The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 16, 1999, Image 3

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 16, 1999, Image 3

Newspaper Page Textt Tie Battalion etsiT Aggielife Page 3 • Friday, April 16, 1999 will teach mt to student: m to contin,: 16 executi'.'i II plan the in:- rhich take: f January, advisers lot elected inthi and attend ilic Students; II be on-ca": mJntheAlfe A&M Wort II be practe] he polo fielet arking lot. H everyone, fit y. Call Apr J information, ski Team: ? it8:30p.m.J a. Calltosi'j nformation. | .S: Execute e available :r | lue April 20. n environmeri e held in the I n 10a.rn.-3fl the pe/iM Supernatural cicTalk Forefront/Virgin Records i®After the surprise change to the gru nge sound of Jesus Freak from the hip hop of their first three albums, lis teners anticipated the follow-up CD to see how dc Talk would reinvent itself aga; i ^■The long wait for dc Talk’s fifth al bum, Supernatural, was well worth it. No: as hard sounding as the previous al bum, Supernatural offers a sampler plate of what is hot in pop music. ■Two songs really stand out. “Con sume Me, ” which generated air play on non-Christian radio stations, has attract ed attention with it’s passionate lyrics thai tell God, “Without you I’m incom- plete/I’m hopeless/You consume me.” ■The other song has left Christian mu sic listeners, a probably artists, thinking. “My Friend (So Long)” tells of a ficti tious fourth band member who leaves the group to find secular music fame. ■ The song reminds of artists like Amy Grant, Jars of Clay and others who have tried to cross over from Christian to sec ular pop music. ■ The song affirms that dc Talk will never deny Christ to make it up the mu sic ladder, although their fictitious friend did just that. ■ dc Talk fans who have failed to buy this record should run to get it. They will definitely enjoy it. Those not famil iar with the group who are looking for very listenable music with substance- filled lyrics would not think their invest ment wasted. (Grade: A) — Carina Casas od’s Ofl*«l Christian rock meets alternative hip-hop when dcTalk hits Reed Arena . BY CARING CASAS The Battalion F rom the hip-hop sound on their self- titled debut album to the pop sound heard on their latest release. Super natural, dc Talk has evolved into what many call the biggest band in Christian mu sic. And they will be the biggest Christian act ever to play in Aggieland when they rock in Reed Arena Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The band first came together 10 years ago when Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait and Kevin Max (then Kevin Smith) met at Liberty University. At first, McKeehan ran the show, writing the music and rapping the lead. The metamorphosis from rap to grunge (on Jesus Freak) to pop came from the growth the members experienced to gether. “We’ve grown up a lot through the years,” McKeehan said in a press release. “We’re getting past the envy, jealousy and insecurity that’s there in any band setting.” This cohesiveness is apparent in their music. Every song on the new album lists the three members as cd writers. “This is the first record that we all came together and collaborated [on],” Tait said in Christian Entertainment. “In the past, Toby was the chief songwriter, and Kevin and I would come together for a song or two. This time, we said, ‘Let’s try something dif ferent.’” In Maranatha Christian Journal, McKee han said sharing the songwriting responsi bilities was difficult, but worth it. “At first it was a scary process,” he said. “There were lots of fights, lots of argu ments, but we kept coming back the next day wanting more. It pushed us, and we earned respect for each other as writers. Collaboration is a tough thing, but a beau tiful thing.” The effort paid off. Supernatural de buted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, the highest spot any contemporary Christian album has debuted on the chart. The album was sandwiched between Psy cho-Circus by KISS (once called Knights in Satan’s Service by their detractors) and Me chanical Animals by Marilyn Manson (whose second album was called Antichrist Superstar). In the remix of the Doobie Brother’s “Je sus is Just Alright” on their third album. Free at Last, McKeehan raps “I’m kicking it Jesus-style/To the ones that think they heard/I did use the ‘J’ word/’Cause I ain’t too soft to say it/Even if DJ’s don’t play it.” But DJ’s are playing it here in the Brazos Valley, Mix 104.7 (KKYS-FM) has been playing the intimate ballad “Consume Me.” Without knowing it comes from a Chris tian band, the track sounds like a sensual love song to a significant other. But band member said the chorus that says, “You consume me/Like a burning flame running through my veins” is speaking to God. “We view our relationship with God as very personal,” McKeehan said in a press release, “and some people might get upset because the relationship in ‘Consume Me’ is so passionate and real rather than ritual istic. We wrote this as a spiritual song be cause to us, faith is a passionate, personal, committed love relationship with Jesus Christ.” John Paul Russell, concert chairperson for Aggie Men’s Club and a junior man agement information systems major, said the organization wants to use dc Talk to spread the message. “The main reason we brought them over is more as a ministry, because it crosses over from not only Christian, but it crosses over to the secular charts,” he said. “We were hoping to bring in some secular peo ple to this concert and also use it as a word- of-mouth for Christianity. ” Aggie Men’s Club, a Christian fraternal organization founded in 1984, raised $73,000 from private donations to bring the band to A&M. Russell said all proceeds from ticket sales after expenses will go to Project Unity. This concert is expected to attract the largest audience for a Christian act in the area. Mary Helen Bower, associate director of Reed Arena, said she expects dc Talk ticket sales to exceed 4,000. Bower said the main reason the audience will be larger is that, before Reed Arena, there was no venue larger than Rudder Auditorium, which seats 2,500. Tickets are available for $15.50 at the MSC Box Office. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The opening acts for dc Talk will be Jennifer Knapp and The W’s. PHOTO COURTESY OF DC TALK Toby Mckeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max of dc Talk, have crossed over to popular charts but have kept their Christian mentality. They will play at Reed Arena on Sunday. ■ rm uNim\ f , Sports Ediilf riani, Radiol* cano, s, i liuddin, / ■n, Web Edfc'l t Texas MM jlism. terff Fax: 815--1 ;dip or err) 15-2696.f0i land office® ptionsarftfjJj a month. let gh Fnday dKtjJ ession (i se Paid at 5 Reed V IU 9? VWK, ' V yj S(\ EVERY WEEKEND 2 Bedroom Apartments Fully Furnished Individual leases/private bedrooms Close to campus on bus route Washer/dryer in each apartment Rbommate matching service Computer, copier, fax available Swimming pool Pool tables, fitness center Volleyball & tennis courts Reserved parking iH .i i / Hours: M-F 9-6, Sat 10-4 J . V\

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 16, 1999, Image 3

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