MY REPORT ON THE 2024 KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL! (AND RELATED THOUGHTS AS WELL)

Meredith Dunkel of Undefeated prepares to sing Star Spangled Banner to start Saturday's program, with host and performer Matt Moore on stage with her to the right.

When Kingdom Come Festival (afterward referred to as KCF) started in 2010, Becky and I had already been Indianapolis residents for almost 15 years. It was another 11 years before we heard about the festival. In '21, I learned about it too late, so I passed. In '22, I debated between that festival and Get To The Point festival, which was smaller and closer. Last year, I went and spent Saturday there, hearing 7 bands (all on the Redemption stage). This year, I mentioned to Becky that I could go again on Saturday and not have to take time off work. She told me: "You enjoy it. Take the day off and go both days!" So I did. (Note - technically, it starts Thursday nights, before being all day on two stages Friday and Saturday.)

And let me point out a fact - yes, I go there for the music, but I also look for an opportunity to volunteer. It didn't work out in '23's KCF, but I had the honor of being part of the welcome team at the Pit Fest last October and both Friday and Saturday this year.

Let me run down the groups I got to hear, and if there's something that really stands out (besides "Great concert!"), I'll point it out. Then, I'll mention other high points, as well as an answer to the question "Is KCF a 'get away from it all' blessing, or is it something that's affecting your life? Also, there is the main stage and the Subculture Stage - I'll put an asterisk if it's the latter. So here's my itinerary:

With Lifted Veils

FRIDAY 11:50 am - WITH LIFTED VEILS.* (Note - if you're volunteering, and during that time a group you want to hear is performing, they let you go, and this was the case here.)

Autumn Eve

FRIDAY  1:30 pm - AUTUMN EVE. (Another concert I wanted to hear during my volunteer time.) Two notes - it's the first time I've seen a guitarist or bass player (the latter in this case) use a bow. Also, I was amused at looking at the main schedule and seeing that four performers in a row on the main stage were Autumn Eve, Mourning Eve, Reclaim the Day, and Samuel Day. My friend Chris Bousum told me that was a pure accident.

Reclaim The Day, Zahna

FRIDAY 3:00 pm - RECLAIM THE DAY. I love this band - second time I heard them live. I was eating lunch and not where I could see their first song (wish I could have paid attention to it). Another artist, Zahna, who was a guest artist on RTD's song "Chokehold" got on stage and joined RTD's Becca Sugg on that song. I was as surprised as I was when I saw the sun set in the west.

Samuel Day

FRIDAY 3:45 pm - SAMUEL DAY. I'm at the age where I don't like driving in the dark, and I live an hour away from the venue, so last year I left where I missed getting to see two performers I really wanted to see. Samuel Day was one of the two. Fortunately for me at least, he performed earlier in '24 than in '23. (The other artist I missed, TheoTerran? Not so fortunate - they were the headliner - final act - on Friday at the SubCulture stage, definitely after dark!)

Hello Luna

FRIDAY 4:20 pm - HELLO LUNA.* There are few concerts that have me leave going "Wow!" Hello Luna's set was one of the few that hit the unforgettable level.

True Revival

SATURDAY 10:00 am - TRUE REVIVAL. They had a bump - their regular drummer broke his arm two days before the performance! They had a back-up drummer, but it meant I have to wait to hear their new songs!

BRVVE

SATURDAY 10:35 am - BRVVE.* Actually, the difference between BRVVE and With Lifted Veils was who the lead singer was and whether they had an electric guitar in the band, as well as if one member was playing drums or conga. But two things stood out in this set. First, on the second song, I heard what sounded like cooing, looked up, and saw a couple of birds fly to the ceiling and enjoy the concert from the rafters. Second, Dale Vaughn of SubCulture Outreach Community got up before they finished, preached, and led a short revival. 

Divine Martyr - yes, the lead vocalist also plays cello.

