intersections

Moby: Pale Horses

One of my favorite artists releases a new music video! Enjoy!
Pale Horses, by Moby

apocalypse: the revealing of GOD

Join us this Summer for a journey into popular culture as we search for glimpses of God's kingdom. Click here for more info. Download poster here.

Aaron Beaumont - A review

My friend, Aaron Beaumont, is playing again at the Hotel Cafe (does he own the place yet?) this Friday night and L.A. Weekly is promoting the show. What's great, though, is that the music editor for L.A. Weekly gave him a really glowing review. You can read it here.

You can buy Aaron's amazing new album on iTunes.

Dear Mr. President - P!nk

My friend Kori told me about this song this afternoon. Yeah, I apparently live a sheltered life. Take a listen (and a look).

Obviously one man is not responsible for all the problems in the world, but he sure bears a great deal of the responsibility. I heard one speaker recently say that George Bush should be remembered as the president who revoked generations of law protecting prisoners, suspended habeas corpus and authorized the use of torture. How can he sleep at night?

Frankly, I think this is a song for any president. Just because we have a new president taking office in just a few days, the same questions must be asked. Hopefully the answers we get in future will be more humane.

Finally, we all need to hear this song addressed to us. We are culpable by the choices we make. How can we sleep at night?

Cobalt Season kicks off Hollywood concert series

Ryan Sharp of The Cobalt Season talks with members of the Hollywood Adventist Church (click to enlarge) Photo by Kathy Khoo.

We had a great time with The Cobalt Season on Thursday night. About 50 friends and strangers gathered in at the church for a wonderful concert. For more pictures check out the church's Picasa album. All photos are by Kathy Khoo.

We were also graced by two songs from Corrinne May, to open the night. Corrinne will be playing a full concert (the second in our series) on May 29. Stay tuned for more....

Weekend Wrap-Up

Aaron Beaumont at the Hotel Cafe

On Friday evening a large group gathered to hear Aaron Beaumont play his unique style of "piano rock" at the Hotel Cafe with proceeds going to ADRA to buy goats, as Aaron said, from the Really Useful Gift Catalog. Aaron's a great artist. You can hear some of his music at his MySpace page. But you really need to see him in concert to appreciate the music fully.

California Poppies galore
Here's my wife amidst the poppies at the Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California.

It was just meant to be. My friend, Scott Arany, went on Sabbath. So, on Sunday morning I was thinking about what we could do with our kids. I looked at the front page of the Sunday LA Times and there were the poppies. We braved temperatures in the low 60s and winds gusting in the 30 mph range.

Aaron Beaumont in concert

A friend of our community, Aaron Beaumont is having a concert on Friday night. Check out his music on his MySpace page and come out and support.

Accelerate

Yesterday I went to Amoeba Music here in Hollywood with a friend to buy the much anticipated new release from R.E.M. called accelerate. I've been waiting for this one for a while. Everyone agrees that this is R.E.M.'s best album in more than a decade.

Accelerate is the first studio album by that post-Berry stage band, and it is one of the best records R.E.M. have ever made. - Rolling Stone

R.E.M. was my favorite band during high school. Those were the days of their 1987 release, Document. I had their lyrics taped up all over my room. This album is so reminiscent of their early energy, passion and seriousness about their art.
They are playing at the Hollywood Bowl on May 29th. Anyone want to go? Tickets go on sale April 6th.

Tick-Tock

This is a music video preview from the forthcoming CD/DVD release by Cobalt Season. As I mentioned below, Cobalt Season will be performing at the Hollywood Adventist Church on Thursday, April 24. Click here for concert details.

Cobalt Season coming to Hollywood

I first heard about Cobalt Season just over a year ago as their album, In Search of a Unified Theory, was being released. My wife and I drove to Orange County to hang with Aaron Flores' community one night last Spring to hear them perform. I was immediately drawn into their artistry and the subversive power of their lyrics. If you haven't heard their music, run - don't walk - to their MySpace page and give it a listen. It's not every day that people of the Jesus Way produce music like this. Mmmmm!

We've stayed in touch a bit in the intervening year and so when they said they were passing through L.A. this Spring, I naturally offered to host them here for a night.

So...on Thursday night, April 24th, at 7:30 pm, Cobalt Season will be performing at the Hollywood Adventist Church. They upcoming CD, Fragile Iconoclast, is being released any day now, so they will be doing songs old and new.

Admission is free, but we are going to be taking good care of our friends, so please come prepared to help us take care of them. Also, their CDs will be on sale so come prepared for that. See y'all in a few weeks!