Happy Monday friends! I trust you all had a good weekend and are also ready to dive into our weekly Monday Comes Around song discussion at the end of the post! (Take a guess on what song we’re going to be discussing today!) But first – let’s get on with the update shall we?
Switchfoot wrapped up their Asia tour, but we still have some updates, photos, reviews and stories for you!
5/01 – KL
Here’s the setlist for the show!
Now for photo goodness!
From PRAKASHDANIEL:
Photo Credit: PrakashDaniel
Photo Credit: PrakashDaniel
Photo Credit: Prakash Daniel
Photo Credit: Prakash Daniel
View the full set HERE!
From ELEMENTS MAG:
Photo Credit: ElementsMag
Photo Credit: ElementsMag
Photo Credit: ElementsMag
View the full set HERE.
You can view videos from both KL and Manila by clicking right HERE!
Here’s a gorgeous video of Always:
4/30 – Manila
Switchfoot’s press conference started the days events:
One of our site visitors, Sabrina, typed up the setlist with a few notes for us!
- The Sound (The band entered and people started to go in front (good thing I was so fast because I was in front and center). Good way to start!)
- Stars (Jon made the crowd clap in the air. On the chorus, people started to get wild and jumping. Jon tried to stand in the thin railing just so he can got to the crowd.)
- Bullet Soul
- Gone (The songs started with an intro of Chem6A. It brought back young Switchfoot again. Jon made a jump from the bass drum in the end.)
- Your Love is a Song (The band and the crowd sang their hearts out.)
- Free
- **Jon introduced Jerome. (from Always: this is the place you were born) Jon said, “Thank you Manila for giving me one of my bestfriends!”
- Always (Full of heart and soul. Before the song Jon made the crowd sing the chorus with him without instruments, then the piano intro started. One of the epic songs that night.)
- Awakening (Jon made the crowd clap their hands in the air once again. One of the most energetic songs that night.)
- Meant to Live (Not the usual intro but it still rocked. Very energetic as usual.)
- Mess of Me (One of the energetic songs. Wild band = Wild crowd.)
- Learning to Breathe (My favorite that night. Every time they play it live, I just.. love it. Full of soul and passion. I almost cried when I heard Jon strumming the intro because I really wanted them to play it.)
- This is Home (Jon said, “It’s incredible to me to think that we can come halfway around the world and still feel like home”. The song was done in acoustic, which even made the song more serene.)
- We are One Tonight (A combination with the song, “The Shadows Prove the Sunshine”. Jon went to the crowd and even went up the ringside. I was so scared for him because people started to grab him.)
- ENCORE
- Only Hope (It started in acoustic but it ended with a full band. When Chad entered on the later part, the dim lights became so bright, right on the smack! Truly Epic.)
- Hello Hurricane (I think this is the most awaited song of the night because people went so wild when they heard the intro.)
- Dare You To Move (My second favorite the night. Jon started out by saying, “I wanna play a song about a movement” then BAM! Jon took my camera, by the way. Best way to end!)
(Thanks Sabrina!) Our friend Desiree posted some thoughts on the concert as well – you can check that out HERE. Really beautiful words.
The Straits Times posted a glowing review of the show – read the newspaper clipping below! (Thanks Desiree!)
Photos? Check out an awesome photo set by lem.ian by clicking HERE. A few of my favorites are posted below:
Photo Credit: lem.ian
Photo Credit: lem.ian
Photo Credit: lem.ian
Here are some more photos by Christine Chung – view the full set HERE.
Photo Credit: Christine Chung
And this is just an EPIC photo by zhi.wei:
Photo Credit: zhi.wei
Photo Credit: PhotoPitAccess
Lastly, let’s jump back a few more shows and revisit Easterfest – with this great blog post and accompanying photos, sent to us by Kevin Scott Banks!:
As Newworldson finished their set, I left the mainstage, thinking for sure that Switchfoot had already fled the park for safety. I arrived at crew shelter area to find it packed with nervous volunteers and family members. The energy and excitement that I’d sensed only hours before had been replaced with anxiousness and uncertainty. Not knowing what else to do, I sat there solemnly, wallowing in the disappointment of missing out on Switchfoot. And then I heard a wonderful, beautiful sound…
No way, it couldn’t be. Oh but it was. It was the sound of Swtichfoot taking the mainstage by storm, literally! Instinct took over as I rushed out of the crew shelter and practically hydroplaned across the now-massive pool of water along the way. Flashing my “Official Photographer” pass, I entered the pit and took my place in front of the stage.
I’ll never, ever forget the 45 minutes that ensued. Swtichfoot didn’t just play their set. This is a band that probably plays two to three hundred shows a year. But this show was different. The rain scarcely let up for the duration of the show. I estimate less than a thousand people had stuck around in the nearly knee-deep water. However, those who remained were a spirited bunch if ever there was one.
Jon Foreman and the boys brought all the energy, all the passion, and all the emotion I could ever have asked for. While 20,000 festival goers were being evacuated from the park, they played their hearts out for the faithful few. It was an absolutely incredible show. I sang along at the top of my lungs as they bellowed out anthems like “Dare You to Move” and “Meant to Live.” How fitting it was when Foreman sang the line “Here we go now with the falling sky and the rain….we’re awakening!”
