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!!!