SATURDAY 11:30 am - DIVINE MARTYR. With two stages, how often do I have two bands I really want to see perform at the same time? Believe it or not, not often. This was an exception. However, let me confess that my favorite rock genre is symphonic metal, which is what Divine Martyr is. Also, I found out Glenn Hatmaker, a friend that I used to work with, was coming up particularly to hear DM. If he hadn't, I would have listened to a song by I Am The Pendragon before going to hear Divine Martyr. By the way, my favorite drummer to watch is Mark McKowen.

I Am The Pendragon

 SATURDAY 11:20ish am - I AM THE PENDRAGON.* Remember me mention that there was a mini-revival during BRVVE's set? Would you be surprised to know it messed the Sub Culture Stage's schedule? Though I'm not sure I'd call it messed up. Instead of starting and finishing  ten minutes before Divine Martyr started on the main stage, they were approximately ten minutes behind! Thus, I got to bring Glenn to hear their last two songs, for him to be impressed by the voice of lead singer Jerrod Cunningham, and to see Kevin "Moose" Busch get off the platform and wander through the crowd while playing his bass.

Undefeated

SATURDAY 1:00 pm - UNDEFEATED.   Remember me mentioning that Divine Martyr's Mark McKowen is my favorite drummer to watch? Well, he has competition in Christian Dunkel of Undefeated - his constant smile is contagious.

 

Me with Jermaine Lajuane Nixon

Tricord

I managed to catch a few songs by other artists as well, such as Nate Parrish and Brandon Michael (recommended by my photographer friend Chad Fenner (who worked on the SubCulture Stage. But the one song I heard by Tricord, "Into The Storm, "was one that touched me. 

Me with Jermaine Lajaune Nixon of Tricord

So what can compete with all the great music? Actually, it's not close. Both days, I felt I was among family. Always 1 Ministry's Chris Bousum, the brothers in True Revival, the guys of Divine Martyr, Jerrod Cunningham and Kevin "Moose" Busch of I Am The Pendragon, New Day Rising's Jammin Shue, and Nicole Drennan (aka BRVVE) all made me feel I belonged there. Add to that getting to meet Jermaine Lajaune Nixon of Tricord, and it was the closest thing to a reunion. (Since I don't have any kids, I thought of adopting a band or two, except musicians have a penchant for expensive toys.)

One neat thing - they were collecting get well cards for my buddy David Paconi of TheoTerran, who has been dealing with a ruptured appendix and chemo-therapy.

Me with Jammin Shue

However, something hit me late Saturday afternoon. A blog from last year mentioned me thinking of a music chaplaincy (Becky's suggestion, based on me wanting to encourage Christian musicians). I have already made a regular prayer list for musicians I pray for each week. 

Me, John Harin, Reece Maopolski of Brotality

So guess what I did? I went back to the merchandise tent and the booths in the SubCulture stage, and asked several musicians how I could pray for them. This allowed me to meet Reece Maopolski and John Haring of Brotality, rapper Damac, and Josiah Brand (aka Fyrebrand).

Me, Josiah Brand (Fyrebrand)

MY TOP SONGS, 2023, ACCORDING TO SPOTIFY

Me with David Pataconi of TheoTerran

First Blog of 2024! Excited? And what better way than to look at what Spotify considered my Top Songs for last year!

I first discovered that Spotify formed a playlist of my Top songs based on airplay two years ago. I did notice, though, that there were some songs that I wasn't familiar with. So I had several "Ballot Stuffing" playlists, to see if I could get a "Top Songs" that reflected what I was actively listening to. 

Result? Mission Accomplished! I did have a few songs that I didn't think belonged, but not the way it was the previous years. Next year, though, I'll try to rotate through all my playlists and see what that looks like.

But I'm sure all my musician friends are holding their breath to see how they fared. I'll try to minimize the duration of the suspense. (Hey, doesn't Duration of Suspense sound like a good band name?)

I'm going to include a link to the list at the end, but I'll go through statistics. I figured out that there were 62 different artists on the list. 20 of those appeared more than once. Pardon me, therefore, if I don't list the 42 single entry artists (you can find them on the list mentioned above).