My favorite moment of the night came during the song “Free.” This particular song has brought hope and inspiration to my life many times before. In fact, it was one of the main factors that inspired me to start my blog and leave for my New Zealand adventure in the first place. Here at the tail end of this adventure, it was such a satisfying and emotional moment as I sang along,
“I had a dream that my chains were broken, broken. Broken, OPEN!“
I wanted so badly for that show to gone on forever. Finally they played their last song and thanked everyone who was still there. Jon Foreman said it was a night he would never, ever forget. Since I had access to the backstage area, I ran and waited for the band to leave. As they made their escape from the stage in the pouring rain, I gave them all huge high fives and thanked them for what they’d just done. I have so much respect for them for staying and playing their show, given the circumstances.
It was such a fitting night. It was a concert I’d wanted to see so badly. At first it looked like it would never happen. And then somehow it happened anyway, and it happened in an unforgettably special way. I don’t even know what to say, accept thank you. Thank you Switchfoot for a night of inspiration I will cherish for the rest of my life.
EPIC! Thanks Kevin!
Know Keith Tutt II? No? Well you should.
Photo Credit: Grace
He’s the talented fellow on the cello – he’s played on Oh! Gravity and Hello Hurricane, as well as played with Jon at solo shows. He recently unearthed his “audition tape” that he and his string trio made to show Switchfoot “they had the skillz” – a fabulous string version of We Are One Tonight! Listen to it below, and if you haven’t yet, check out our interview with Keith HERE. (Thanks John!)
Discussion Point: It’s time for our weekly Monday Comes Around song discussion! This week, per the request of site visitor Kyle, we’re going to take a break from discussing songs on the Switchfoot albums, and take a look at a rarer song – Connect With The Spine from Switchfoot’s magnificent Eastern Hymns for Western Shores EP. We don’t have a Jon song story and I know a lot of you don’t own the EP but fortunately, you can listen to the tune below!
The lyrics:
Take her like a photograph, like any autograph
She’ll find a way to go down,
Watch her like a movie screen, like any drama queen
She’ll find a way to go downYeah, yeah, yeah
Play it like a cameo, and watch her overflow
She’ll find a way to go down
Run like a candidate, like any minute made
You’ll find a way to go downI’m sick of the faces, the scene and the light
We’ll be fine when the faces connect with the spineYeah, yeah, yeah
Different song, yes? Lyrically it’s a twist of illusions and word play, much less straight forward than a lot of Switchfoot songs. What do you take from the song? What do you think the lyrics mean? How does this song inspire you? Share your comments below!
The moment I first listened to it I thought it had the same theme as Easier Than Love, maybe I’m wrong…?
Sort of. I thought of it as a popularity thing like it is for VV. That’s the thing about Switchfoot, you can think of their songs in such different ways. I can see your connection between the two songs.
Maybe this evolved into the song Easier Than Love, or maybe it was meant to be like a sister song? Kinda how Mess of Me and Free are related(brother songs). If that makes any sense.
For me “connect with the spine” is a simple song about the materialistic influences that ruins so many people. It gets right to the point and then breaks down to Jon singing out “yeah” over and over again
which is proboly some of the purest vocals ever recorded by Jon in my opinion .
I very much agree – Jon’s vocals are gold in this song. When I first got the EP, I would just listen to those “yeah”s over and over and over again… they are so very haunting.
Very raw – saturated with emotion
I can barely hit those notes and hold them, but he sings them so cleanly it’s just incredible
Just another reason I wish i had this EP right there
EAstern Hymns for Western Shores is an awesome awesome little handful of songs
Unfortunately you can’t buy it any more
Is it illegal if you download the songs from the EP off of YouTube?
I want the music, and I would totally buy the EP if it was still available, but since it isn’t available anymore, is it illegal to download EHFWS off of YouTube?
Hmmmm… since it’s not available any more, and since you can’t buy it… I think you’re probably okay
unless you get lucky and find it on amazon.com or ebay
EHFWS needs a digital download release.
Amen
This song has puzzled me a bit since the first day I heard it. The instruments and Jon’s voice blend together and create a weird yet beautiful sound. “I’m sick of the faces, the scene and the light, We’ll be fine when the faces connect with the spine” part is talking about people who never really live; they just go through life doing what they have to to get by. I think it means once we’ve decided who we are as a person, and we start living, and we’ll be fine. I feel like that applies very well to being in 6th grade; everyone is just trying to be popular and trying to be like everyone else. Honestly, I think I’m the only 6th grade girl not obsessing over Justin Bieber and Taylor Lautner. I just can’t believe the music 12 year olds listen to! I’d be dead if my parents caught me listening to Hot 100.5, but there’s nothing I can do. It feels good though, in a way, to be the only 6th grade girl who’s favorite bands are Switchfoot and U2(Sorry for writing a paper; one thought lead to another:)
“Honestly, I think I’m the only 6th grade girl not obsessing over Justin Bieber and Taylor Lautner. I just can’t believe the music 12 year olds listen to!”
the 6th graders (or younger) nowadays aren’t the only ones that listen to justin bieber or being obsessed over taylor lautner. many girls my age (and i’m in my mid-20′s – my GOD. i am old) are obsessed with justin bieber and ka$ha it alsmot always makes me feel that i am so ~stupid~ and ~out of fashion~ for not liking them lol.
to quote one of the classmates from my one of my classes (that i just had this spring term), “i just can’t listen to anything from the radio anymore; it’s garbage.”
btw the ~stupid~ and ~out of fashion~, that was sarcasm.
so you are in gr. 6? i think you are my half-sister’s age. aahh…!
