We maintain it is NOT our age. Sonshine has changed and not necessarily for the good of the festival. Opinion? Of course.
Too much plain ice cream is not a good thing. Different toppings to that ice cream can greatly improve the experience. So it might be with the festival.
It was not so long ago that there was a great variety of bands, playing music that entertains and edifies the Lord, the over all purpose of the festival. Celtic, latino, SKA, swing, jazz, spoof groups etc. Now, we have three: HM, Hip Hop, Rock. To borrow a phrase from my Mom, lots of "Bangety bang". It just seems that so many groups try to be like each other. Where is the creativity? small Cities and DDCW have more creativity. Why can't they invite blue grass, country gospel, Jewish style and like what was mentioned above? Now that would be a MUSIC festival.
I get such a kick out of these guitarists that a gyrating all over the place like they are putting out extreme effort to play their chords. When you look at their hands, they are playing the same chord or just a few, yet you think by looking at them that they were really putting out. You get these old guys that are playing in "old" groups, (Newsboys) and they are just playing and playing very well without all the theatrics.
There was a booth in the center selling old CD's and tapes. I bought an Undercover CD and Bash and the Code. What waves of nostalgia washed over me. Mylon Lafavre and Broken Heart, DeGarmo and Key, Petra, Geoff Moore,etc. What fun that was to look at all those groups. I still have many in record from and there will be days during the winter that I will get out several and let them go throughout the house. Can anyone say: Imperials!!??
I wonder what Keith Green would think of the Sonshine Festival? I think he would be most disappointed. So many of these groups appear to be glorifying themselves instead of the ONE whom the festival is named. If they at least mention God's name, it is like: there, we have done our duty, our responsibility to qualify as a Christian band. There is not one that comes close to Keith's style of performing and his dedication to the Lord, at least from what is presented from the stage.
Lastly, Mom and I cannot go to Sonshine without reminiscing about when we came with all 5 our cherubs in the pick up camper. When we see a young family, we tend to look at each other and sigh. Ah yes. We think we have been going for 24 years. The festival is 28 years old. Will we go next year? We will have to see. We would have to end a very long tradition for us.
Wow that is a lot to chew on. I feel the pull of tradition and there are things I enjoy purely for that sake. However, if there is an optional recreational activity that one does not enjoy any longer there is no reason to keep doing it!
ReplyDeleteLook at the lineup next year and if it is more of this same kind of thing, find another tradition to start.
As for Christian bands being thought to have to mention God or share or do some praise stuff, I will differ with you on that. You said that is the point of the festival, but another point is to make Christianity seem like a non-cultish, freak show to someone who is not a Christian! They want to know that they can have those beliefs but still retain some aspects of their current life (clothing, music style, haircut, whatever).
This was one reason I always loved the Cornerstone festival. The people seemed more authentic and geunine than other more Christian festivals or events and did not feel compelled to say or do something they did not want to. Some bands would, some would not. But they all had some spiritual aspect to their art if you were to dig into it.
Wow, 24 years? Good grief. I think I was at it the first time you went too, which makes me feel quite old.
Don
bummer to hear this! i remember a lot of variety at sonshine. disappointing to hear it's been watered down, but not really surprising. people like predictable! david
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