Tuesday
Nov272007
Don't call it a comeback (I've been here for years)
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 03:42PM
Well, the Sabbatical (part 1) is over. Â I'm in Elkhorn, Nebraska. Â Tonight we'll play the first of 19 Andrew Peterson Christmas shows. Â We spent the last two days in rehearsal in Nashville, trying to sneak out every time it looked like a lull was looming so we could spend a few more minutes with our families before we left.
It's the leaving that's the hardest part. Â Once you're gone you just deal, but trying to make those last few minutes count is tough. Â The pressure can often overwhelm the time, so you have to fight that and just be.
Lunch was in a gym today and a bunch of us played a basketball game called "Knockout" afterwards.  It is incredibly humbling to be the worst athlete in a group of musicians.  In honor I might have to play "the Ball Game" tonight. Â
Each of the artists gets to play two songs during the first half of the concert. Â I like to change it up, so I've made a list of songs I can play. Â Any suggestions to add to the list are welcomed, though I can't promise anything. Â (You've got to play the tunes that sell the records!) Â I'll post every night and let you know the tunes I played. Â
Well, I'm going to go grab a shower before soundcheck. Â Thanks for all the kind words and wishes during my little time off. Â It was nice to not think about blogging for a while. Â And fairly providential since I couldn't get internet at my parents' place in Illinois. Â (The neighbor put a password on their wireless!)
Oh, and a word of warning. Â If you play Knockout with us this year, Bebo plays dirty.Â
It's the leaving that's the hardest part. Â Once you're gone you just deal, but trying to make those last few minutes count is tough. Â The pressure can often overwhelm the time, so you have to fight that and just be.
Lunch was in a gym today and a bunch of us played a basketball game called "Knockout" afterwards.  It is incredibly humbling to be the worst athlete in a group of musicians.  In honor I might have to play "the Ball Game" tonight. Â
Each of the artists gets to play two songs during the first half of the concert. Â I like to change it up, so I've made a list of songs I can play. Â Any suggestions to add to the list are welcomed, though I can't promise anything. Â (You've got to play the tunes that sell the records!) Â I'll post every night and let you know the tunes I played. Â
Well, I'm going to go grab a shower before soundcheck. Â Thanks for all the kind words and wishes during my little time off. Â It was nice to not think about blogging for a while. Â And fairly providential since I couldn't get internet at my parents' place in Illinois. Â (The neighbor put a password on their wireless!)
Oh, and a word of warning. Â If you play Knockout with us this year, Bebo plays dirty.Â
Reader Comments (22)
Knockout... man I remember playing that game... and never winning... ever. I grew up with everyone who loved to play basketball while I just wanted to read.
Songs:
- Marilyn
- New Beginning
- Too Far To Walk
- The Priest and the Iron Rain
- (if possible) Brittle Bone
Hey, I love your music. But I especially can dig a folksy singer-songwriter that can quote LL in his blog. Come play in Columbia, Missouri sometime.
If Bebo plays dirty and you want to get back without having to become an athlete in the process, just take your turn before him during the show and play one of his songs-- poorly-- (preferably one he was going to play) and then attribute authorship. Done and done.
I will be at the show in Memphis...so, that night I'd love to hear "Wanted" and "New Beginning."
How about Mother India tomorrow night in Wausau. I'll be helping out with the Compassion table. Stop by and say hi.
When you play at bellevue in memphis you should definitely do New Beginning and Following the Blind... I'd like to see stripped down acoustic versions of those
My wife and I are very much looking forward to the show in Michigan City, IN. Could you play "Trying To Get This Right" that night? Or "Dance Away The City?" You da man.
I just wanted to say how blessed I was at the concert tonight!
Honestly, I came because I won tickets on the radio and I am a huge Sara Groves fan. I had never been to one of the Andrew Peterson Christmas shows before and didn't really know what to expect tonight.
I am so glad I went.
When I left I felt humbled and blessed to be in the presence of such an amazing God. Each and every one of you were involved in leading the audience in worship. The song choices for the early part of the show spoke to my heart. Especially the "Song for My Sister" ... something I needed to hear.
The talents used to glorify the King tonight were incredible! I am now a fan of every artist there tonight.
God bless you.
So....what are the chances of a guy like me, getting into a sold out show of a guy like you in Leawood, KS on Thursday night? 1/100...1/1000...
And I would be in favor of Too Far to Walk, and House of Mirrors...
If Bebo's playing dirty, just knock him out via his recently operated knee ;) Sounds like a lot of fun and that the comraderie is in abundance. Be easy on the new guy, Bebo, as it's his first go around at BTLOG.
well just one request for the sugerland show....The Survivor
Requests for the Terre Haute, IN next week:
- "High School Band"
- A Normals oldie like " The Best I Can" or "We Are The Beggars At The Food Of God's Door"
Another Terre Haute request: I'd love to hear "Early in the Morning" or "Brittle Bone" or "Too Far To Walk". Or "Dance Away The City". Or "Roast Beef" (oops, wrong Andy. Well, right Andy *and* wrong Andy... or something like that).
My girls would *love* to hear "High School Band". We first heard that in Whitestown, IN when you played it at an AP concert - at which time you were bemoaning the fact that you shouldn't have eaten the M&Ms proffered by AP because then you couldn't hit that high note where the trumpets sing. :)
I don't have any Normals music other than A Place Where You Belong... :( So I can't yet suggest anything older.
Boy, I'm *really* looking forward to this.
If you want to mess with Bebo's head, right before he shoots whisper "I am the ghost of Rich Mullins and I've come to haunt you for desecrating "Sometimes by Step". Ahhhhhh... ooohhhhhh.... ahhhhhhhhhhh."
brick.
Just wanted to drop by and say how much I enjoyed your In-The-Round performances last night in Elkhorn, NE. The growth in your musicianship from the Normals to now is simply inspiring and many of your songs really resonate with me. Thanks for doing what you do.
more suggestions for the memphis show:
anna and the aliens (come on. be different.), the blessing curse, and early in the morning.
go ahead and play 3. steal the time for the 3rd from bebo.
as for knock out, we used to play that w/ the youth group all the time. a couple weeks after knee surgery, i dropped my cane and won a game. man, but teenagers reeeally don't like it when a 30+ cripple beats them. hehe...
see you at the show...
ps. i do photography as a hobby. if you wanna swing me and the wife a media pass, i'd love to do some concert shots for you (and anyone else...)
we had randall at our church earlier this year, so he should be able to vouch that the wife and i are not the crazy stalker types...
I suppose you don't make much money selling a free album, but if you sung Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates in Cincinnati it would make me very happy. Hmm, perhaps get a few of your tourmates to fill in the background vocals? That would rule.
Requests for the Tampa show on 12/14:
Early in the Morning
New Beginning
and a third if possible would be Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates.
I can't wait for this show!!
I second Jud's request for SWTGG for the Cinci show! I'd also love to hear early in the morning.
You should most definitely play Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates at the Charlotte concert, and Highschool Band too. I don't currently have a ticket, but even though its sold out, I haven't yet given up.
Andy, the coffeehouse in downtown normal is still the same place it was 15 years ago, and it has some wireless waves. FYI for your next visit. Given, there are several newer places, but who knows which ones will stay or go.