Nine had a pair of entries. One of those was Sovereign Grace Music, which made me smile - one entry was the studio version of "Behold Our God," while the other was the live rendition. Joining them were, in alphabetic order: Margaret Becker, Forsaken Hero, I Am The Pendragon, Rich Mullins, Rusty Shipp, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Soundless Whisper, and Yanni.

How about those who had three entries? I'm glad you asked! These six, again in alphabetic order, feature Franz Berwald (classical composer), Jodie Essex, Felix Mendelssohn, Reclaim The Day, TheoTerran, and Zahna. 

Math time. The number of songs in these three levels, adding 42, 18, and 18, equaling 78, with 22 remaining, Likewise, the artists in each level - 42, 9, and 6 - comes to 57, which when subtracted from 62 leaves 5. So who are those top 5 artists based on entries? Drum roll please. 

In  second place, we have a four way tie between Battled, Divine Martyr, Raviner, and True Revival, with four songs each. And on the top with six songs - Eyes Aflame!

But let me change angles. I mentioned the link will have the list of the 100 in order, but I'll be nice and give you the top 10 songs, recorded by 8 different artists. Ready?

Number 10 - "Remnant"  by Ignescent

Number  9 - "Frontline" by Idle Cure (an old timer on a fairly modern list).

Number 8 - "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day.

Number 7 - "Not The End" by Eyes Aflame.

Number 6 - "You Chose Me" by Toni LaShaun.

Number 4 - "Underneath" by Zahna.

I hear you all! You're asking about #5. I have a reason. You remember I mentioned there are 8 different artists doing the top ten, and I've listed 6. Are any of the 6 in the remaining 4 slots? Nope. Have the final two artists split those four? Nope. Divine Martyr has filled up three of the top five slots with "Mystique" (#5), "Truth" (#3), and "Fear" (#2).

So who is #1? Come on, you should have it figured out! What band is represented by the gentleman next to me in the picture at the top of this blog? The number one song belongs to "Battle Cry" by TheoTerran!

As promised, below is the full list. Are any of your favorites on it? 

Jeff's Top Songs 2023, per Spotify

 

JEFF'S FAVORITE SONG LIST FOR 2023

The Concert by Gerard van Honthorst

I'm going to start my favorites with the longest list - my favorite songs of '23. I use that term loosely - some of the songs might be technically '22 or maybe even '21, but I'm including songs from the most recent project of groups that I didn't know about till this year. I'll also include links to reviews of the album featuring the song. I'll also include a link to a Spotify Playlist that includes these and favorites of the last two years. So you ready? 

Here is my list of my 20 favorite songs from '23, and yes, as usual, I'll be putting them in alphabetic order. 

