Godstock 2000
June 16 - 17
Waukesha, WI
-Ken Wiegman

Friday, June 16^th,2000

A gathering of approximately 13,000 people, with lawn chairs and blankets, waited in anticipation of the coming event. Kicking off the fest was Smalltown Poets, who hail from Atlanta, GA and are definitely not small-town. Their smooth sound and crowd interaction quickly had the people on their feet. A promise of a third album, coincidentally named "3^rd Verse", received applause from the audience.

Up next was Petra. Prior to going on stage, John Schlitt was seen shaking hands and conversing with fans. I could see the enthusiasm in his facial expressions and his hand gestures. After reading recent criticisms in regards to the band not caring about their fans, I was very relieved to see that it was not true. Actually, after hearing about the bus problems and the lack of sleep and showers prior to coming on stage, I believe the complete opposite. After all these years, Petra remains the premiere Christian rock band. Although you could describe Petra's recent release, "Double Take", as an unplugged Petra, their performance was electrified and charged. "Have fun in Jesus' name," John states, and that is exactly what he did during this performance. Another story of commitment comes from long time drummer Louie Weaver. He made this performance 36 hours after the birth of his newborn daughter.

Hitting the stage after Petra was Caedmon's Call. Caedmon's Call referred to itself as a "folk band" and made many apologies for "trying to rock". I think they lost sight of the fact that this was a Christian music festival and not just a rock festival. It didn't appear as if the band was comfortable being who they were. When it came time to play a song, it was painful. The band openly admitted that not everyone knew how to play the new songs as a band. Little enthusiasm was shown on stage until the ending garbage can revival. All of a sudden, they were having fun and looking good but the set was over. They announced that a new album, which was produced in three weeks, would be coming out in October. I truly believe that for some reason the band was holding back, and I'd like to see one of their performances in a college setting.

Rebecca St. James was up next, starting off the show with a slightly altered version of "Omega". Not only was Rebecca a stunning vocalist, she delivered a message of hope and faith. Reading verses from James and 1^st Corinthians, she stressed "get serious" about your faith. I saw Rebecca as a strong advocate for the teenage girl, with a positive effect. She is someone who could reverse the effects of role models like Britney Spears, who promote promiscuity and inappropriate behavior in teenagers. "God bless and rock on for Him." ­ Rebecca St. James

Finishing out the first successful night of Godstock was award winning Michael W. Smith. Starting the show with "Hey You It's Me" Smith instantly had people on their feet. The highlight of the show for me was when Nicole Mullen, backing vocals, took center stage and sang "Redeemer", also doing it in sign language. Smith amused the crowd with his story of when he wrote "Friends" so long ago, he didn't believe that he would have to sing it for the rest of his life. Smith put on an excellent performance that was truly a perfect ending for a perfect night.









Godstock 2000
Saturday, June 17^th,2000

Starting out Saturday's show was Ginny Owens (Dove Artist of the Year -1999). Just she and her piano had the crowd entranced and in deep thought. Her music was sweet to the ears, and she spoke of how "God's promise is exciting". For more on Ginny Owens please check the Features section.

Following up Ginny was the Atlanta GA based The Waiting. The Waiting is an excited and good sounding band with definite professionalism. The performance was very energetic, and they had the crowd literally jumping up and down. Having been compared to the Goo Goo Dolls and The Wallflowers, I believe The Waiting could easily win over the attention of pop rock seeking teens.

Virtue hit the stage next, after a brief delay due to sound problems. With a mixture of Gospel and R & B, Virtue was a pleasure to listen to. Although the crowd seemed hesitant at first, the foursome soon had the crowd feeling good. All members of Virtue were there to have fun and spread the word. This was evident by their constant laughing and personal ribbings of each other. Virtue was a great part of the eclectic line up of artists at this event.

Burlap To Cashmere was next to grace the stage. Burlap To Cashmere hit the stage full force with a "crazy" and "fun" attitude. This is obviously a band with great experience and a joy for what they are doing.

Finishing off the festival was Jaci Velesquez. Coming in late, Jaci found herself short of time for signing autographs. You could see that she wanted to see and talk to as many of her fans as she could. Going over the lineup for the upcoming show, Jaci didn't miss a beat signing autographs and saying hello. Waiting until the last minute, Jaci went from signing autographs right to stage with hardly any time to slow down. On top of all, this she put on a great performance. Jaci lived up to her positive reputation and proved herself to be a fine role model for young teens.

Regional Stage

Godstock 2000 gave several regional acts the chance to strut their stuff. Some well-known bands like Jacobstone and 38 Acres (Left) were able to add a major event to their history of performance. I admit that I didn't get as much of a chance to browse the regional stage on Friday as I did on Saturday, and I regret that very much. On Saturday, I was able to talk to a few of the regional acts and pick up some CD's for review. The general consensus was that they all enjoyed the chance to perform at such an event. Having the regional stage offered many the chance to see what could be the up and coming in the future of Christian music. Please read the review section to find out more about some of the regional acts that performed at Godstock 2000.


Summary

Overall, the festival was a magnificent success, from the very heart of planning all the way down to the execution. I hate to mention it, but some of the downfalls of other festivals are the lack of adequate facilities (you know, rest rooms). But, that was surely not a problem here. Also, there were adequate vendors taking care of the hungry and thirsty crowd. The combination of the main stage, the regional stage, and the vendor tent gave all plenty to do. The volunteer staff was the finest I have ever dealt with. All whom I came in contact with were helpful and very excited to belong to such an event. I look forward to being at Godstock 2001.

See you there!!!