Well done to you for not being afraid to stick out! You are fortunate to have discover SF at such a young age….. I didn’t until the end of 9th grade! D:
Sticking out has never really had me concerned. I would rather listen to something that I believe in, rather than music that has NO meaning, curses, and talks about things that I’d rather not say.
Well said!!!
Good for you! If you ask me, it’s way better to be different.
I agree with Carrie, you are so lucky! I didn’t start listening to switchfoot until grade 9 or 10. And I must say, I always enjoy reading your takes on songs – I would never guess you were in grade six. Very insightful thoughts, don’t apologize for the long posts (they’re the best!).
Thanks! Every time I listen to a song (especially SF songs) I always try and find the meaning of a song underneath the lyrics and music. Also, I thank my mom for buying TBL in ’03. I LOVED that cd. Even though I was only 4, I remember telling my mom to put that cd in whenever we got in the car. I think that’s why I live SF SO much;)
Oops! I meant “I think that’s why I LOVE SF SO much;)”
lol didn’t even notice that typo until -you- pointed it out!
I WISH i had gotten into Switchfoot in 6th Grade. Im about to graduate highschool and its only been in the last year or so that i really connected with Switchfoot
Ever wonder how your life would have been different if you had gotten into Switchfoot a little bit earlier…
YES! I was just talking to my mom about this the other day…
Me: ” I can’t believe that there was a time when I didn’t listen to SF…… I was really lame back then, huh?”
Mom: “No, you just liked other music”
Me: “Yep, I was lame!”
I think that I can speak for most SF fans, when I say that since I started listening to their music I have become a more insightful and thoughtful person….not thoughtful, like considerate, but I have started to think about what it means to be human and living in this world…..definitely music for thinking people!
My thots exactly!
Same! I was inspired to “live deeply” as they say, and come to grips with the realities of the world- even more? change them
Hear, hear! Some of my deepest reflections have been sparked by a lyric from a Switchfoot song…
I totally agree. Some of my “deepest” moments (if you can call them that) have come out of SF music… it really makes you think. In a totally different way. An eye-opener, in many ways.
@ carrie: dude, at least you have someone in real life to talk about this! i don’t!
and yah, i agree with not getting into switchfoot’s music until now. few months ago i came to this realisation that i just couldn’t believe the music i was into (minus the childhood band i have liked since i was 11 or 13. they’re my childhood sweetheart!) before switchfoot. i wouldn’t say that i was lame for liking those bands and the music (oh don’t worry, it’s not ~lady gaga~ or whatever), but i was just haunted that i didn’t get to know switchfoot until now… how their music connects ppl from all walks of life with different opinions and religious beliefs and all. it’s funny ‘cos i tried to give the past music a 2nd try, but it just doesn’t speak to me anymore.
@ jeanna: sf’s music came into my life as early as in 2002 when someone sang “only hope” at the year-end talent show. then in 2005 i think, it was “dare you to move” (randomly surfing through youtube or the internet and came across that song), then again in 2006 (from the mainstream movie [ aired on tv] a walk to remember). and for those three times, the songs didn’t speak to me at all. not until in late 2009 that’s when i connected with song dare you to move, and that’s when i truly became a fan (or fam) of sf’s.
i don’t think it’d have an impact if sf’s music came into my life… well, it DID come into my life as early as when i was 16, but it wouldn’t have made any difference because i hadn’t gone through the life lessons/experiences i was required to go through – for me to truly understand and relate, not only to sf’s music, but to life in general. so i’d say sf’s music kicked in at the right timing (in 2009) – not earlier, not later.
=)
-The other night-
*Random tv commercial comes on and mentions the word ‘Gravity’
Mom : “Oh Gravity, why can’t we seem to keep it together?” *goes on to sing the whole chorus and ending!
Yeah, I’m so glad that I can chat with my mom about SF…. it’s pretty fun getting to educate her on the songs meanings and the band!
But you DO have someone to talk about it to…..all of your friends on LOBH!!!
I agree with you about SF coming into your life just at the right time….. I know that I had heard a couple of their songs on the radio prior to my becoming a real fan, but in 2008 I heard “24″ for the first time and it really hit in me a special place. ( I know that sounds so cliche, but it’s really true) At that time I was trying to get my head around my second year of high school, my friends moving away and other stuff that made it feel like my world was caving in.
Now I am proud to say that Switchfoot has made me a stronger person….. I can look into the face of something that it absolutely terrifying and say “Hello Hurricane you can’t silence my love.”
@ carrie: sometimes it’s hard for me to join the song discussions, not because the songs don’t make me think. but because i don’t always have every life experience for me to relate to (or the experiences from ppl and/or friends i know).
but it’s not to say that i don’t -feel- anything when i hear a sf song. it’s just that, when i listen to sf songs, sometimes i get goosebumps, sometimes i get a imagery (related to the song, or not), sometimes, i just like the wording of certain phrases of the song or the entire song. or sometimes it’s the melodies that draw me in a lot more than the lyrics (in a way that the melodies make the lyrics come to life).
and also, because i am the kind of person that is slowed to come to reaction, sometimes there are songs that don’t “sink” in me until at a later time. that sucks ‘cos when you throw a question out, i can’t really give feedbacks and all. not right away anyway.
