Live!

Who: "Music Builds" Tour -- Third Day, Switchfoot, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Jars of Clay When: 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Nissan Pavilion, Bristow

Thursday, September 11, 2008; Page VA10

It's a safe bet there will be no raunchy backstage behavior at Nissan Pavilion this weekend, despite a multi-act bill of guitar-fueled rock bands that have sold millions of albums.

This isn't another hard rock bacchanal of dropped halter tops and four-letter expletives (Crue Fest, anyone?). And you can literally thank God for that, because the Music

Builds tour consists of Christian contemporary music bands that keep the faith to a loud but spiritually minded beat.

Showing they can walk it like they talk it, the groups involved have designated local Habitat for Humanity affiliates as beneficiaries of a portion of ticket sales ($1 per seat sold),

ticket auctions, special merchandise and event packages in each tour city.

In the Christian contemporary music community, the acts on the bill are superstars whose every release is met with heightened anticipation. In recent years, some have

achieved crossover success, thanks to catchy melodies and state-of-the-art production values that fit right in on pop/rock radio.

The San Diego-based band Switchfoot, for example, sold more than 2 million copies of its 2003 breakthrough album, "The Beautiful Letdown," many to secular listeners who

fell in love with the song "Dare You to Move" during its time as a Top 40 and alternative rock radio hit.
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"Oh! Gravity," the band's latest studio release, debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes albums chart and received a fine review from Spin, which called the album "their liveliest record,

full of dive-bombing guitar fuzz, juicy arena-alt choruses." The band also earned wide exposure when the song "This Is Home" was featured in "The Chronicles of Narnia:

Prince Caspian" and became the lead single and video for the movie's soundtrack.

The quartet Jars of Clay launched the EP "Closer" last month as a teaser for a new full-length due early next year. The catchy, pop-inflected act begin its career in 1995 with

the hit song "Flood" and has worked its way through multiplatinum sales and Grammy Awards to the point that it has its own imprint label, Gray Matters, with the Nettwerk

Music Group. The first Gray Matters release, "Christmas Songs," came out last fall, followed this year by "Greatest Hits." The group has been recording with producer Ron

Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster, Barenaked Ladies) for the next studio album.

Third Day, an Atlanta-based quartet that has won more than 20 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, recorded its 11th studio album, "Revelation," with

mainstream producer Howard Benson. Benson has helmed recording sessions for the likes of Chris Daughtry (who sings on one track of the new CD), All-American Rejects

and My Chemical Romance.

After 17 years of performing mainstream rock with a slight southern twang, the group continues to reach new ears, taping a guest spot on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"

in July.

With members Mac Powell (lead vocals), Mark Lee (guitar), Tai Anderson (bass) and David Carr (drums), the group is as comfortable playing the House of Blues as a USO

show in Iraq (which it did in January) as a Christian contemporary music festival.

Robert Randolph was recently named among the 100 greatest guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone magazine and is considered a maestro of the pedal steel. The origins of

Robert Randolph & the Family Band date to a House of God church in Orange, N.J., where Randolph was trained on the "sacred steel."

He returned to his roots earlier this year, teaming with acclaimed producer T-Bone Burnett to record an album honoring his music heritage with new versions of old gospel

classics. With Randolph on guitars and vocals, Danyel Morgan on bass, Marcus Randolph on drums and Jason Crosby on keyboards, the Family Band has toured with Eric

Clapton and is a favorite at jam band festivals such as Bonnaroo and roots/revival shows.

With all the fine music and good vibes to be had, Music Builds promises one last summer weekend of festival fun. If we could only get the Big Guy Upstairs to ease the traffic

issues that plague travelers to Nissan Pavilion. . . .


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