remote job for Google that he attempted to keep while on tour, but the strict responsibilities didn’t allow as much flexibility as he needed and it ultimately didn’t work out. So when he arrived back in Nashville after the last tour, he started working through a temp agency at a corporate print shop. After being happy with his work there, albeit uninspired, he was eventually offered a full-time position (when they laid off a more senior staffer). It’s clear to him that he has to choose between taking this full-time position or finding another job. There are a lot of mixed emotions wrapped up in this decision, as taking this job would effectively mean the end of large-scale touring for the time being, a difficult thing to give up since music has been his ministry for eleven years. Another tension is the idea that taking the job would mean that he’s settling into a status quo normalcy, that he’s selling out DIY for the American dream. Anyone who’s seen him play and who’s talked to him knows that he’s “not a fan of the American dream,” Mark says: “I think it’s a lie.” The ultimate question for him, then, is how best to balance his ideals, responsibilities, and calling?

Okay, so on to his calling. Mark is inspired by the theological writings of John Piper, by the hyperrealist visual art of Salvador Dali, and by the contemporary composition of Philip Glass (second cousin of This American Life’s Ira Glass, for all you radio nerds). These are all great men with lots of education and discipline, and Mark feels that even though he’s inspired by their works and would like to follow in their footsteps, his lack of training precludes him from doing this at his age. He feels called to pursue additional music ministry, to work with his wife Brandy on incorporating art into ministry, and to start a church, but feels inadequate. At this stage, he looks to the Bible for answers to these conflicts, and comes across both the passage in Mark 11 discussed earlier and John 15:1, which carries a very DIY message. His ultimate insight is that maybe he doesn’t necessarily need substantial schooling or training to pursue ministry or art—God will provide him with the strength and wisdom he needs to bear fruit now. His first ministry is to his wife and family, ministering to their needs, and taking the full-time job doesn’t preclude him from pursuing additional ministry in the future. His pastor has counseled them perhaps God has sent this job so that he can have some stability in the short term to prepare for additional ministry. Mark is very humble about this, and when he talks at his gig later that night, he’s very emotional about this dramatic change and turning point in his life.

I should add that since seeing his testimony in July, I’ve spent substantial time with Mark and Brandy. They are two of the most down-to-earth, honest, sincere, and hospitable people I’ve met since starting this research project. If you want to learn more directly from Mark about his perspectives on his music and his ministry—or even if you’re just happy to read random ramblings about Batman and 90s’ era indie rock—check out his Tumblr.

[More posts on Cornerstone Festival 2009]

The Promise Ring take themselves a bit more seriously on Nothing Feels Good (Jade Tree, 1997), their second full-length, but they also have more fun: higher production values, tighter musicianship, and a better mix all befit a band that aspires to sell-out those 150-person all-ages venues across the late-90’s indie landscape (they graduated to the mid-sized venues with their next album, 1999’s Very Emergency). In many ways, Nothing Feels Good perfectly straddles the cutesy emo of 30º Everywhere and the pop perfection of Very Emergency, and it’s no wonder that the album’s title was borrowed for the first book on emo (written by Spin contributor Andy Greenwald). Guitarist Jason Gnewikow (who also designed their album covers) and bassist Scott Beschta are noticeably better than on previous recordings, especially on “Is This Thing On” and “A Broken Tenor.” Davey von Bohlen’s vocals are also much stronger and more tuneful, and the higher prominence in the mix a) allows the listener to actually discern his lyrics, and b) prompts a lot of sing-along moments, especially on nonsensical syllables like “doo doo” on “Red & Blue Jeans” and “ba ba ba da” on “Why Did We Ever Meet” (quoted in Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus” by von Bohlen himself). Drummer Dan Didier—von Bohlen’s partner in later projects Vermont and Maritime—rocks the syncopated start/stops that define Midwest emo: for example, on “B is for Bethlehem.” Although the title track illustrates The Promise Ring’s continuing interest in ballads, they still play guitar rock, and not very challenging guitar rock at that—you’ll find neither the discordant noise nor the low fi fuzz that featured prominently in other indie bands of the era—but poppy, happy, and if not explicitly strategically saccharine, remembered as such. On Nothing Feels Good, The Promise Ring, for better or worse, laid the groundwork for the mass explosion of emo/pop in the early 2000s.