I don’t think I could’ve lived without SF until you guys’ age right now. Hello Hurricane helps me SO much going through 6th grade and middle school; so does U2′s The Joshua Tree. I litterally would DIE if I didn’t have those bands.
well, you can’t compare the society/school environment you live in now, with ours back then. i don’t think i’d ever survive any school bullying that happens now than it did 10 years ago. but then again, bullying happens everywhere in every country in every setting (school, work). and school bullying has always been there, and has always been bad. just that the incidents of school bullying have “garnered” quite a lot of attention from the authorities and the government nowadays than say, 10 years ago.
i’m just glad that the moment i was thinking of running away, like literaly moving away from where i live in, the chorus of dare you to move came into my mind like -that- (couldn’t even “turn it off”, i tell you. it’s weird). at that time (2009 and before), DYTM was the only sf song i had, and every time my ipod shuffled to that song, i’d almost always skip that song (as i did with many other songs lol). it’s the irony here, i barely listened to that one sf song i had, but yet it came to me at such crucial moment. and that’s the turning point of everything. i don’t think i’d ever question every thing around me, and look at every thing in a different light, if switchfoot hadn’t come into my life at such crucial timing.
Listening to The Joshua Tree in middle school automatically makes you classier than 95% of middle schoolers. I give you my props, Gracie.
I first got into Switchfoot in 8th grade, and I wouldn’t say their music had as much personal meaning for me then as it does now, speaking as a college student. It was really in my high school years that their music started to act as a catalyst for personal change, as well as helping me get through some really difficult times. That’s one of the things that’s really powerful about SF’s music…it strikes that perfect balance between being personal and staying grounded in the broader human condition, making it extremely relatable music.
haha, funny coz I think that Chad Butler said that “Joshua Tree” got him through High School!
Seriously? That’s SO cool! I SWEAR I didn’t know that!;)
It’s true!! Isn’t it great to find out the similarities that we all share with our favorite California rockers?
I think that was Jon – I remember him saying his friends wanted to destroy his Joshua Tree tape because he played it over and over
really? haha… so I wasn’t completely wrong…. it was one of the Switchfoot guys…….Just a different one than I had remembered.:)
So actually I was just reading some random stuff about Switchfoot and Chad said “U2′s album ‘The Joshua Tree’ got him through jr. high and high school” so I think it was both him and Jon
haha, Thanks for clearing that up!
I was like ” I know that I read that Joshua Tree was Chad’s favorite, but there’s no way that Jeanna could possibly be wrong about something Switchfoot related….”
LOL! I guess that we were both right!
Yep both loved the album to my memory
Yeah. I think it’s awesome that you are one of the few 6th grade girls who really understand true music!
I was probably about 9 years old when I first started listening to Switchfoot. I remember their more popular songs like Dare you to move, Meant to live, This is your life, and 24. I am happy to say that I am now 15 years old and still love Switchfoot. I can’t believe what kind of songs are being played on the radio nowadays! At times it seems like there are very few truly talented bands in the world, but then I remember we still have Switchfoot! 
I think this just goes to show how universal the band’s music is – how much truth it holds. The fact that the earliest fans they had who already have children now have still stuck with them and also that they’re still continuing to gain new and younger fans shows that as long as you’re alive, you can connect with the truths that the music of the band wants to convey.
I agree that the talent of Switchfoot of just so raw and different that I honestly can’t think of any other band that can do the same. I just hope they don’t stop doing what they do any time soon. (:
Agree!
Thanks, Alicia! I just couldnt listen to music that I didn’t believe in. If you got the Hello Hurricane collectors edition w/ the DVD, you see Jon say he couldn’t sing the songs that he does if he didn’t believe in them with every ounce of him. And when he chokes up you can really tell how passionate he is about his music. It makes me love him even more! (if that’s even possible since I’ve had a huge, stupid childhood crush on Jon since I was LITTLE;) I just agree SO much with him on that statement. How could you sing or listen to something that dosent move you, doesnt make a difference in you, or make you want to be a better person?
“How could you sing or listen to something that dosent move you, doesnt make a difference in you, or make you want to be a better person?”
some ppl choose to live with their eyes closed.
but whoa, that’s hard. living the life you have absolutely nothing to be passionate about.
Personally? I always felt that it’s actually not that hard – it’s comfortable. It’s safe. Choosing to open your eyes? That’s that hard part
my father chose and still chooses not to know how my mother abused me, and also the fact that he -is- indeed divorced from my mother 25 years ago. i believe that to this date, he still hides from his wife that he still stays in touch with me (since last july)… well the last time i talked to him on the phone, it was in mid-feb this year, so i can’t be so sure that his current wife still doesn’t know any of it now (she knew about my father’s first marriage and my existence since last aug, but i doubt she knows that he’s in touch with me). but i just know that he really isn’t living the life he wants (as recent as a month ago, he even called me like at midnight my time, and he lives in new york, so 3 am his time), and he’s in pain. just that he’s still in denial of it all – he’s living with his eyes closed.
so i don’t know. it depends on a lot of things. some might say it’s easier living with eyes closed, while some might say it’s probably easier to live with eyes open. at least with my parents’ instance, it makes me realise that i might not have the sort of grades from school/education like they did (mother graduated from a uni in ohio, got her masters with a gpa of almost 4; father graduated from ny college – bachelors, with honours), but at least i am trying to find ways to live the life i want to – that’s something they’re too lazy to do.
