Rock N Relief : Dallas

Today I read a quote that said: "When your dreams become a reality, they are no longer your dreams." I added at the end. "Dream bigger."

Before Grasshopper took off to Japan for 3 months in May, we were convinced that when she got back to Dallas, we were going to change the world. Little did we know what was in coming.

After her three months in Japan, we hit the ground runnin', hitting up a show every weekend. Before we knew it, we found ourselves at the Texas Java Coffee House in Belton, TX with our BFF from way back Jessie Holley, who was in town from Nashville for the weekend. She filled us in on the disaster our friends from the Hands & Feet Project found themselves in. Hurricanes kept hitting the Caribbean and the orphanage Audio Adrenaline started in 2004 was flooded and turned into a rock quarry. The question to help raise money was placed on the table. Would we jump in or stand on the sidelines and watch?

The latter was not an option.

Upon returning to Dallas, after that conversation, we told God we'd try and do this for the glory of His name, and the ball started rolling. The Dallas Diehards hadn't done this before. But we did it anyway.

In the process, Grasshopper and I met Lindsay Hicks and Susan Prigmore and got re-connected with Amy Brown – two amazing diehards-at-heart! We started working on intensive planning, spending hours at The Diehard Office at Mockingbird Station, and in front of our computers or on the phone, talking with venues, churches, booking agents, and stinking on our knees asking God for direction and guidance. We had no clue what we were doing.

For a couple of weeks we were stuck. No venue. No bands. Nothing. I know I wasn't the only one losing sleep at night wondering how in the world we were going to pull this off by October 18^th. On Thursday, September 18^th, however, it all came together at once. Got the Venue, thanks to Cornerstone Worship Center. Got the bands, thank you headliners Fatal Formality and Circleslide. And more. We ended up booking six artists.

Mark Durham, Beyond Riches, Outside the Camp, Gina Tarajano, Fatal Formality, and Circleslide.

Thanks to Gina Tarajano's record label Big Dreams Christian Music we were able to have our own merch to sell and raise extra money at the benefit. Every band was totally cooperative and easy to work with.

We started the evening with acoustic music by Mark Durham from Belton, TX. He had a fun audience dancing and clapping to his songs and I even spied some catching on quickly to the lyrics and singing along.

Second in line was Outside the Camp from the Dallas Metroplex. OTC presented beautiful sounds of worship in an alternative style. I appreciate the letter they wrote me in first century Greek, and they appreciate that I'll never know what it says.

Beyond Riches from Denison, TX followed with harder beats, stronger vocals and amazing lyrics. Thanks go to Alpha Entertainment for sending these awesome guys our way.

The half point of the evening was marked by the beautiful and soulful Gina Tarajano from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She brought life and spice to the stage in ways the other guys could not have done. Because girls rock.

Second to last was an upbeat performance by our friends Fatal Formality. They played they're stuff along with a new song that they'd finished writing just that morning. That is just how amazing these guys are. Fatal Formality generously donated they're merch sales to the Hands & Feet Project. Thank you.

The night ended with an explosive set brought all the way from Nashville, Tennessee by Circleslide! First of all, never have I met humans as nice as this crew, especially they're wonderful manager and lifeline Debbie Martinez. This unique four-piece band took it home with diverse and powerful songs, both old and new, and ending the evening with "Wonderwall" and "Vertigo". In conversations with them, we discovered the shared passion we had for the nations and orphans.

It was clear that each of these bands had changing the world for the sake of Christ's name in mind when they showed up and sung they're heart out. Rock n Relief : Dallas was definitely a huge success in our dreams of making the worlds of Music and Missions collide.

As this dream has become a reality, I hear the voice of Father challenging us to "Dream Bigger. Don't stop Dreaming!" And as we dream bigger and continue running towards these dreams, we will be glorifying God in faith.

Thanks to all who attended, our parents who came out to see if their kids could really pull this off, and those who supported us with blind faith. Thank you, Power FM, for being huge supporters of the Diehards! We'll never understand why but thanks thank thanks!! Thank you for coming out and hosting the show!