• Good introduction to stouts over at @SeriousEats, with lots of fave craft #beer recommendations: http://bit.ly/92d8Fn (via @GapersBlock) #
• Remember CDs? In response to cassette and vinyl revival, @PitchforkMedia imagines why cool kids in 2020 care about 'em: http://bit.ly/cUd53X #
• This ain't Corona! RT @thedailypull: Big #Chicago #beer news: @Rick_Bayless & @GooseClybourn collaborating on new brew http://bit.ly/cm6XDg #
• If only I could be there! RT @mpshows: Gauge is back for a raucous reunion – chicagotribune.com http://shar.es/m389Z #
• RT @pitchforkmedia: Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear, Girls, El-P, Titus Andronicus, Jon Spencer join Pitchfork Fest! http://bit.ly/buTlSF #
• Hanging in an unfamiliar bar, in an unfamiliar city, alone, waiting for an acquaintance to call. This is when I need a smartphone. #fb #
• OH at 3 Crows in Nashville: "Jack and root beer." How have I never tried this drink? #
• Listen to @CHIRPRadio instead! RT @pitchforkmedia: Radiohead, David Bowie, Lily Allen blast BBC over 6 Music closure http://bit.ly/amjQP2 #
• Yes, I would like a handmade optical theremin for only $65, thanks! http://bit.ly/ar63uQ video demo: http://bit.ly/9QbYox (via @GapersBlock) #
• @wayneandwax Yeah, let's hear it for un-checked RTs. Correct link on @HalfAcreBeer's switch to a canning line: http://bit.ly/chZXFv in reply to wayneandwax #
• Also: the @ChicagoTribune's take on craft beer canning: http://bit.ly/9076un #
• Best canned beer since @OskarBlues? RT @HalfAcreBeer: The dish on cans http://bit.ly/6lUg9 #
• Out of town for this show! Someone get 2? RT @GaugeChicago: FREE 7" will be given away to EVERYONE that attends Bottom Lounge show March 6 #
• Old news, but still exciting! RT @Chicagoist: Beer fans: @HalfAcreBeer and @3Floyds are teaming up. Chuck has more – http://is.gd/9×4gO #
• I'm old when I see Collectors Edition reissues of albums I bought the first go round. Thanks, Spiritualized! http://bit.ly/c9ZTtn #

All photographs by Andrew Mall. Soundtracked by The Wedding’s “Last Stand,” off of Polarity (Brave New World, 2007).

[More posts on Cornerstone Festival 2009]

[Normally, my Friday posts consists of playlists from my weekly CHIRP radio show. However, I'm traveling a couple of times in March, and a sub is taking over my regular shift those two weeks. So instead of a Friday playlist post, during the two weeks that I'm traveling I'll be posting the papers that I delivered on record collecting and the vinyl resurgence at two separate conferences last year. The first of these papers was presented at MIDSEM 2009 in Minneapolis.]

Preamble / By Way of Introduction

This paper represents a component of my research into vinyl record fairs and vinyl record collecting, work that has been ongoing for close to three years now. I was first drawn to record fairs as a burgeoning collector, but my research interest in records has grown beyond the phenomenological aspects of the consumption and collecting of musical recordings. Indeed, the question “Why do people collect records?” I find to be unsatisfying, if not because the answers are simple then because there are simply too many of them to be useful for a broader understanding of the forces at work.

Instead, I’m interested in what we can learn about music recordings as commodities in contemporary Western society through the study of record circulation; that is, the buying, selling, and collecting of records. What types of value and capital inform the exchange of musical recordings? To what degree are these processes of exchange dependent upon the subjective lived experiences, emotional lives, and individual interactions of and between individuals? And finally, in what ways can these subjectivities inform responsible research into musical cultures and communities?

