On Our Way To Crazy

So in my list of fun stuff we did last week, I totally forgot to add Friday. This is a travesty, y’all, because Friday was crazy awesome. (Scott and Jeff, prepare to be jealous. )

We left town mid-afternoon and drove up to middle-of-nowhere Kentucky. One of Aaron’s bands was playing at a Centrifuge leaders retreat, and he was going to make sure everything ran smoothly and work out some marketing stuff with the Lifeway people. I was going to get a feel for what was going on with Centrifuge and to get out of town for a bit.

Oh, and to hang out with the band.

FAMILY FORCE FIVE.

Yeah, baby.

We got there just in time for dinner and hooked up with the band at a place I believe was called Balew’s. It was essentially a big field full of cars with a little burger shack in the middle, and it was greatness. It took over an hour to get the food, and when asked if it usually took that long for a burger, the “waitress” shrugged and said “Lot’s full.” It was pretty awesome. I got to meet all the guys (and use their real names!) and we spent most of the meal discussing the best places across the country to get burgers, fried chicken, french fries and milkshakes.

We got back to the retreat center and had to kill some time before the room was ready for them to set up and do sound check. Y’all, I was THRILLED to be in there for sound check. I never get a good spot at a FF5 show, I always end up behind a pole or a guy who is nine feet tall. But from the front row in an empty room I could see everything, from the crazy stuff the DJ plays to the giant fist glove mike.

Now y’all, I love me some FF5. I put my hands up, shake it like an earthquake and watch what I say about their mamas. But I wasn’t prepared for how NICE they are. I’ve been around a lot of Christian artists in the last few years because of Aaron’s job and just because we live in Nashville, and these guys are the real deal. They are polite and thoughtful and respectful. The Lifeway guys couldn’t stop talking about them, and not because of their music. Because they really embody what you think a band who says they love Jesus and want to reach kids should be.

They were a blast to be around. I tried to supress my fangirl side and act cool, but it was a lost cause. I talked to them as much as I could. And just know… if you go see them play and they cover the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”, you have me to thank.