Thanks to all across the country, especially the Nashville Diehards, who encouraged us when we didn't think this could happen. May the name of Christ be made famous.

Vote for Eisenhower!!!

Diehard Mission Trip

[This is the same note I wrote on facebook. Don't mind me.]

An opportunity to be serving together in another country (but not too far from the good ole U.S. of A) has come up and I seriously want each of you to pray about it. It's been a dream of ours and we can finally combine the world of Music and Missions through the Diehards!

In the Christmas season, the group that goes will be serving with my dad's ministry in Nuevo Laredo (right on the border) with mission churchplants in the skirts of the city, in some of the most impoverished areas I've ever been in. This is a place where people like you and I live in houses made of cardboard and loose tin, with doors made from rags. We all know some of the darkest times in our lives can been the holidays whether we've lost a loved one or are far from family. Some don't have blankets to keep them warm or food to eat during these times and it can be a devestating time for many! Worse is that many die in the cold nights without ever hearing the name of Jesus!

On the nights we will be in these churchplant areas, we will be creating an atmosphere in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be shared, either corporately or individually. We will be helping feed the hundreds that are not used to smelling food in their neighborhood and happen to walk by in curiosity. We will be encouraging the local missionaries and believers to continue to store up treasures in heaven by serving in the hungry places with selfless faith.

Dates: December 19-23.
Cost: Estimate $250-$300

Share this with your crew. Maybe take some bands to Mexico? I dunno.

Contact me if you're interested. I'm pretty much heading the logistics of this. I'll give you more information once you and I talk. Holler at me, playas.

-Damaris Campos-
ldamaris.campos@gmail.com

Long Time, No Talk

Hello to all out there in blogger world :) Sorry we've been gone awhile. While you think summertime may allow us to slow down & breathe, it doesn't. School starts in 2.5 weeks and then we will be back in a regular routine & all back in Nashville, to slowly get things going again with The Diehards.

In the mean time, be sure to pick up both This Beautiful Republic's & Family Force 5's new albums on August 19th if we don't talk before then.

kelsey.

The Wedding Rocks Memphis

Back in like May, us Nashville Diehards discovered that The Wedding would be playing at a Skatepark in Memphis, TN, which is about a three hour drive away from where we reside in Nashville. One of our newest Diehards, Jess, had a friend who would be meeting us in Memphis from Arkansas.

We decided to meet up at Huey's in downtown Memphis. One of our roomates gave Jessie this demon, named GeeGee. We were going to try and take pictures of it throughout the day, but we kind of forgot, so this is all we got. But, they let you shoot the toothpicks at the ceiling, and it looked kind of funny when you tried.



So after we left Huey's, we went to Wal-Mart to work on our pranks for the night. How could we not? After successful brainstorming and some strategic purchases, we headed to the venue, err, I mean Skatepark. Or old Skatepark. Whatever. In the process, we found out that Trevor had had one of his fingers shut in the back of the van earlier in the day, so his performance status for that night was unknown. (Thankfully he had a splint on it and was given painkillers so that he could make it through the day). We get to the venue only to find out that there were 6 bands performing before The Wedding. So we decided to occupy our time. There was a bungee cord that was involved in many stupid activities amongst ourselves. We also snagged a few old stickers from the boys and decided to decorate a table.

All night we waited ever so patiently for the right minute to pull off our pranks. This venue was located in a really weird place - right in the middle of other businesses in kind of a business park - so whenever we went outside, we had to stay in this one area to avoid getting in trouble for loitering. So right after the 6th band finished, and when The Wedding began to set up their equipment, Jessie, Kirsten and Scooter took off for their van and began to showcase their artwork. It really did turn out great. They completed the right half of the van just in time for their set to start. The show went really good - the boys performed about 5 or 6 songs, which included three of the new ones - Receive, Return, and Reveal. And of course some of our favorites - Say Your Prayers and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. (In case you are not aware, The Wedding & Wavorly are all really good friends, so this was more of a joke on both of them, because The Wedding was leaving from this show and heading to Cornerstone - where they would soon battle it out with Wavorly.)