1. "Behold Our God" by Sovereign Grace Music. Excellent worship song - one that we sing at Northside Baptist, and when we do, it takes a while to get that one out of my head.
2. "Eden" by Amy Shreve. Her newest song, and it's among my favorites by her. I've had the honor of hearing her and her husband Gary Wixtrom several times in the past.
3. "Falling Stars" by I Am The Pendragon. It's been a pleasure getting to know guitarist/lead vocalist Jerrod Cunningham this year, and enjoyed hearing them at Kingdom Come Festival. Album Review Link
4. "Forever" by Divine Martyr. A cover of the Kari Jobe song, and I like this version better. I had the privilege of hearing them this year at Kingdom Come Festival, though I don't think they did this during their set.
5. "From The Silence" (Acoustic Version) by Battled. Artist Interview Link (I'm including the  interview link because I didn't do an album review, but also they're one of the few musicians I've interviewed this year).
6. "Heartbreak Embrace" by Eyes Aflame. Excellent rock song. They opened their set at Kingdom Come Festival, and Sarah Shue's singing on this song completely blew me away. Album Review Link
7. "I Know The One Who Knows" by The Chigger Hill Boys and Terri. Yes, a Southern Gospel song (or more technically Christian Bluegrass) made it into the list! 
8. "I Stand" by Crimson Overtone. This is probably older than their Assimilate EP; definitely a song I listen to when I need encouragement. I hear a little of them at The Pit Fest. 
9. "Not The End" by Eyes Aflame. Another song that takes a day or two to get out of my mind. See album review on entry 7.
10. "Orchestrate" by TheoTerran. I don't believe this is a single from their self-titled album, but it's my favorite from that project. They performed at Kingdom Come Festival, but I didn't get to hear them because I left early. :'( Hope to hear them next year. See album review on entry 1.
11. "Red" by Raviner. Great song! I don't think they did this during their Kingdom Come Festival set (I could be wrong), but it's an excellent song. Album Review Link
12. "Relief" by Taken Under. I first heard it live last year at the Get To The Point Festival, when the band was calling themselves "Tempus Unum."
13. "Rise And Reclaim" by I Am The Pendragon. Probably the hardest song on this year's list. Link to their album review on entry 4: Isn't "The Castle Of Lost Hope" a great title and concept? See album review 
14. "Say Goodbye" by Reclaim The Day. It was on the '22 EP "Psalms," but was released as a single this year. Great song, and a cool video as well. Album Review Link
15. "Show Me How To Live" by Rusty Shipp. Great song and excellent lyrics. I heard them at Kingdom Come Festival this year, though I don't think they did this or my other favorite song. This song isn't on their most recent release. 
16. "The Sword" by True Revival. On my lists, I avoid telling my rankings, but on this list, I'll mention that this was my favorite song this year. Of course, since it's about the Word of God... Album Review Link
17. "True Revival" by True Revival. Hmm... both the song name and the band sound familiar. Could it be because they're also the above song? I had the honor of hearing them twice this year, including the Pit Fest. By the way, if you want to see their album review link...
18. "Us And Them" by Rusty Shipp. Yes, I mentioned them a couple of entries before. This song is from their most recent album. Album Review Link
19. "WarCry" by TheoTerran. First song I heard by them, and it's one that often sticks in my head. Album Review Link 
20. "Your Love" by BRVVE. I got to hear her do this live at Kingdom Come Festival.

If you want to listen to them, they are on this playlist, starting at #33: Favorites '21-'25 

And speaking of playlists, next week I'll have a blog on what Spotify decided were my top 100 songs for 2023! 

MY FAVORITE GIFTS

A rare selfie of yours truly

 With Christmas of '23 being right around the corner, I'd like to talk about two of my favorite gifts that I received, both of which have a similar color scheme. 

Okay, I'll admit: Neither of these are Christmas gifts. However, I'll tell you why the two hold a special place in my life in two different contexts and uses.

You can't see my hand in the photo, but in that unseen hand is a cup that reads "Man of God" on one side and Isaiah 40:31 on the other side. (I'm sure you'll assume I'm holding that cup, because otherwise it's floating in space.) I received that when I was in a class dealing with church leader training led by Pastor Josh Jacobs at what was then Hunter Road Bible Church. 

I'm also wearing a True Revival T-shirt. Regular blog readers are probably aware that True Revival is a local band. They band is also in a Facebook group I've mentioned in this blog - "Holding Up In Prayer The Arms Of Christian Artists." Because of my focus on prayer for musicians, they gave me this shirt.

While the two look like they belong together color-wise, they both have different functions and reflect different areas of my life. Those two gifts might share a breakfast table with me before I go to work, but other than that, they rarely are in the same place at the same time.

The cup might travel (with assistance) back in forth between the kitchen and the dining room, but it never leads the house. Nobody except Becky see me use it. Having a "Man of God" cup is not a boast, but a reminder of who I am in Christ, and that "who I am" is internal. If I stood in a police line-up and someone was asked to identify the Christian in the group, it would be a guess because Christians don't look any different from non-Christians. We don't have a Rafael painted halo over our head. 

In other words, this cup is a reminder and a challenge for how I live my life. I don't want to live in a way that someone who saw me with the cup (including Becky) would shake their head and think "Who is he kidding?" I want my love for God and obedience to Him be my new nature, the bent of my thought. And this is personal.

The shirt? That does go out. I've worn it to work and to men's prayer meetings. I might go to the grocery store while wearing it. I want others to see the shirt. If I succeed in people getting interested in the band, great! But I also want to communicate to others that the Church needs true revival. 