This morning I will focus specifically on the experiences of record dealers—the collectors concerned with finding that mythical “compilation of every good song ever done by anybody” alluded to by the band LCD Soundsystem will have to wait patiently for the next conference—and my proposal, drawing from anthropologist Arjun Appadurai’s concept of commodity value, is that the exchange of records at record fairs is structured and disciplined by a broad confluence of mutable values, which differ from record to record and from dealer to dealer depending on their individual circumstances, their expectations of their customers, and their business philosophies. My findings are based on ethnographic research at Chicago-area record fairs conducted over the last three years, a number of interviews with record fair dealers and organizers, and a survey of 30 vendors at a record fair in April, 2009.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Horse Latitudes collects The Promise Ring’s early singles: Watertown Plank, Falsetto Keeps Time, and the split with Texas Is The Reason (which includes fan favorite “E. Texas Ave.”) were all released prior to their first full-length, 30º Everywhere (the final two tracks were previously unreleased). “Watertown Plank,” the group’s first released song, is far more than a mere historical curiosity, and easily holds its own among the better songs on 30º. There’s nothing groundbreaking about this collection, but it does provide a good barometer for their later material: much like contemporaries Braid or The Get Up Kids, this band moved quickly from poorly-produced, unfocused (and sometimes silly) songs to tight, shimmering pop gems in just a few short years, and it all started here.

5:00 pm: I walk back to the patio that overlooks the Main Stage to grab some free spaghetti, only to find that the line is at least 45 minutes long. I settle in for a long wait, preferring to get some free food over dropping money over at the food court. I end up talking to the three friends from Muskegee, MI (two guys and a girl) in line behind me while I’m waiting. The two guys are in a band together named Audrey, and came to Cornerstone last year for the first time after wanting to come for a few years. They were close to convincing their parents to let them come the previous year, until their parents found out how much it was going to cost! This year is the girl’s first time at Cornerstone. Compared to this year, they had a worse experience last year due to the prevalence of metal bands and trendy fans; this year the whole festival is much more diverse, and in their opinion the Main Stage lineup is also a lot better. Cornerstone is different from other festivals they’ve been to (like Unity and Icthus) because it’s more diverse and more accepting of alternate experiences and perspectives—they appreciate the “positivity”—and they do plan on coming back in the future, as long as they can get off from work. Their own local scene died a while back and they don’t have much of a chance to hear bands they like on the radio: the older scenesters back home didn’t take the younger generation seriously, so there was really no one to sustain the scene as the older members started leaving the scene; there was rampant fighting for a while and the scene had a really bad reputation, but they’re slowly rebuilding it, with a lot of basement and church shows (and no fighting!). Faith really isn’t a big deal for these three, but they appreciate when others are honest about their faith (instead of putting on a façade for the Christian audience) and they’re not being preached to.

6:30 pm: I take some time to write up some more notes after enjoying my spaghetti, and then head over to the Main Stage for some of the bigger bands. I catch Project 86, but am not very impressed. Haste the Day, however, are pretty heavy, and the encourage some serious moshing and circle pit action. This is another band who talks about their faith during the between-song banter, and the singer mentions that they’re a Christian band, and they play music to glorify God, and that we should all learn to exhibit God’s love in our everyday interactions with people. There’s no preaching, no altar call, and they get right back to rocking after this brief interlude.

After Haste the Day’s set, I decide to head back to the midway—I’m hungry, and I want to be sure to get a seat for David Bazan’s set in the Gallery Tent. I get a vegetable wrap and eat it standing up—it’s been a long day!—and then buy a cup of coffee before heading over to Gallery. The previous band—Gasoline Heart—is finishing up, and there’s still plenty of seats available. I expect Bazan’s set to be pretty crowded, and when he finally takes the stage, I’m not disappointed—at one point I look back and see that not only are all the seats taken, but people are standing up outside the tent and behind the seats. David Bazan is definitely highly anticipated.

