A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Yes, we had lunch with the band called "LEELAND" yesterday and then saw them and "CASTING CROWNS" perform in concert last night. Long story short, Brent has an employee (Thanks Wes!) that is has two family members in the LEELAND band. (his brother Jake and his cousin Leeland himself). Therefore, Wes's Mom - Mama Callie - got us all tickets and back stage meet and greet passes for last night so that we could hang out with everyone before the show. Look closely at the picture above and you might notice on my meet and greet pass that Mark Hall, lead singer of casting crowns, autographed it for me. Let me just confess....I was a tad bit star struck while chillin' with all of these guys backstage. All of you know how much I "LOVE" casting crowns music. After meeting everyone from the casting crowns band, which just so happens to be the number one Christian rock group right now in the country, (they just took home several dove awards a week or so ago), Leeland took us up into their dressing/green room and showed us how everything worked. It was all so very intriguing. We are so very thankful for the time that Leeland, Jack, Jake, and their band in general spent with us over lunch yesterday as well as throughout the start of the evening last night. We truly felt "special" coming from behind the stage when the show was about to begin. I won't deny that we were true groupies. Ha ha! I snapped as many shots as I could get. Too many to post here actually. However, here are a few that give you an idea of how awesome our night was. First up, this photo is of Brent and I with Leeland backstage in their dressing room. About 20-25 others got meet and greet passes but we were the only ones (along with Wes and Amanda of course) that got to go up into the crews dressing room.
This photo below is for Mama Callie. It's of all her "boys" and of her sweet sweet daughter in law, Amanda. (Left to right is Leeland-Wes's cousin, Wes holding his lil' son Austin, Jake-Wes's brother, and Amanda.)
BELOW: Leeland and a crew member playing around as they were signing autographs for the meet and greet visitors.
BELOW: Leeland on stage during the concert itself. Their band just ROCKS. If you haven't got the CD or any of their songs on your IPOD, go get it. You must have it.
ABOVE & BELOW: This is Christian singer, John Waller. He opened the show for Leeland and the Casting Crowns. Great guy too. Loved his music even though I wasn't very familiar with him until last night. BELOW: This Juan Devevo, guitarist for Casting Crowns BELOW: Jake (Wes's cousin from the LEELAND band) introducing Chris Huffman, bass player for Casting Crowns, to Wes and Amanda. BELOW: Hector Cervantes, lead guitarist for Casting Crowns, signing autographs at the meet and greet session before the concert began. BELOW: Mark hall, lead singer for Casting Crowns, and his violinist/vocalist-Melody Devevo signing autographs. BELOW: The best drummer on the face of this earth, Andy Williams (from Casting Crowns). This guy truly ROCKED-and I mean ROCKED the house last night. BELOW: Jake and Jack from the LEELAND band. Jake is on the left and Jack is on the right. The cool thing about Jack-other than his great personality and his extremely friendly demeanor-is the fact that he is married to Michael W. Smiths daughter. Yeap, he is married to Whitney. She was at lunch with all of us yesterday too. (featured with Jack in yesterdays lunch photo shown in the post below this one) Brent and I were so in awe of her and the fact that Michael W. is her Dad. We talked about growing up in Tennessee with him as her father and what that was like. As most of you know, Michael W. Smith is Brent's favorite Christian singer of all times. If you remember right, a few months back when we went to Michael's Christmas concert in Tennessee, Jack (below on right), is the one who had Michael call Brent on his cell phone that day. Brent was so dumbfounded and excited after talking to Michael on the phone that he was literally just in shock and completely speechless. Thanks Jack! We still laugh about that moment all the time. Whitney, we loved meeting you and hope that we see you again in the future. Thanks for spending your afternoon over lunch with us yesterday.
BELOW: Jack rockin' it out on stage last night. BELOW: Leeland and the LEELAND band on stage last night BELOW: Me backstage and starstruck with Mark Hall - lead singer from Casting Crowns. He was the nicest guy ever and truly knows how to bring the house down when in concert. I must tell you that this man - even aside from his overly busy tour schedule and normal chaotic life as a Christian artist - he still manages to go home to Atlanta every Wednesday and Sunday so that he can continue to minister to the youth where he is the youth group minister at his local hometown church. How awesome is that??? What devotion he has to the youth!! Truly amazing and truly says something about his incredible love for God. FYI....Please ignore my appearance in these photos. I was a drenched rat by the time we made it indoors to the concert. It literally poured here in Indy yesterday and therefore, I look like something the cat drug in throughout all of these pictures. BELOW: Mark doing the meet and greet back stage.
