Grammy Block Party 2011

Each year the Recording Academy shuts down part of Music Row and puts on a block party for the members of the Academy. It's a thank you to those of us in the Nashville chapter and an opportunity to hear some great live music and see friends.

It was serisouly steamy here last night...I think the humidity was about 345%. It was fun though. The bands were all really great. The Civil Wars were awesome. (How had I missed the fact that Joy Williams is the female singer in The Civil Wars??) Jason McArthur's new band at Provident, Royal Tailor, was great too. Tauren has an incredible voice and style. I enjoyed getting to know them.

Jeff Berry was also there with Centricity artist Brad Rempel from High Valley. High Valley has seen great success already in the country market. Brad is a great guy. It was fun seeing him again.

Here are some pics from last night...

Royal Tailor

Royal Tailor

JR, Blake Hubbard, Jason McArthur, Tauren Wells and me

Jeff Berry, Jordan Greiner, Brad Rempel and me



Jeff, Jason and me.



The Civil Wars

Nice serious shot of Jeff Berry there. I love the blog setting where I can rib him without him being able to rib me back...at least not yet! Those of you who've heard Jeff in concert at Otter before know that we love to give each other a hard time. We're life-long friends. Jeff and I have seen each other through a lot of things. He's also one of my all time favorite worship leaders and singers. Check out his website in my links...

His CDs are some of my very favorite worship CDs. Jeff has traveled with his band and helped start awesome events like "Choice" at Baylor and "Grace" in Abilene--college and young adult worship experiences. Until recently, when not on the road, he was leading worship at The Heights--a really awesome Baptist church in Dallas. He's now in a new time of transition.

Jeff flew into town today. We hadn't seen each other in a few months so it was great to catch up. He came to rehearsal tonight. We had a marathon 2 hour rehearsal. It was really an awesome night. The worship choir is slammin' and I am continually amazed at the combination of heart and voice that God has given us in the people He's drawn to OC. I feel SO incredibly blessed to work with them.

Tonight Jeff played while we sang "You Are Holy". ZOE's arrangement of that was inspired by Jeff. We ended rehearsal with a time of worship where Jeff played and sang one of his original songs, "When I Speak Your Name" (on ZOE's "Deep Calls to Deep" CD). It was such a great way to end our time together. I was moved again by those words--"I am forever changed...when I speak your name."

Afterwards, Jeff came to the house and we ran the gamut from laughter to serious heart sharing. I just thank God for friendships like that. I know God has Jeff in some unfamiliar territory and is leading him down some new roads. I just can't wait to see what those will look like. Will you join Jeff and me in praying that God will make that path clear?

Thank you for your prayers for my physical health. I am functional today. I begin physical therapy tomorrow and I am really hoping they can figure out what in the world is happening to me.

I've added a new link this week to my buddy Matthew Paul Turner. He's an author popular in the Emergent Church movement...and also just a hilarious guy. Thankfully, he's nestled right here in good ol' Nashvegas!

One last thing...Sanjaya on American Idol. What in the world??? That hair! I mean seriously. Thanks to my friend Justin McIntosh for photo shopping this and sending it to me. This is what I would look like with Sanjaya's hairdoo...hmmmmm--now THAT'S a faux hawk! Bless.