The set ended up being much shorter than we were expecting, and Scooter wasn't quite ready to pull off our best prank yet. Right after Matt #2 said it was their last song, we sent Scooter running to the back for his big appearance. Laura, being quick on her feet, shouted "Matt! Tell us a story!" Matt was fresh out of stories, but Cody didn't let us down. They started into Reveal and not long after, Scooter comes running from the back of the venue up on to the stage. As you can see, we were able to get a hold of a chicken costume that would nonetheless cause some laughter. We were able to clear it with security beforehand, because we didn't want poor Scooter being kicked out. The guys were definitely not expecting it and laughed throughout the prank. They knew it was us, but it still turned out perfectly. Matt #2 insists he did NOT shove Scooter off the stage, but we have proof to prove him wrong. This definitely looks like a hardcore shove to me!

After their set, the guys were all full of laughs as they concluded that they were even with Jess and Laura, but that it was so on with us Nashville kids. Little did they know, we were so far ahead of even ;) The usual after show stuff happened and we were eventually kicked out of the venue, but decided to chill out back until the boys were done and ready to load out. Jess & Jessie had a little bit too much fun with Cody's bike:


Finally the guys were done and able to see the nice artwork we had been working on all night :) At this point Cody accepted the fact that we were indeed ahead of them (you know, but who is counting the pranks, hehe). Laura had brought some leftover birthday cake from Arkansas with her to share with us & the guys, and Adam in particular really enjoyed. So much in fact that not only did he stuff his mouth with it, but he also decided to decorate Jess' car with it. We tried to get him to cover Cody with the remaining cake, but Matt #2 insisted that it would be a bad idea, when some little light when off in Adam's head that made him run after Jess' car. They thought this would bring us up to par on the prank wars, but really it has only just begun.

New Music from This Beautiful Republic!

how could you not?!

kelsey.

StorySide:B Needs Our Help!

Yet another one of our bands is in need. This time, it is something that can be fixed somewhat easier than what the Rush of Fools boys are going through. Check out the SS:B Blog:

Hey everyone, on our way from Florida to Cornerstone last night the timing chain broke on our van. This is badd news for an engine. We were stranded on the side of the highway somewhere between Chattanooga and Nashville for several hours. It has caused us to have to buy a new engine, not to mention renting a van to get us to Cornerstone in Illinois (we're still gonna make it!!) and pay for a way home from Nashville where our van will have to remain til it is fixed. It will be about $7000 to get us going again.

We have offered our musical gifts as our spiritual services for almost 4yrs now for very little or no pay. So many times people ask us what they can do for us and we don't know what to say except "pray". In this case we could also use your financial help. It is not easy for us to ask but this is really hitting us hard so if you'd like to help out, please click on the donate button below or send a check to:

StorySide:B
P.O. Box 3547
Brentwood, TN 37024

Special thanks to our friends Jaime Janiszewski and Stephanie Smith for coming to our rescue last night :)

Even though monetary help is not always possible, just by praying for these bands on a regular basis can make a world of difference!

Rush of Fools Needs Our Help!

From the Rush of Fools Myspace:

We need your prayers! Early this morning, Rush Of Fools' trailer was stolen out of our driveway in Alabama. The band has lost everything they own including all merchandise, guitars, cases, amps....anything you would see them play with at a show is gone. Insurance will cover some of the costs, but due to recent purchases and additions to the gear, the value lost is over $60,000. This, as you know, is a major loss for a young band. We know that God has plans in the midst of this. While we look for answers, please pray that our trailer and gear will be found quickly and unharmed. We are all off on vacation this week, and Wes gets married on Saturday. Not exactly the kind of stress you need before your wedding.

Our next set of concerts begin on July 14th, and our management company is working now to help find solutions so we can continue to play concerts and share our music with hurting people who need to hear it.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." This verse is where we all live and breathe. We trust God in all things, even when we don't have the answers to why someone would do this. It's our prayer that whoever took the gear and trailer would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through our stuff. Yes, literally, our "stuff" would be the catalyst to their introduction to Christ.