In between the two sets, however, I get to talking with the guy sitting next to me. He’s this totally friendly guy, a bit younger than me, named Matt. He recently relocated from Terra Haute, IN to Nashville after reprioritizing his life to focus on being less selfish and more in tune with his friends and community. This is his third Cornerstone, but he wasn’t here last year. This year he’s here with All The Day Holiday, and I mention that I really enjoyed their set. We talk about the profusion of heavy music throughout the set, relieved to have found some common ground with both ATDH and Bazan. He grew up listening to a lot of emo and Christian hardcore, and we have a few favorite bands in common, like The Get Up Kids. We also talk a little bit about Bazan, and he tells me the story of how Bazan went on a tirade against organized Christianity and closed-mindedness last time he performed Cornerstone, and this is the first time he’s been invited back in about four years or so. This story is hearsay, Matt promises, but it’s good nonetheless—Bazan has always been vocal about his criticism of organized religion and church, believing instead that faith ought to be more personal and less didactic. Matt and I exchange phone numbers before we part, since I tell him that I’m considering coming out to Nashville later this year. He tells me to call him if so.

10:00 pm: David Bazan plays morose singer/songwriter stuff, but he has a sense of humor about it. He plays a couple of Pedro the Lion songs, at least one cover (Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”), some new stuff, and takes questions from the audience. I’ve seen him before, and this is standard procedure: he allows the audience to ask him practically anything they want, and answers as honestly as possible. After hearing Matt’s story about the last time Bazan was at Cornerstone, he seems a little reserved, perhaps less likely to say something that could be interpreted as being offensive. In interviews he’s discussed the Christian scene with disdain, but it’s pretty clear that he’s happy being here.

12:00 am: Flatfoot 56 is supposed to start playing at midnight, but the previous band runs a little long, so it takes a while for them to get setup. Camp Busted Guitar recommended that I come out to see Flatfoot, and it’s only as I’m standing there that I realize I’ve seen this band before—they’re Chicago South Side punks who play smaller venues in the city, and I actually brought one of my DePaul classes to a show of theirs at the Beat Kitchen two years ago. They didn’t strike me as particularly Christian at the time, and I’m interested in seeing them in this context. It turns out that the punk kids here truly love this band, love the mayhem they inspire, and the Underground Tent gets really hot, smelly, and dusty soon after they start playing. I stick around for a while, but I’m getting tired, and want to check out The Chariot before heading back to the dorms.

12:30 am: Okay, so I don’t really know what to make of The Chariot. Their sound is murky, muddy, dark, and rather hard for me to get a full sense of, but it’s along the lines of experimental hardcore. The band members are climbing along the lighting rigs, one of them is blowing fireballs out of his mouth, and it strikes me as rather dangerous and perhaps ill-fitting of Cornerstone. There is, however, a huge crowd here, and the first group of kids I spoke with earlier today told me to expect insanity at this set. I’m still not very sure what I make of them. Neither The Chariot nor Flatfoot 56 discuss their faith or reasons for being at Cornerstone while I’m watching them perform tonight. I’m getting pretty tired and head back to the dorms, my head spinning.

[More posts on Cornerstone Festival 2009]