Too often, the way Christians individually or churches as a whole act does have the world shaking their head and thinking "Who is he kidding? Christians are just as bad and selfish and argumentative as anybody else." We need God to revive our lives. And I want to be an encouragement to others to live that way.

TIS THE SEASON FOR FESTIVAL ANXIETIES AND DILEMNAS!

 

Divine Martyr, Get To The Point Festival. (Thought you might rather see them performing than the often used photo of yours truly with the band.)

Okay, who do I go listen to this year? Divine Martyr for the second time? True Revival for the first time? The Daniel Band for the first time in person, 42 years after the first time I heard them perform on a radio program?

And where's "Get To The Point" festival when you need it?!

Two years ago, I learned of Always One Ministry and their concerts: the two day, two stage summer Kingdom Come Festival (which expanded to 2 1/2 days last year) and the Pit in the fall. Unable to make it to either of those festivals.

And the same was true last year as well! However, I had an alternative. Did you ever hear of "Get To The Point" festival? Oh yeah, I did mention that a couple of paragraphs earlier.

This year? I might finally make it to KCF this year! It's only an hour away, after all. Though it had some competition. I have to choose between which two of my favorite bands I should support! Do I go hear True Revival at a bikers rally? Or do I go hear Divine Martyr and others in Kokomo?

Hush Harbor at Get To The Point

One thing I'd love to do is get better photos of artists. I had a photo of another of my favorite groups, Reclaim The Day, but it's blurred. (They'll be at KCF, but unfortunately on Friday, while I'm working.😢) I also took one of Scott Shireman, drummer of Hush Harbor, but it's also blurred! (Hush Harbor will be at KCF, but unfortunately they'll be at the Thursday night kick-off while I'm getting ready to sleep so I can work Friday.😥.) I did get a good one of me with Divine Martyr. Fortunately, I didn't take that ... I mean, it wasn't blurred.

Last year's Saturday line-up was fantastic, but it would have had me going from one stage to the other a couple of times. This year, Saturday has a good line-up, but this time, the artists I want to see are all on one stage, starting out with BRVVE (who I heard at "Get To The Point", performing as Brave WRSHP). 

Reclaim The Day, with BRVVE on left

Of course, there are bands I'd like to hear that I won't be able to. Undefeated will be there Friday. Zahna has a Friday acoustic set (I'd love to hear that) and closes the festival at midnight on Saturday (definitely past my bed-time). Theody, Forsaken Hero, and True Revival were there last year but not this year. And Worhol and Daniel Band have yet to be there!

Speaking of Daniel Band, they're going to be in concert on Labor Day weekend! But two things against hearing my favorite metal band. 1) They're further away (in Ohio). 2) Unlike KCF, it costs!

Back to KCF. I'm thinking of volunteering, so please pray about that. Should I spend my first time at the festival just enjoying it, or should I serve my brothers and sisters in Christ? Also, I want to be an encouragement to the fellow musicians, so pray about this. 

And keep KCF and other Christian festivals this summer up in prayer (including True Revival's Biker Rally this Saturday). Allow me to post the schedule so you'll be able to pray for the artists.

 

ALBUM REVIEW - TRUE REVIVAL, SELF-TITLED

 If you want a blues-rock album with strong, Biblical lyrics, your hunt is over. You need to look no further than True Revival's self-titled debut project.

I first learned of True Revival a year ago when they were announced as one of the participants of the 2022 Kingdom Come festival. I interviewed them just prior to that performance (to read interview, click here). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend that year, but I did see a video of them live later last year.

This was an excellent album, with several strong songs, such as the title track, "Forgiven," "Someone Great In Me," "His House Of Love," and my favorite, "The Sword." (There aren't enough songs dealing with the importance of Scripture nowadays, if ever.) It also includes excellent arrangements of a pair of good old time Christian songs, "Blessed Assurance" and "I Shall Not Be Moved."

"True Revival" is likely going to be on my favorite album list, and is definitely the most recent entry on that list by well over a decade. I highly recommend it.

The following links are for their webpage, Facebook, and Spotify. They're also going to be performing at a Biker Rally in Plainfield, IN, May 20th.