[*/ long essay]
wow! Sounds like you have had a pretty hard time….. I’ll be praying for you. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for you.
nah, i’m no longer with my mother. i left her when i was 17. and the landpeople (landlord + landlady) i’ve been living with for 5 years are really nice to me; they see me like their own niece.
as for my father. one good thing is that at least he lives all the way in east coast in new york, while i am out here in west coast in canada. and i’m way passed 18/19 now, so i do have the “power”, the right to cut ties if i wish to. but this is the hardest part, ‘cos he’s a nice person, and he’s suffered enough. and i don’t want to hurt him.
(=| i need to stop rambling like this… i am “outting” myself too much here in the public lol)
BAHAH! I think a lot of female fans had a crush on either jon or tim at one point
i liked and still like timo-n!
but i like his personality and sense of humour better haha! for the longest time i always thought he was just shy and not talkative – until the first time i watched all the sf podcasts!
haha, yeah Tim is so great! I used to think that he was really quiet too until the podcasts….and when I got to meet the guys after one of the shows Tim was by far the most out-going…..came right up and shook my hand and introduced himself! They are all great though…….At first when I started listening to them I think that I had a tiny crush on Jon, but not so much anymore as now I have really learned to respect the guys for their talent and passion for the music.
Honestly, I find it SUPER hard to NOT have little, itty-bitty, teensy-weensy, GIGANTIC crush on Jon. Just sayin’;) But remember, I am only 12:)
Hmmm I guess I’m different
….I always had a crush on Chad…now I just totally like and respect him for being such an awesome drummer and getting me into drums! 
HA! You rock
well, but personally, i think jeanna is the best. not even any of our sf guy could compare/compete with her. enough said. V__V
It’s not like that for me. I’ve always seen the guys as kind of really good friends/older brother-types, who share their valuable life lessons with me and help me see a spark of hope in times of darkness. But I have to admit that I did have a crush on someone who looks remarkably a lot like Jon!
Gracie, your posts are some of the best! Keep it up
Thank you SO much, Jeanna! I don’t think I could ever stop writing posts anyway. It’s just SO fun to “talk” with other SF fams. Also, I SO appreciate LOBH and all the work you put into it, Jeanna! Life just wouldn’t be the same without it! (P.S. I know this is kinda random, but do you like U2, because I’m going through like a U2 phase and I cannot stop listening to them, Bono is amazing;)
@Gracie- Me too!! I got the joshua tree for my bday and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since! They’re amazing!!! And I totally agree with you! I’m not in 6th grade (i’m a little bit older than you
) but Switchfoot is by far my favorite band and I don’t really care anything about Justin Bieber and Taylor Lautner! I really wish I had gotten into Switchfoot when I was in 6th grade though…that was when my brother got into them and, sadly, I didn’t really like them back then…which I am very ashamed about 
Anyway your posts are awesome! I enjoy reading them!
I am a HUGE U2 fan, too!!! They are my favorite band (after Switchfoot, of course
What is your favorite song by them?
note to self: i’d better check out the songs by that band, U2.
“What’s your favorite song by them?”
Oh! That’s SO hard! I love Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own. The emotion in Bono’s voice is heart-wrenching, and the music video adds to it. Knowing it was written for his father (who died in ’01) makes it impossible not to cry the first few times you hear it. With or Without You is a classic, and my first U2 song (I thank Jon for saying Bono was his hero so I checked U2 out). My dad tells me, when I was 3 or 4 I would sing all the way through Beautiful Day whenever, and wherever I heard it. Those are probably my top faves, but there are SO many more! To name a few more, probably: Acrobat, Until the End of the World, Sweetest Thing, Stuck in a Moment, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, Grace (mainly because of the title;), Original of the Species, and the list goes on…
U2 is fantastic, and in many ways are the spiritual forbears of Switchfoot. The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are two of the greatest LP’s ever recorded, with the latter being my favorite album of all time. Anyone getting into them should start with those two.
gracie (your name is so cute, the “ie” part!), when did you discover this site, and when did you de-lurk yourself? just curious lol?
First of all, I discovered LOBH in January of this year, and I was AMAZED. I had given up ALL hope of finding a GOOD fansite for SF that still made regular updates and had actually moved on past the Nothing is Sound time period. About 2 weeks ago I finally caved in and told myself I was going to write a comment, and things went on from there. It just seemed like SO much fun to “talk” to people that have the same MAJOR interests that I do: GOOD music. It’s nice because none of my friends really have any interests in music at all (except for listening to Hot 100.5). I’ve started guitar lessons and hopefully I’ll move on to electric soon (maybe I’ll be as good as Drew some day). P.S. Thanks for complementing me on my name, it’s sweet of you!;)
Awww I’m glad we could be that site for you! I think we’re the only one left
P.P.S. Seriously check out U2! They’re AMAZING! They’re a little old, each of them being about 50, but that dosent really make a diff.;) Bono is still an amazing singer-songwriter and performer. You’ll be doing yourself a huge favor! I suggest starting out w/ The Joshua Tree, that’s what got me hooked (and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb). You can look @ my comment above to see what my fave songs from them are;) I forgot to mention New Year’s Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, and Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. (Sorry, I just LOVE U2:)
haha gracie, thank you for the song recommendation! it saves me a lot of time trying to do some lil research on the albums and songs before youtubing them! i’ll just copy paste the songs you mentioend onto Word!
but first thing first, let me finish my “sf song recommendation” for my soc prof (which i should’ve done like last week after the soc final on the 26th)!