So, we need your immediate help in two ways. First, if you can pray, please stop right now and ask God to intervene and find our trailer. Second, if you are able to help financially, we would love that support. You can mail checks to Rush Of Fools, Inc at the address below. All money received will go towards being able to replace our gear.

You not only are the best fans in the world, but you are our friends too. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for us, our band, and our families.

Rush Of Fools
PO Box 963
Nolensville, TN 37135

Rush Of Fools

You can stay up-to-date on the status of their stolen trailer by reading their blogs at http://blog.myspace.com/rushoffools.

Sunshine in the Clouds - Fri/Sat of Ichthus

Hey! This is Maria. I'm here to tell you about the rest of Mo and I's amazing weekend in Wilmore, KY. If you don't know where that is, it's ok. Neither do we.

I was all excited about Friday because it was THE DAY for bands. It was like all one awesome amazing goodness was packed into the day of the week that is always looked forward to -- Friday. The bands that were planned to grace us with their presence were Maylene & the Sons of Disaster, As I Lay Dying, TobyMac, The Showdown, Becoming the Archetype, Inhale Exhale, Flatfoot 56, Blaze Entertainment stage, and the band we all know and love, This Beautiful Republic. Maybe those aren't your type of bands....but for me, it was a little slice of heaven mixed with hardcore. We took our time getting out our "bed", aka the back of Mo's car, and I even got a shower in that day. I stood in line for an hour and half to take a 5 minute shower. No lie. I was that quick. :) Mo and I met this super cool southern guy named Perry Stokes (that is an AWESOME name!) who took more time getting ready than we did. He dragged me all around the festival grounds to find a plug so he could use his straightener on his hair. Seriously. After he found one, he proceeded to take out multiple bottles and hair products so that his hair would stay straight and smell wonderful all day long! After we got laughed at by a few teeny boppers, we went to go see some bands play, because after all, that's why were there right?!

After wandering around, we camped out at the Deep End stage and was about to watch a band named after Spiderman's first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. They just started to play a few tunes and down came the RAIN and washed spiderman's girlfriend out. We all took cover under the tents and then the army men and a really butch woman made us go back to our cars (bc that's a real safe place when there's 50-60mph winds and a tornado watch). During the downpour, Mo and I were inspired by Bear Grylls of Man vs. Wild and collected the rain water off of our manmade tarp-tent. I know this is a lame story, but it's all we got. Everything was canceled for the rest of the day. Eff that crap. Because of the sudden lack of events, I curled up in the car and slept for the next 5 hours. What Mo did during that time, I will never know. But I do wonder where all the food went and why my shirt was cut into pieces...just kidding.

I woke up just in time to see a shaggy haired man walking in front of our car trying to get in the back gate. Seeing that it was dark outside and I have horrible night vision, I had no idea who it was. Turns out, Mo can see fairly well and realized that it was none other than Mr. Andy Smith of TBR trying to get inside the festival grounds because the rest of his band left him! With our expertise, we got him back to his beloved Brandon and TBR clan and were able to chill with the guys while they were there. It's a bummer they didn't get to play :(

Saturday was chaos. Ichthus was doing a lot of major rehaul trying to fit in bands that stayed around hoping that they would be able to play for the kiddos. Bits and pieces would best describe Saturday. I think the highlight for me was seeing The Glorious Unseen and creating relationships with Perry and this other awesome guy we volunteered with, Travis, who happens to know Isaac Dietz. I was fortunate enough to run into them and get to know both guys a little more. Amidst the packed Saturday, Mo and I got to hang out with our friends that played (11ty7, The Glorious Unseen, Through a Glass, Gwen Stacy, Special D, and Josh Brown from Day of Fire), make new friends (After Edmund, Ilia, The Switch, Amy, Travis, and Perry and my new friend from Nashville - Cory! --->) There's too many to keep naming!