Of the two bands that arose from the ashes of beloved Midwest emo band Cap’n Jazz, The Promise Ring represent the poppy side, albeit it’s a very peculiar, mumbling form of pop on their first album, 30º Everywhere (Jade Tree, 1996) (the experimental side continues to be found in Joan of Arc and Tim Kinsella’s side projects). Davey von Bohlen’s vocals have progressed beyond the background yelps of his former band, but not by much—his proudly pronounced lisp and warbling pitch are simultaneously endearing and annoying, especially on “My Firetower Flame.” Former members of Wisconsin experimental/post-hardcore bands None Left Standing and Ceilishrine propel the music forward with more force than the chaos of Cap’n Jazz: “Between Pacific Coasts” is among the faster songs, while “Scenes from France” provides one of many downtempo examples. Actually, much of 30º is downtempo—aside from the catchy opening of “Everywhere in Denver,” the best songs are the slower ones. “A Picture Postcard” (previously released on the Falsetto Keeps Time 7”) is practically an emo classic, and quickly became a thorn in the band’s side as sensitive beefcake dudes requested it at every show to demonstrate their capacity for compassion. It’s not difficult to hear clichés here: dynamic shifts, cryptic vocals inaudibly buried low in the mix, start-stop arrangements, etc. aren’t unique to The Promise Ring in 1996. However, hidden amongst the amateurish clichés are glimpses of the pop powerhouse The Promise Ring would become over their next few releases.

11:00 am: I arrive at Cornerstone early enough on day 2 to catch the full Bible study lead by Todd of The Burial. He still looks pretty metal—shaved head, huge goatee, somewhat stocky—but he’s standing on the stage with his Bible and not with his guitar and bandmates. He looks rather vulnerable, actually, and maybe even a bit unsure of himself and his ability to lead the discussion. There’s a good-size crowd of people here, about four dozen, and I do see many of the red wristbands that I’m learning to associate with bands and their guests, so I think that many of his friends have come to hear him speak. He mentions that he feels a bit uncomfortable trying to impart wisdom in this format, but he feels that his divine appointment is evident through the people who have shown up to hear him speak. His narrative, while a bit rambling, has some pretty substantive points about one’s relationship to God and one’s responsibilities as a believer:

• God is calling on his followers to tear themselves and their hearts up in distress over the state of the world
• Let’s be honest with ourselves about our goals and God’s plan
• People tend to dwell more on God’s blessings than on his judgment—let’s use His impending judgment to work with our brothers and sisters in bringing each other further along in our faith
• Don’t be selfish but generous; seek God’s kingdom and will first, and everything else you need will be given to you according to His will
• Look for answers from God instead of making your own plans without first seeking His will
• Passive disapproval of others’ sins isn’t enough—we need to be active, and work towards providing answers to worldly problems
• There’s no gray area between glorifying God and not glorifying God—all lives and works are devoted to one purpose or the other, and we need to be absolutely clear with ourselves where we stand
• “If it’s not building up your spirit, then it’s no good. It’s wasted time.”
• Ultimately, we need to be completely honest and real not just with ourselves but with God

After the Bible study, I stick around a little bit to hear the female-fronted praise band for a few songs—this is a bit more soulful than you would hear in church, but it’s acoustic-driven, and nowhere near the aggression that heard from other bands throughout the week—before heading out for another walk. My goal today is to find a group to chat with, and I walk around one of the RV areas before heading out to Main St. I stop at the Chasing Canadia generator stage because the band (whose name I don’t catch) seems pretty decent, despite the amateur setup. I walk further down Main St., towards the beach and Main Stage, and pass a group of young adults that might want to chat. On my way back I just stop, ask them how they’re doing, tell them I’m doing a research project on Cornerstone, having never been here before, and do they want to chat?

Turns out that this group of young adults is totally cool. Half of the group is from Toronto, and the other half is from St. Louis—they met at the meWithoutYou record release show in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, and made plans to meet up at Cornerstone. While half of the group came to Cornerstone for the first time last year, this year they brought with them friends who hadn’t yet been. Those who were here last year spent a lot of time checking out new bands, and this year they’re taking it easier, enjoying the communal vibe and fellowship with each other. The like that Cornerstone is a huge, friendly community of people who all love music, just like them and their friends. Their faith is important to them, and it bothers them when they hear bands giving lip service to Christianity without it being an obvious focus of their lives—it’s pretty clear that some bands discuss their faith at Cornerstone only because it’s so expected here. Many of them still live with their parents, and are at a weird in-between stage in life where church youth group doesn’t have anything to offer them, but they feel awkward participating in church as adults, peers of their parents. Cornerstone provides a safe space where they’re surrounded by like-minded people who face similar challenges. Another thing they really like about Cornerstone is that it’s safe for non-Christians, because while faith is very visible, it’s not forced upon people—attendees can choose the degree to which they participate in faith initiatives (they mention the Bible study that I attended earlier in the morning as a case in point—”It’s there if you want it,” one of them says).