BELOW: Casting crowns drummer, Andy Williams, bringin' the house down at the end of the night and showing us what he is made of during a special introduction for him by Mark.
BELOW: These shots below are of one of my most favorite moments during the whole evening. Mark introduced this guy who came out on stage dressed in all black. During two of the songs that Mark and the casting crowns crew sang, this guy painted onstage to the songs while they performed them. It was one of the most powerful moments I've ever witnessed.
Thanks to all of you who were with us last night. We had a blast. A big shout out to Jarret Heaston and his wife too for a really fun time last night as well. The only thing missing here is a photo of you guys. Maybe next time, eh? Jarret is the worship leader at our church that Wes gave a pair of the tickets to. Speaking of knowing how to the rock the house, Jarret rocks the house every Sunday morning at church for the congregation and we love it! We thoroughly enjoyed hanging with you guys all night last night. Until we can do it again sometime soon, have a great weekend! See you tomorrow in the pews! :) Blessings, Angie
PS...If interested, here are links to LEELAND & the CASTING CROWNS myspace pages. You can go and hear some of their music on there if you have the time. If you don't have their CD's, you must go get them both. They are so very worth it.
Leelands: http://tinyurl.com/6ggpb6 & Casting Crowns: http://tinyurl.com/5n6nmy
PSS...Last but so not least, I'm giving a BIG shout out to my son Brennen this morning for the two awesome touchdowns that he made in his football game last night. Unfortunately, Brent and I were at the concert and missed the plays because we couldn't be at his game. I've missed two games in all of Brent's sports seasons for the 9 years of life that I can remember. One of those two just happened to be last night. And wouldn't you know it, he'd score 2 touchdowns at the game we missed? At least Grandma Debbie was there to see it all go down. YAY Brennen! You rock studman!
4 Comments:
WoW!! How much fun that would have been! I love the pictures.
I have seen the painter guy before, he is AMAZING!
Looks like you guys had a blast! Im so happy for you guys! I went and changed my myspace song to one of theirs that I love! OH, and I hope you don't mind, but I snagged your pic. of the people raising their hands... I wanted to add it on my page! I LOVE to look up at Church and see everyone lifting HIM up!
Angie,
That sounds like it was such and AWESOME, MEMORIBLE evening. I didn't know that they were coming to the Indiana State Fairgounds. I think that I've worn out Casting Crowns The Altar and the Door Cd.
Brian has been listening to that awful RAP music and I've been trying to convert in over to other kinds of music and I think that the ROCK sound of Casting Crowns may be something that he may just give a second thought to if and I can just get him to listen to it and of course, understand their Christian message.
The guy doing the drawings was definately a UNIQUE approach to the usual concert stage antics. I wonder where they found the guy at or if he just volunteers to do the drawings?
GO BRENNEN. TWO TOUCHDOWNS in one game. He must be good to be given that much play time on the field in order to achieve the touchdowns.
Hopefully, you'll be able to attach more of your concert pictures soon. Thanks for sharing your exciting evening with everyone.
I am currently still not working as of yet and would really LOVE to see you and the kiddos sometime, I know in the e-mail before you went to FLORIDA, you mentioned that
THURSDAY evenings would be good, has that changed? Also, if you need anyone to sit with Kenidi anytime that you need to run and errand I would love to sit with her. Just keep me in mind. Your mom said that she so enjoyed the time that she was able to sit with Kenidi last week and wishes that she could spend more time with Brennen as well.
I'be better be going for now, Charles Stanley and Joel Osteen will be coming on TV soon. Oh, by the way did you know that Joel will be coming to the Freedom center Louisville Kentucky on May the 18th. It is in the evening though doors open at 6:00 and the event starts at 7:30. If I'm not working by then, I'm thinking about going.
LYFA
WOW, Angie!!!! That was so awesome to get to see all the pictures from such a neat experience! Thank you so much for the link! I was scrolling before I got your email, and I hadn't found it yet. LOL
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