We left during MxPx (don't judge us) and drove an hour out of the way to get on a bump, bump, bumpity road and got back in Nashville around the same time we arrived in Kentucky: 4:30am.

The trip was awesome. We barely slept. There was only 1 shower taken. We were able to actually cook mac and cheese to sustain our life. We made around 5-ish new friends. Haste the Day puts on an amazing show...and has a mean cookout. I actually saw a hardcore band who had a chick as their lead singer. It was awkward and I don't think people are ready for that quite yet. We can officially say we survived the wilderness of Kentucky thanks to the expertise of Bear Grylls...and our own improvisation. I got a killer tan. I screamed every time a cicada thought about flying by me. It was entertaining to see the bands react to the cicadas on stage. They screamed and danced around awkwardly as well. We didn't take many pictures but these are a few of my faves. :)

Mo and I are hitting up different festivals every year.
Last year was Creation East.
This year was Ichthus.
Both were beyond what I had hoped for or expected.
I can't even imagine what next year will be like!
Where should we go next??

FESTIVAL SEASON!!!

Hey peeps!

Gonna try this out. Kelsey told me to write a blog about the festivals a few of us went to the past few weeks. Maria and I (Mo) went to Ichthus in good ole Wilmore, Kentucky then we snagged Ashley from Nashville after 2.6 days of being home and working our tails of to head up to Pro-Life in Warsaw, Indiana.

For starters: Ichthus (which I can never spell correctly) was epic for a few different reasons. An Epic lack of sleep. The night before we left I had to prepare for a presentation for my summer class which kept me awake until 4 am. I'm a perfectionalistic person when it comes to stuff like that which I learned is called Analysis Paralysis. Project was about my strengths ( which based on strengthsquest.com tells me are: Postivity, Developer, Adaptability, Belief and Includer). > I must say that I LOVE the auto save feature on Blogspot!> That night (Wednesday) Maria and I went to Cobra Starship and The Secret Handshake @ RCKTWN, then Maria skated with some dudes afterwards and we left Nashville around 1am.

After a Rockstar and a bit of driver switchy action later we get to the grounds around 5:30 am. Awkward in the car sleep till a little after 7am until we had to get check in to volunteer at the Deep End Stage. We walked over, met our fellow helpers as well as got aquainted with the local plaque: Cicadas. I kinda wanna puke a little whenever I see them. Just imagine a gabilion of these suckers flying around making noise and landing on you. The boys scream when you flick them off. These dinosour bugs are fearless and as our friend Perry told us: "If you pull their front right leg, their WHOLE HEAD COMES OFF!" Cool.

Mr. Josh Brown (Day of Fire) was the host for the Deep End Stage so he was chillin and whenever I went off next to a tree to sleep (cuz 3hrs of sleep and 3 days don't match up), I was awoken by a crazed cook. He told me that the sun was going to burn me, but if it the sun didn't... he would. He then proceeded to squirt lighter fluid on his mini grill and laugh very evil-y along with his bandmates who were awaiting his cooked food. (Later I find out said band was Haste the Day, ha)

We then preceeded to open and close the gate for van/trailer combos, help bands with their gear and roast in the sun. Snuck away to see Through A Glass play on the Blaze Entertainment stage. Let me tell you, Mr. and Mrs. Blaze are AMAZING people and they have the raddest family!!! If you happen to be reading this: THE DIEHARDS HEART YOU! So, the TAG guys were amazing and gave us their leftover meal vouchers which was super nice of them. Battle of the Bands had some sweet bands in it like Farebridge. Ok, well, maybe they were the only band I liked, but, boy oh boy, are they GOOD! haha.

Thursday night: Maria and I actually took a nap after the battle of the bands and were pleasently awoken by Skillet. It was delightful!

Well, I think I've gone into too much detail for now, mostly cuz I've only covered Thursday, buuut I'll be back soon with the rest of our adventures!!

So long!

-Mo

The Sound, The Steel

If you haven't already, you should probably order your copy of The Wedding's new EP, "The Sound, The Steel." I know I will be picking up my copy next weekend at the Skatepark in Memphis :)


kelsey.