 

INTERVIEW WITH TRUE REVIVAL

 

True Revival: L-R Doug Keele (guitars), Terry Tyler (vocals, guitars), Dan McCreary (drums and percussion) and Jim Hallock (bass guitar).

I'm getting in a groove of having some awesome interviews with various bands, and this is a prime example of why these interviews get me excited! An example is this interview with True Revival. The responses are a team effort of the band, so I left the responses "TR" to represent the band.

JR: When did you all come to Christ, how did the band get started and how did you decide on the name?  

TR: True Revival is a band of Christian brothers, using the
talents He gave us, to give back to Him. It is not about us, but the glory belongs to Him alone. We are all "seasoned" musicians, each with our own history on how we came to accept the Lord as our personal Savior. We came from Christian homes, and our respective walks with the Lord have led us all to this place at the same time. True Revival was born as the manifestation of an idea that Terry and Jim had while playing on the worship team for our local Christian Church. Five years later, here we are: four Christian brothers, leading others in the worship of our Almighty King, Jesus Christ.  

 JR: Would you like to tell me about your latest project? 

TR: We are currently finalizing our first album (title to be determined) consisting of 12 songs. The vast majority (10) are originals, with the remainder a couple of covers that we made our own by putting the True Revival take on them. 

JR: Who would you say are your "heroes" or, if you prefer, mentors or influences, both musically and of the faith? 

TR: As I mentioned above, we are a diverse group, coming from various musical backgrounds. Musically speaking, we are influenced by everything from bands like Journey, the Eagles, Rush, Metallica, the Beatles, and even JS Bach (love the old stuff). As for a "hero," I would say it would be the Lord that we do our best to serve. By definition, a hero is someone to emulate and/or look up to. What a better hero to have than Jesus! One that gave His life freely for us is truly the most "hero-worthy" person there ever was.  

JR: I know you have some performances coming up at a church called "First Heavy Metal Church of Christ." What were some of the most unique venues you've been at? 

TR: This will be our fourth visit to the First Heavy Metal Church of Christ. That is certainly a "unique" venue. Others would include Festivals of the Arts, PitFest, biker rallies, etc. God can use us anywhere He leads.  

JR: Borrowing off your name, what do you think True Revival would look like in the Church today? Any thing from your ministry that is an encouragement that we're headed the right direction, in spite of the apparent changes in modern society?   

TR: Excellent question. "True Revival" is pretty self-explanatory. There is way too much division today - both in the church and in society in general. This is NOT what Christ had in mind. We are to be one. Ephesians 4:3-6 is pretty explicit: " Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (NIV). 

We strive to be an avenue in which the Holy Spirit flows. Not about us, only about Him. There have been a couple instances where people have told us of the personal impact of our musical messages. In fact, one individual was convinced against suicide after hearing the Lord through our music. Praise Jesus! While it would be great to reach thousands of souls through an hour of True Revival's music, one at a time is mission accomplished as well. 

As for society, it is now more important than ever that the Church holds fast to the teachings of the Lord. I would strongly argue that when society continues to stray further and further from biblical truths, the worse things become. Yes, the bible offers absolutes. The adversary is working overtime to blur the lines - instead of a clear sense of right and wrong, society (and the church) are seeming to condone a softening to God's Word. The Bible tells us God is the same always. He alone is our anchor. Satan causes the drift. True Revival means getting back to the Bible - differentiating right from wrong, loving the sinner while hating the sin. We are all human and all fall short of the Glory of God. That is why Christ had to perish for us. We all need to remember that fact and start living like it. 

JR: Thank you very much for your time! I know you'll be at Kingdom Come Festival here in Indiana in June; any others you'd like to tell us about? How can we keep in touch with your band, such as a website or anything?

TR: Thank you for reaching out to us! Yes, we are opening the Saturday portion of the Kingdom Come Festival. We are greatly looking forward to sharing the Lord at KCF! We are on Facebook - just search for "True Revival." We are also on the web - truerevivalband.net. May God continue to bless you and your ministry. Soli Deo Gloria!