American Idolness


The visage presented to you in the above picture is Christian Rock god Mike Roe. He played last night with fellow 77's bandmate David Leonhardt to a show of about 100 here in Lancaster, Pa. No Groupies to be found but plenty of Grannies. Some lady was trying to unload her two tickets to the show on Facebook because she could not find a sitter. Ah, middle-age. The crowd trended older with a few youngsters thrown in who probably were tuned into the 77's by their parents.

I once drove about 1300 miles over a three-day weekend to see the 77's play at a Christian Rock festival. The weekend was Hell and I walked away from the scathing ruins of the experience wondering what possessed me to be so foolhardy. An acquaintance of mine, whose car broke down in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday morning, needed a ride the rest of the way to Kentucky...and yours truly picked him up after I had already arrived at the Festival the night before. He then proceeded to enter the manic phase of his Manic Depression and he became a Pied Piper of sorts for all of the disaffected youth who had come to the festival. Kids smoking in a parade behind him. Not cool. Around midnight the dude tried to exorcise the demons of my past to a Tears for Fears song. Did I tell you the weekend was Hell?

Nonetheless, I came out of that escapade into the infernal a wiser man. I vowed that I would never elevate another band, artist, or human being to that level of an idol. So, to see half of the 77's last night so close to home was a treat. We make light of the word "Idol" as in "American Idol." Yet, idols are four letter words in the Bible. An idol is essentially something or someone that assumes god-like status in the eye of the beholder. Worshiping the creation and not the Creator. Idols Du Jour, like soup, get cold. Idols grow old, they crumble, they die. Yesterday, Twilight. Today, the Hunger Games. Tomorrow, who knows.

Mike Roe is a talented musician. I am grateful that the 77's music he created with the other artists in the band operated as a musical Rock Methodone of sorts to get me off of pagan Smack sound. It did the job, and artfully so. I will always have a special place in my heart for the band. In a slew of substandard saccharine in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) they stood apart with a small cadre of other bands that didn't make me want to puke up the crap like a cat does with a hairball...all furry and fuzzy, causing me to choke. How is mediocrity so persistently justified by "ministry?" Something can suck in the sanctified realm and we need to come clean about it. I know this is not polite Christianese where people are nice to your face but harsh and small behind it. I will be up front and center.  

Last night, I had the opportunity to hang out with Mike after the show and eat some dinner. It was getting late and I rise at 5:00. I commit myself daily to getting enough rest so that I can give my best to my employer. Staying out to 11:30 just doesn't cut it anymore. So, I declined the offer. I figured Mike might just want  to have some peace with one less fanboy asking him questions. Give him the peace that he deserves. I have come a long way in the twenty or so years since I made that ill-fated trip to Kentucky. Many miles ago, and less miles to go. May God continue to bless Mike Roe and the 77's.

  




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