P.P.P.S. @fight_ain’t_over: “before youtubing them! i’ll just copy paste the songs you mentioend onto Word!” None of U2′s music videos are on YouTube. You have to go to this site called DailyMotion (I know it’s weird) Just wanted to le you know if you wanted to hear the actual recorded song, cuz the only videos on YouTube of them are live concerts;)
^ yes, ma’am!
@fight_ain’t_over:”^yes, ma’am!”
Sorry, I’m like pestering you about listening to them! It’s just that they’re like another SF and it’s SO fun when you know you possibly could get someone else interested in a band you REALLY love!
@ gracie: “talking about people who never really live; they just go through life doing what they have to to get by.”
hey! doesn’t that remind you of the song “this is your life”?
Yes! SF songs are all about motivation and inspiration. It’s awesome how you can connect the lyrics to each other in certain songs.
can we get an mp3 of the keith tut “we are one”?
yesyesyes!!
Yes, PLEASE? It was a definitely refreshing twist.
I have never heard “Connect with the Spine” ever!!! *SHOCK!!!!*
Of course, that means that I am automatically in love with it, as I always am when I hear a new rendition of an old song, or a new song ( a rare occurrence).
It is going to take me a couple more listen throughs before I could give a review of it, but I really like the tone……kinda “happy is a yuppie word”ish, I think?
The pictures are all sick-nasty-sweet!!(Especially the silhouettes and the close up of Jon) The photographers had some major skill, kudos to ya’ll!
I second the motion for Mp3 of “We are one” ……it was on wereawakening a couple of weeks ago and I listened to it over and over again… I love the way cellos sound, and when Keith plays it it is especially epic! If it’s not too much of a hassle, an MP3 would be fantastic, Jeanna!
Well, that’s my 2 cents…..wow, I have a tendency to be very long-spoken and detailed on these discussion boards, lol!
Sure, I’ll see what I can do to get you all an MP3! It would be nice for our media section…
AKEE!
It’s up on soundcloud… but I don’t know how to get an MP3 from there? :/ Hope you find it!
Oh yeah you did… *blush* Still any chance of an MP3 though?
LOL!!!
please and thank you
how come SF never plays This Is Home in the US anymore? It’s my favorite
I know! I absoluley love This Is Home, though I can not say it’s my favorite because I love all of Switchfoot’s songs equally
start requesting them to play it before they play your tourdate… at least that’s what my friend did before the KL show.. and when she met them and reminded them of it they already were going to play it because of twitter.
this is home is probably my top 1 right now. it’d be nice if they would play the credit version though! – this is home (every breath is magic)
I know, right? I love that song… It’s the song that got me into them actually!
I’ve noticed that all the songs from eastern hymns not only have a different sound but also a different subject matter and it’s weird, it’s not stuff you normally hear about.
What i make out of the lyrics is that it’s about the famous how we see a portion of them and not the whole thing. and also that some people get caught in the spot light and it goes to their head and their not who they really are. and that “We’ll be fine when the faces connect with the spine” when they finally are who they truly are or when their manager or who ever is in charge of what their doing let them make the decision.
That’s my humble opinion.
Do you guys think he’s talking about the spine of a book or our human spines?
Im guessing human spine, but not in the literal sense, Im still trying to figure it out though
…the spine of a book? hmmm, that’s a brilliant idea!
That’s what I’ve always thought the song was referring too actually! I never thought human spine till i read the comments here
No, really – that’s an awesome way to look at it… I think I’ll go back and give the song yet another listen to try and see it from that perspective.
Wow, I never thought about that! The spine of a book… that was really interesting! Heh, that gave me something to think about!
Personally, I think that he is singing about the spinal cord, which brings nerve reactions to and from the brain… So basically he is saying that we will be fine when our faces (heads/brains) connect with the spinal cord and are able to sense things again, where as before we are numb to all the world is doing to us (like how in the beginning he is talking about a female who is exposing herself to being watched, etc.). Maybe I am just crazy
ahhhhh… that’s really well thought out *contemplates*
Thank you
can i just say that keith tut’s trio’s cover was kinda freaking amazing? hahaha its different! i love it!
Keith Tutt is so insanely talented
I am still having my post-concert depression syndrome in a very good way. I wanted to post pictures and submit here but I still can’t. Oh. SF is always lovely!
Btw, I got a picture of the setlist.
“Connect with the Spine” is brilliant! Love the Eastern sound, atypical song structure (verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus-chorus), string arrangement, vocal loops…in my humble opinion, this is one of the most creative songs SF has ever done. It’s really addictive too…the kind of song you find yourself listening to over and over again. The lyrics are rather cryptic, but I see them as a “disenchanted fame” kind of thing.