They’re pretty generous—the whole time we’re speaking, one of the guys is cooking some potatoes on a camp grill and passing it around, being sure to include me. I take out an unopened bag of trail mix and pass it around to everyone as well. A couple of girls walk up and give us invites to a free spaghetti dinner on the patio/basketball court overlooking the Main Stage this afternoon at 5pm. This weird dude walks up later to talk about how another group of campers is demonstrating the best way for Christians to disengage from the world: through converting their vehicle to run on vegetable oil and living an entirely self-sustaining lifestyle. Although his preachy demeanor could have been met with distaste, the group I’m sitting with listen to him respectfully. After he’s done, I expect his talk to inspire discussion among these kids, but they seem more interested in jumping in the lake and checking out some more bands. I thank them, snap a couple of pictures, and leave.

They’ve given me the names of a few bands to check out, one of whom is supposed to be performing right away on one of the generator stages, so I take a walk back up Main St. to see if I can find them. Turns out I can’t, or perhaps I already forgot the name, but I continue for a stroll to see what else is going on. I pass the first (and one of very few) female-fronted hardcore band I’ve seen here, performing at a rather amateur generator stage. Next I stop to catch my breath at a tent-covered generator stage where a synth-pop band is setting up. Their Nintendo beats and bounciness aren’t enough to hold my interest, however, so I decide to walk through the campsites again to find another group to chat with. This time I end up walking down a road that leads through the reserved group sites—most of these are youth and church groups, and the people I pass appear to be rather engaged with each other. I feel weird about interrupting their conversations and continue walking. Eventually I come to a fork where the lower road leads down to Main Stage and the upper road leads up to another RV site. There’s a campsite with another group of young people, and I decide to talk to them on my way back down—first I want to get a few pictures of Main Stage without anyone there. I take the upper road, find the patio where they will be serving free spaghetti later tonight, take a few pictures, and walk back down.

3:00 pm: I hail this second group—“Camp Busted Guitar”—and ask if they’d like to talk to me for my research project. Our conversation is less directed than the previous group’s—the dynamic is far more one of a group of friends hanging out with multiple conversations going on at any given moment; my questions just form one of many discussions. This group of friends is from all around Illinois, and not one single town. They camp in this location every year, introducing new friends to the experience, converging at Cornerstone where it feels like family, where people fully understand you. Most of them are between 18–23 years old, and while there are a couple of first-timers here, most of them have been coming for a while, some as long as 6 or 8 years. The long-timers originally came with their church youth group, but Cornerstone has since grown to feel like their home, their community, the best week of their year, certainly the best part of their summer. At least one member of this group—one of the older guys—enjoys the freedom to act up and be loud and roudy, a side of his personality that he can’t really indulge in at home. They’ve tried to explain to non-Cornerstone friends why it’s so special, but instead find it easier to bring newbies to the festival every year—and every time, every first-timer “gets it.” One thing that they note is that one’s first Cornerstone experience is always the best—upon repeated returns, it’s never better than the first time, when everything was new.

