SOOL Crusade
I have been pretty fortunate with my two weeks in New York to have timed it right for some pretty big events. This whole weekend has been Billy Graham's last Crusade and I thought I should make the effort to get out and see such an influential man along with 99,999 others. You only realise how truly large New York is when you go to the extremities like Flushing Meadows in Queens. It just goes on and on and on.
The buildup to the great man was just about unbearable, and only a little of it was the fact that it was stinking hot and standing room only, and far more to do with the music being hellish. How can it be that something seeking such great heights is without fail insipid and and so breathtakingly uninspired? It is truly staggering how narrowly focussed American Christians are on moral exactitudes. Seems to take up pretty much all of their spiritual focus, not leaving much room for such trivialities as the Kingdom and helping the poor. The latter lack being even harder to stomach looking at the people around and the general excess of New York in general. It was announced during the "15 minute" plead for money that the weekend had cost US$7 million to stage, a truly staggering sum imho. Made me wonder how many Easter Camps could've been run with that sort of money.
Then the big Billy G was finally assisted to the podium and I think that maybe 86 years is a few too many to try and communicate. 30 minutes of general evangelical waffle followed by an altar call that seemed to come from nowhere and judging by the conviction on people faces as they moved forward I was confused by those who were joining me in looking for an exit.
To recover from that I felt that a good night of music was neccessary and thankfully New York delivered. The last time I was here I had wanted to see The Soundtrack of Our Lives (SOOL) bt it had sold out quicker than these sorts of thing do back home, anyway not much chance of that Sunday night as it wasn't going to be until after1am as they were supporting Robert Plant earlier in the night - too cool.
Having not heard anything of theirs I didn't really know what to expect but was treated to a sol soothing mix of the Doors and Turin Breaks. The Doors in the cool jazzy keys and baritone voice, Turin Breaks in everyone seated, well bar the lead singer but I'm getting to him, and two accoustic guitars. All of this was fronted by a giant bearded, kaftan wearing Swede (not the exceptionaly part as the other 5 were too) who looked like he could've pillaged English villages on his own had he been born 800 or so years earlier. The other 5 would barely have made a dent in a nunnery by comparison but they did have great hair! One of those gigs that fits the mood perfectly, just like Turin Breaks in Auckland.
Sorry Brouwer, Billy Corgan was playing on Monday but couldn't make it.
The buildup to the great man was just about unbearable, and only a little of it was the fact that it was stinking hot and standing room only, and far more to do with the music being hellish. How can it be that something seeking such great heights is without fail insipid and and so breathtakingly uninspired? It is truly staggering how narrowly focussed American Christians are on moral exactitudes. Seems to take up pretty much all of their spiritual focus, not leaving much room for such trivialities as the Kingdom and helping the poor. The latter lack being even harder to stomach looking at the people around and the general excess of New York in general. It was announced during the "15 minute" plead for money that the weekend had cost US$7 million to stage, a truly staggering sum imho. Made me wonder how many Easter Camps could've been run with that sort of money.
Then the big Billy G was finally assisted to the podium and I think that maybe 86 years is a few too many to try and communicate. 30 minutes of general evangelical waffle followed by an altar call that seemed to come from nowhere and judging by the conviction on people faces as they moved forward I was confused by those who were joining me in looking for an exit.
To recover from that I felt that a good night of music was neccessary and thankfully New York delivered. The last time I was here I had wanted to see The Soundtrack of Our Lives (SOOL) bt it had sold out quicker than these sorts of thing do back home, anyway not much chance of that Sunday night as it wasn't going to be until after1am as they were supporting Robert Plant earlier in the night - too cool.
Having not heard anything of theirs I didn't really know what to expect but was treated to a sol soothing mix of the Doors and Turin Breaks. The Doors in the cool jazzy keys and baritone voice, Turin Breaks in everyone seated, well bar the lead singer but I'm getting to him, and two accoustic guitars. All of this was fronted by a giant bearded, kaftan wearing Swede (not the exceptionaly part as the other 5 were too) who looked like he could've pillaged English villages on his own had he been born 800 or so years earlier. The other 5 would barely have made a dent in a nunnery by comparison but they did have great hair! One of those gigs that fits the mood perfectly, just like Turin Breaks in Auckland.
Sorry Brouwer, Billy Corgan was playing on Monday but couldn't make it.
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