Jesus is the king of kings, Elvis is the king of rock 'n roll, Cornerstone is the king of the Christian rock festivals, and Stryper are the kings of Christian rock. On July 7th, it was a meeting of the kings. (OK, maybe not Elvis... he left the building.) Stryper rocked Cornerstone 2001, in a performance that many are calling a historic event.
The first Stryper member to arrive in Illinois was Michael Sweet and crew on Thursday night. While most stayed at the hotel and relaxed, Daryn Hinton and Patty Gannon went to Cornerstone to check out the Guardian set. This was another reunion show that was incredible! Being around Daryn and Patty is such a thrill for me. They both are wonderful ladies, and each played a significant role in the early days of Stryper. I was having flashbacks of when rock was the music of choice, and I was highly enjoying it.
The Stryper and Michael Sweet booths were set up on Friday morning, as the fans anticipation for the show mounted. Fans from all over descended on Cornerstone just to catch the yellow and black attack. Some folks that I remember were from Finland and South America! It was also inspiring to see so many young Stryper fans. The second generation of Stryper fans are growing with time, adding to the already loyal fan base that they have. I still say that Stryper's following is just as big now as it was in the 80's. Now it's more of an underground movement, with no support from radio and TV. The music is still quality music that has and will continue to touch lives. Can I hear an "Amen"?
Michael Sweet and band was show-cased Friday afternoon on the Encore One stage, and they came out with their guns blazing! Out of all of the solo tours that Mike has done, I really feel that the group of guys he has assembled for this tour is his strongest ensemble yet. To read more of this show, as well as pictures from the set, make sure to check out www.michaelsweet.com. Speaking of Mike's website, Mike's webmaster Jeff Wollschlager was there with wife Angie and brother Dave. Jeff is a great friend that dates back about 10 years, and it's always good to see him.
Robert, Tim and Irene Kelly made it in Friday afternoon. They drove across the country for this gig, wow! Chaffered by Rich Gardner and his lady fair Silvia, the only one missing now is Oz. There was to be a rehearsal later in the night, but it is postponed until Saturday due to Oz's flight being delayed. Sir Fox arrived later in the night, and the men once known as Stryper had all arrived.
The rehearsal was held at a church not too far away on Saturday morning, and the sound check was on the main stage at noon. After the sound check, they all retreated to the trailer that served as their dressing room, and work on vocal harmonies. I get goose bumps when I hear just the vocal harmony to Free!
While the weather on Friday sunny and comfortable, Saturday's weather made for a long day. Hot and humid would be an understatement! Another factor that made for a long day is that the roads around C-stone are dirt and gravel. With it being so dry, there was dust everywhere. I attended the first Cornerstone held on these grounds ten years ago, and it was the same situation. They hose the roads down early in the morning so the dust will not be so bad, but within an hour it's back in the air. I would like to see Jpusa take some of the money that's coming in from the festivel and start paving the roads and possibly build some buildings for indoor events. It would pay for itself within a year. Now before the naturalists send me nasty e-mails telling me that's part of the whole experience, realize that I'm talking from a vendor's point of view. A LOT of merchandise is brought to the festival by vendors from all over the US, and anything that is brought there gets covered with thick dust.
A press conference was held for Stryper in the afternoon, with reporters not only asking questions but sharing how big of an impact they have made. At the end of the conference, Mike Sweet lead the reporters in prayer.
Opening for Stryper were Earth Suit, Larry Norman, and Third Day. Earth Suit started in the afternoon when you could have fried an egg on the stage! The crowd had already started to form, and the guys in Earthsuit ended up working Stryper into some of their raps! Up next was Larry Norman, the godfather of Jesus music. Anybody who has seen Larry perform knows how good his shows are. Third Day was incredible, setting the stage for the next act on the bill.
On the seventh day of the seventh month in the year 2001, it happened. The lights went down, and the Battle Hymn Of The Republic started playing. I was blown away at how loud the crowd was. That is, until Robert Sweet came out on the stage with his sticks held high! There was an eruption of cheering, I've never heard anything like it. At that point I realized that this was the Homecoming. Even though Stryper has never played at Cornerstone, this show reunited the fans with the band. As Oz Fox, Tim Gaines and Michael Sweet walked out on the stage, the air swelled with more applause. A lump formed in my throat.
I was stationed up on the stage, overlooking the valley that was literally covered with people. I was fascinated, torn between watching the guys perform on fire or the equally charged crowd. Mike and Oz were running all over the place, I couldn't believe how wild they were! Oz was dancing and shuffling, it was so much fun to watch. Mike made good use of the 60 foot cat-walk that went out into the crowd, really commanding the stage. Tim was attacking his bass and giving it 110%, I've never seen him play with this much power and emotion! And Robert, he really gave it his all. He has always thrashed when he plays in front of a crowd, the Visual Timekeeper was not just a clever name! With the heat and the intensity of his playing, he literally was spent by the end of the show.
It wasn't a perfect show, as there were a few mishaps here and there. But that's OK! Rock n Roll isn't about perfection, it's all about the vibe. The chemistry between the band members and the crowd was powerful, each feeding off of the other. Cornerstone was right on the money in having Stryper close out their incredible line-up!
They played a 90 minute set, filled with many classics: Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, Free, More Than A Man, The Way, Loud N Clear, Can't Stop The Rock, Honestly, and More Than A Man to name a few. The bibles were thrown, their trademark that once stirred up so much controversy. As someone in the crowd shouted "Bonanza", Oz ripped right into a southern fried rock verison of it that had the crowd in stitches. Then in the heat of the night, another fan yelled out Winter Wonderland. Not one to let down their fans, Stryper cooled the crowd off with an off the cuff verison of their classic holiday tune that had the crowd roaring!
After the show, the guys made their way to the merch table and signed autographs for over an hour. The day was coming to an end, but it will live on in the memories of all present.
Brett Christensen
www.Stryper.com
Keeping The Fire Burning! |
