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By Shara Lee
EARLY next month, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) will be
bringing the talents of six bands to the Fraser Valley.
Skillet, Starfield, downhere, the Almost, Thousand Foot Krutch and Tedashii are
all set to perform August 7 in Millenium Park, Cloverdale. At some points
during the day, evangelist Franklin Graham will address the crowd. A $10
admission will grant access to the entire seven-hour event.
There will also be Rock the River events in Edmonton and Calgary later in
August.
The BGEA hopes to use music to reach out to both believing and unbelieving
youth. Their hope is that young Christians will bring their non-believer
friends to the concert for a day of entertainment, in the hope that their
friends will receive Jesus.
In between performances, testimonies will be shared, videos will be projected,
and Graham will give invitations for young people to come to Christ.
“I think we can see a revival,” Graham has asserted. “I think we can see an army of kids for Jesus Christ, who will live their lives
unashamedly holy for God.”
The bands are an interesting mix, ranging from well known groups to relative newcomers.
Ontario-based Thousand Foot Krutch (TFK) have released five albums: Set It Off, Phenomenon, The Art of Breaking, The Flame In All of Us and Welcome to the Masquerade (2009). So far, the band has sold more than 500,000 albums.
Some members have outside interests: Trevor McNevan and Steve Augustine are also
in a band called FM Static; and Joel Bruyere has a side project called The
Drawing Room.
Juno award winners downhere have been around since 1999. Their latest album, Ending is Beginning, explores the need for finding God’s strength in times of human weakness. The band made headlines when they gave
away their entire 2006 record, Wide Eyed and Mystified, as a free download.
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Starfield is a Juno-nominated and Covenant award winning band based in
Abbotsford. The first album they made was recorded in a friend’s basement, and went on to sell 20,000 units in Canada alone.
“The fact that we sold any CDs to more people than just friends and family, or
that we won any awards, still blows my mind,” said lead singer Tim Neufeld.
Skillet is a seasoned hard rock band formed in Memphis. Since 1996, the band has
produced seven studio albums and two live albums. The group has toured with
many high profile names in music, including Three Days Grace, Seether and
Breaking Benjamin.
Tedashii is a solo hip hop artist known for his unique rapping style. Hailing
from Houston, Texas, his stated mission is to make sure that people are aware
of their greater purpose in life.
The Almost is an American band from Florida with a distinctive alternative rock
style. The group was founded in 2005 by Aaron Gillespie, and has had much
success on the Billboard charts. A highlight for the group was the 2007 Riot!
tour with Paramore.
The BGEA has issued the following statement in anticipation of Rock the River:
“Please pray that many youth would come to hear Franklin Graham present the
gospel. You can make it possible for non-Christian youth to attend by donating
$10 for one ticket, $50 for five, or $100 for 10.
“Imagine a young person’s life changing forever, because you helped him or her attend Rock the River!”
Contact: 1.800.293.3717 or billygraham.ca/donatetickets.
July 2010
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