They come from all walks of life: they work at various jobs, go to school, one guy’s in the Army, another claims to be a vagabond. While some have been to other festivals—they mention Cave Fest and Warped Tour—but Cornerstone is always better, primarily because of the people and community: everyone is so friendly, it’s like having a 30,000-person family. They listen to a lot of punk, metal, and don’t limit themselves to Christian bands. In fact, they’re all irregular church-goers—one guy tells me that he’s all about DIY, has a problem with authority, and doesn’t enjoy being told what to do, and that while he does have his own moral code, it’s not dictated by any one church or religion; others’ life drama and laziness prohibit them from attending church regularly. That said, many of them grew up going to church, and appreciate and respect the bands that are passionate and honest about their faith. Like the previous group—and I can already tell that this is a common theme at Cornerstone—they can tell when bands are talking about faith just because it’s expected here. Many of them don’t really have an active local scene at home, and typically have to drive long distances for live music they are actually interested in. They appreciate the musical variety at Cornerstone, and how the community isn’t really insular—they talk a little bit about tearing down the walls between subcultures, and note that you can see preppies, jocks, goths, metalheads, punks, etc. all engaged in fellowship together.

4:00 pm: After chatting with Camp Busted Guitar for a while, I take a couple of pictures and thank them. They encourage me to stop by next year and ask more questions! I leave, walk down the road for a little bit and find a space to sit on the grass, eat some food, and complete my notes from the interview before I forget it all. I head down to Indoor/Encore 2 to see The Wedding, a band recommended by Relient K last night and by the first group I hung out with this afternoon. The tent is pretty crowded—a good sign—and I work my way around to the other side. This band is pretty awesome, super-tight metalcore with a great attitude. They’ve got a good performance going on, the music is really tight, melodic, muscular, and the audience is totally into it. I’m digging it a lot, and really want to check their recordings, but I don’t see a merch setup. I get some good pictures, they come out for an encore, and actually end with the signature riff from Black Sabbath’s “Ironman.” Seems pretty ballsy to me, since Sabbath is one of those bands that has been consistently pointed at by Christians who claim that aggressive rock is linked to Satanism.

[More posts on Cornerstone Festival 2009]

• Okay, this better not be an April Fools joke: @StoneBrewingCo enters Chicago market on 4/1! http://bit.ly/dAVvKe (via @Chicagoist) #
• @callmebeewee I'm on @CHIRPRadio every Friday, 9am-noon. Subs are taking over two shifts in March while I'm traveling. All our DJs rock! in reply to callmebeewee #
• Playing music and good times at http://chirpradio.org/ this morning from 9am to noon. Stop dicking around on the web in silence and listen! #
• Any requests for tomorrow morning's @CHIRPRadio show? I'm pulling records and drafting playlists tonight! #
• Teaching an undergrad course on #punk at UofC? Looks like it's in the cards for this fellowship winner! #
• Dr Wax is closing at the end of Feb, but I haven't seen it eulogized much online. A result of the Hyde Park ghetto? http://bit.ly/c1ZqYQ #
• That's a sweet lineup so far! RT @GooseClybourn: We just posted a preview of the beers that will be at Stout Fest 2010. http://ow.ly/1aOse #
• Interesting featurette on the #Farmville phenom lacks anecdotal info from participants on its attraction (via @CNN): http://bit.ly/9ieHNv #
• Local Christian punk! RT @BandsInChicago: Just Announced: ? Flatfoot 56,The Scurvies @ Reggie's Rock Club – Apr 10 http://bit.ly/bDZS7K #
• Finally listened to superhyped @SoundOpinions episode w/ @RiversCuomo. Completely underwhelmed by the softball questions, A+ for the music! #
• Nice feature on the contemporary cassette revolution at @Pitchforkmedia, despite ignoring local tape label @PlusTapes: http://bit.ly/apKVRp #
• Some great pictures here. We were there, it was awesome! RT @TimeOutChicago: Photos: Tortoise + Lichens at Lincoln Hall http://bit.ly/aNltyG #
• Oh man. We totally need this in Chicago. RT @newglarusbeer: Back by Popular Demand; Unplugged Cherry Stout! http://fb.me/6bg2Xua #
• Abbey Road sale off again, according to EMI. RT @CNN: Abbey Road Studios not for sale, owner says. http://on.cnn.com/96VPsW #
• Okay. I'm still inordinately excited for these shows. RT @mpshows: 2nd Cap'n Jazz show at Bottom Lounge sold out! That's all folks. #