Eastern Hymns is such a fascinating footnote of SF’s career. I hope those sounds don’t end up buried for ever. (I guess that the finished version of DSH, “Circles”, and “Resurrect Me” all recall that EP to a certain degree.)
Agreed – I’m hopeful that Vice Verses will continue the experimentation – at least soundwise and musically (though I would like to see more lyrics follow the wandering paths of Hymns)…
Oh. Switchfoot! Please come back to Asia. Don’t let us wait for another 4 years, please please please.
Jeanna, I gave each of them shirts. I do hope they’s get to wear those. Oh. If they do, then I’d be the happiest person alive!
Awesome! What do the t-shirts look like?
Shirts are about Philippines. Some says MANILA and the other has touches of Philippine culture like jeepneys and other traditional vehicles.
I gave Romey a shirt that says “80% Filipino. 20% American”. I just don’ know he’d wear that.
I saw a picture of Chad wearing the shirt I gave him before their concert here in the Philippines. I was just overwhelmed!
Oh.
you should make a shirt that says “Oh! Switchfoot. Please don’t make us wait for another 4 years again!” – it will be very sensational.
Ok. I’ll do that!! Haha. Thanks for the suggestion!
and remember to take a picture of that! i want to seeee~
poor you!! years is like an eternity without SF…. How do you survive?!
*4 years*
haha number lock was acting up!
Well, SF taught me to hope.
I am always looking forward to meet them!
That’s another reason to hope
LOL at Drew’s answer to the favorite movie question in the interview in Singapore.
“Dumb and Dumber?… Sorry.”
Why does it seem like Drew always apologizes for being awesome and liking awesome things? hahah
Then Jon goes ahead and cracks out another one of his deep answers
“La Vita e Bella”
But still “Dumb and Dumber” for the win!
I’ve always thought that this song was about bridging the gap between actions and words… it’s kinda always spoken to me that way. Maybe, too, about letting all of our masks fall and having our true “faces connect with the spine”. Does that sound totally wrong?
Delightful pictures and video, by the way
I don’t know if there IS a “wrong” answer – and I like that way of looking at the song!
Thanks, Jeanna. You are so kind… I only hope I am lucky enough to meet you in person on day
ONE day. Sorry
*embarrassed*
I think that you are spot on!
So many SF songs are about what we should do and what we actually decide to do in the end……dare you to move, meant to live, red eyes, awakening…etc.
i was confused about the song’s meaning before… and reading all your other comments have enlightened me some
I’m STILL confused, but I love reading all the ideas
Don’t you just love a song that makes you think?
yes! That is why Switchfoot rules!
Well, SF songs can be interpreted in many ways. I always interpret it with what’s happening with my life now.
I’ve been thinking about the spine-issue and I keep returning to the idea that who you are with all your instincts and everything you know is in your spine pure physically and anatomically. Maybe that’s the point of this song, that we have lost who we truly are and the faces and masks we put on every day are not the faces of our true self. We always try to please the people around us and we always want more than what we are, nothing’s good enough. What we really need is to be ourselves for once, not like characters in a movie cause they are not real, we are real.
sorry to join the discussion so late… time difference you know
The conversation normally goes on all week – you aren’t late at all!
hi jeanna!!!! ^-^ hows your day going so far sista?
Greatness!
would be sad to miss out on these amazing discussions.
Just thought about something regarding your book theory, Jeanna. If the mention of the spine refers to a book it is a very interesting contrast to Chem 6A. In Chem 6A Jon doesn’t “wanna read the book” but “watch the movie”, but in Connecting With The Spine it’s the other way around. Does that mean that Jon has grown up?
Ahh that was an awesome thought! Haha well he DID say they grew up, so…
whoa!! Excellent observation! I like the way you’re thinkin’
Both the music and the lyrics in Connect with the Spine have an unsettling and haunting undertone to them… I feel like this song is conveying the troubling idea that there is something going on in our society that is very wrong, something that will have dangerous consequences to who we are as human beings. After all, the fact is we’re not just faces: our outward and oftentimes shallow appearances connect – that is, they should connect – with something that’s deep inside of us. I see the spine as representing the core of who we are, the basic structure of our life. We’ll be fine if we’d dig deeper, past the fake appearances and to the backbone of who we were originally meant to be.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the CS Lewis book “Till We Have Faces” + the value society places on popularity and beauty?
I wonder…
Whoa, great connection! Jon has said in the past that “Till We Have Faces” is one of his favorite books…
I thought that myself! Hmmm! I might need to reread the book and listen to this song at the same time
Until We Have Faces by RED. They took the name of C.S. Lewis’ book for their CD title.
i like how in the ending jon keeps screaming “YEAH YEAH YEAH”
how come switchfoot doesnt play any of there old school music live, like “new way to be human” or “love is the movement”… cause it’ll be cool if they did, i want them to play “looser”!!! maybe next time i see them i’ll make a list of songs i want to hear and then i could get to the concert place early and look for jon and just give it to him
I wonder the same thing. I love Switchfoot, but it seems like they play most of the same songs every night: Stars, Sound i.e….
I really would like it if they played some of there older songs off NWTBH and LTB. Soooo many goood songs on there!!!
We should petition the guys
haha, but they sometimes do play the oldies if they get a request….. there are some pretty awesome “rarer” songs out there though, that would be awesome to hear at a concert!
jon whats your favorite sf oldie song
I would really love to see them play “Playing For Keeps” or “Innocence Again”.
That would be my wish before I die.
OMG!!!! freak i love innoncence again
im not really into playing for keeps ;] lol your last wish before you die,your really funny ^-^
“Who are you gonna be?” *echo* (“Who are you gonna be?”)
That song is….soooo goooddd!!!
They played LTB, Gone, Dare here 4 nights ago
AWESOME!
LTB was just nostalgic.
I’ve always wanted to hear LTB in concert!! I think that it is one of the most inspiring songs(lyrically)…. I love the idea that every day we are learning how to live in this world that we inhabit…we are learning to breathe!
Wow!!! Amazing talk guys and I havn’t even read most of them. Such an interesting song tho. For me, this is a preview to VV by the lyrics of it. Sorry if I’m out of words at the moment cause I have a lot on my mind cause I bet this would be so much for me to talk about but I’m in a little rush. I wish I had this EP
The violin is GREAT—anytime you combine violin with any form of rock, it’s such beautiful harmony and coming together of two completely different genres showing maybe they’re not so different afterall. It’s like the orchestral version of Dare You To Move– great stuff!
Skillet’s Jonathan Chu-A violin mastermind
Just a really random question, Jeanna… do you play an instrument? Do you sing? Just curious… I love the piano and have taken lessons for 8 years, so I was just wondering if you play
Not a single musical talent, besides appreciating it!
Heheh… appreciating it is definitely talent… I think!
at least you are a photographer! capturing the moments and make them last! i wish i had the talent of capturing the right moments from the right angle!
now. come to BC. com’on!
Wow this has really helped me understand this song more! I’ve always been slightly confused by it (I tended to like it more for the music side of it) but I think it’s starting to make sense now. I’ve always kinda looked at it like it’s talking about how so many poeple put on this fake “mask” and cover up who they really are…You can’t tell how a person is by just a photograph or seeing them on “a movie screen” as the lyrics say. But if we connect with how we really are, if we stop hiding and get stronger, get some backbone to us (or “spine”) then we can live our lives not having to be afraid of who we really are. We can be proud of who we are as a person. Kinda like what some others said…So just my thoughts!
That makes a LOT of sense – you explained that brilliantly
Thanks!
And do you know if Jon will ever write out his stories behind the songs on Eastern Hymns for Western Shores? Cause I would love to know his reasons for writing those songs!
I don’t think he will, especially since they were written so long ago – NiS era.
Hi! Thanks so much for the great update, and also letting the discussion this week be on Connect With the Spine. The conversations going on here are amazing! I do not really have anything to add to the discussion, other than to ask… Does anyone else love the cat-growl-ish sound in the song at 1:49? The whole ending of the song with the violin as it becomes haphazard really conjures some deep emotions in me. Thanks again
I’d definitely like to hear your opinion on the song though – we’re all trying to figure out what kind of spine he’s talking about
hahahaha no way! you guys used my video of connect with the spine! i’m soooo excited!!!
its gonna get so many views!!!! i’m soooo happy!!! haha thank yous soooo much!
haha! Nice!
hahaah glad we could help!
That dude wants to marry Jon Foreman…
I know. CREEPY! I’d be a little freaked-out if I were Jon. P.S. Who in their right mind would ask a person of the same gender to marry them, even if it’s supposed to be funny, I always find it WEIRD!
oh the number of guys with a man crush on jon….
speaking of man crush. i always thought timo-n and chad have always had a thing for each other. i’m so jealous. that’s called true love. hmmm…
Now I’m just thinking of that one photo of chad and tim where they are acting out that painting on the wall behind them of the man and women all *gazing at each other in adoration*
i know, right.
and also, in one of their earlier podcasts, i think it was the one where you see the guys at their very first, or one of their FOTF meeting with fans. and in that podcast, chad was introducing every member of the band. and when he introduced timo-n, he said, “and this is my tim”. and then timo-n just cuddled into chad’s embrace and put one hand on chad’s… chest (i wanted to say “b00*”).
that was just pure love. *starry eyes*
lol mancrush thats so funny
I remember this other picture where Chad looks like he’s sleeping with a bunch of hats on and Tim is like cuddled up next to him. So bromantic!;)
YES! THAT!
i was all jealous ‘cos the cuddling looked so… cute, and warm.
i needs some love too!
where IS my true love?! come out, come out! wherever you are!
Hopefully we’ll all find someone to have a great Tim-Chad relationship with! Lol
^ lol! just… lol!
maybe he likes jon’s personality and overall attitude? and not like “marry” marry him? don’t know, haven’t had a chance to read through everything yet.
if a girl wants me to marry her, i’d tell her that so long as i am not the one to do the birthing. but if she still wants me to marry her, i think i’d probably go hide underneath my bed. i mean, seriously. stop crushing on me already V___V
Love the remix of we are one tonight!!!
I know this is way late but just a teeny tiny correction on the Manila setlist notes. Jon didn’t say the “thank you Manila” thing during Always. He said that before the last song of the night, Dare You To Move. Here’s the video of when he said it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LcchX15CT4
His exact words were, “Thank you for a night that we will never forget, Manila. Thank you for giving me one of my best friends, Mr. Jerome Fontamillas…”
Such endearing, heartwarming words from an awesome, awesome man.