FFH will be back in 2009!

[Escuchame]

I thought the news might make someone's day on here, seeing as they have a bit of a following.

More at this link:
http://web.me.com/jeromydeibler/FFH/

[ajyouthguy]

and Murlough (and Jess) rejoiced...HAHAHA...

[enemy anemone]

[murlough23]

Well, that's a relief. I was planning on getting myself off of Provident's mailing list in 2009, so my Bottom 10 list was probably gonna be a little dry.

Maybe my buddy Jeromy will personally send me a copy... then again, I gave him my address so that he could send me the CD he and Jennifer did on their own apart from FFH, and it never showed up, so he must've chickened out.

[AldaForPresident]

and Murlough (and Jess) rejoiced...HAHAHA...

I am so stoked by U2 album news, I will let this go. 

[Josh]

This is Far From Happy news.

[spacebrat311]

What are you talking about guys? This is great news!

[murlough23]

Apparently Jennifer is still playing the important dual role of "Vocalist" and "Publicity photo guitar holder".

[Josh]

Is she credited with guitar on any of their songs?

[Brenden]

Not that I can think of.

[Aaron]

Is that like the one really really untalented Barlow sister who "plays" drums so well that they have another drummer play in concert so "she can be up front singing" (but in reality she sucks so bad that she would embarrass them even more)?

[ajyouthguy]

Is that like the one really really untalented Barlow sister who "plays" drums so well that they have another drummer play in concert so "she can be up front singing" (but in reality she sucks so bad that she would embarrass them even more)?

i've seen them in concert like 4 times and she's always played on every song but one  that she comes up front and sings on.  but she sings lead on others while playing as well. 

[bloop]

Wow.  I wish I could say I've seen a few bands four times, but I know I wouldn't want to admit that the band is Barlow Girl.

[ajyouthguy]

Wow.  I wish I could say I've seen a few bands four times, but I know I wouldn't want to admit that the band is Barlow Girl.

nice try...they just happen to be opening acts for several bands i've taken the youth group to.  i've never actually been to a Barlow Girl show b/c it's a Barlow Girl show or b/c they are the headliner.

[bloop]

Yeah, well, you still got there on time.   

[ajyouthguy]

Yeah, well, you still got there on time.   

i honestly don't think i've ever missed an opening act/start time for any show i've ever been to, actually...if so, i can't remember it anyways.

[AldaForPresident]

Wow.  I wish I could say I've seen a few bands four times, but I know I wouldn't want to admit that the band is Barlow Girl.

I've seen FFH four times. 

[Josh]

The only band I've seen more than twice is Over the Rhine; seven times, if you're wondering.

[Ian]

Most I've seen a band is Newsboys, mewithoutYou and Mute Math each twice... I don't get out to concerts much

[spacebrat311]

Mute Math and Switchfoot tied with three.

[ajyouthguy]

oh man, you guys are making me feel guilty...i've seen TONS of bands multiple times...

#1 would be Jars, with at least 9 times i can think of.

other bands i can think of that i know i've seen at least 3 times (some many more):
Third Day
David Crowder Band
Shaun Groves
Jennifer Knapp
dc Talk
Newsboys
Audio A
Steven Curtis Chapman
Shane and Shane
Newsong (never by choice, they are at EVERY Winter Jam)
Skillet
Caedmon's Call
Andrew Peterson
Big Tent Revival
Jeremy Camp
Mercy Me
Toby Mac

[plvarona]

I think I may be able to "out-guilt" AJ, so to speak.  The band I've seen the most times is also Jars of Clay, except I've seen them 13 times.

Here are other artists I can think of that I've seen at least three times:
Switchfoot
Bebo Norman
Third Day
Derek Webb
Caedmon's Call
Andrew Peterson
Rachael Lampa
Jennifer Knapp
Relient K
The O.C. Supertones
Anberlin
Shaun Groves
Fireflight (mostly while they were indie)
Rebecca St. James
downhere

FTR, I've only seen FFH once, and that was about 8 years ago.

[murlough23]

Is she credited with guitar on any of their songs?

No - at least, not on the album where I originally saw that photo. She's not credited with anything other than vocals.

To be fair, Danielle Young from Caedmon's Call doesn't play any instruments on their albums (unless you count the tambourine or egg shaker), but I've seen her play acoustic guitar in concert.

Then again, Caedmon's Call has actual talent.

NP: "Moon Days", Cindy Morgan

[murlough23]

Oh man... if you want to talk about seeing bands multiple times, I've lost count of how many times I've seen Jars. I think it's 12 or 13, but I'm not 100% sure of the exact count.

I've seen Switchfoot, Relient K, Vienna Teng, Jennifer Knapp, Third Day and Delirious? a number of times as well. (Though it's been several years for all of those except Switchfoot, RK, and VT.) Some of those cases include opening stints (first time I saw Switchfoot, for example they were opening for Delirious?), but usually those acts were the headliners.

If I really love a band, or if I just like 'em but have friends who love 'em and want to go see 'em, I'll generally go see 'em once per album. I've been a fan of some of my favorite bands for around a decade now, so there have been plenty of opportunities to see these bands play very different setlists over the years.

But FFH? man. That's not even a group that you can use the "I took my youth group" excuse for.

NP: "The Color Green", Rich Mullins

[ajyouthguy]

But FFH? man. That's not even a group that you can use the "I took my youth group" excuse for.
/quote]

eh, the one time i saw them, it was a youth thing, but most of my youth didn't go, thankfully.  one of the other churches around here put together this event, that i was on board with until i found out their idea of 'bringing in someone cool' was FFH.  unfortunately, sometimes in youth ministry, you go to support the people putting it on, not b/c of the people they bring in, so i went, but i only had like 5 youth go, so it wasn't a complete disaster, except that it did take place on a wednesday night so 30 or so youth didn't have anything to do that night since they didn't have regular youth group and didn't want to go to the event (which i didn' t blame them for).  it was one of the worst concerts i've ever been to, and i almost feel bad saying that b/c some of the other churches thought it was awesome.  but i did say 'almost.'  i don't.

[bloop]

Oh man... if you want to talk about seeing bands multiple times, I've lost count of how many times I've seen Jars. I think it's 12 or 13, but I'm not 100% sure of the exact count.

I never want to hear that I'm a fanboy for anyone, or an equivalent phrase, from you ever again.  You lost count . . . srsly?!   

(I probably don't have that many bootlegs of concerts from any of my favorite bands, let alone ticket stubs)

[Aaron]

I've seen Jars of Clay (twice), Newsboys (twice), and Michael W. Smith (2 or 3 times).  Those are the only artists I've seen multiple times.  I don't get to many concerts because 1) Can't afford them, 2) lack of artists that regularly come to the Rochester and Buffalo area, and 3) i don't like crowded spaces.

[bloop]

Kids ruined my concert-going for the time being, but they will get old enough to give me a good excuse to enjoy them far more often later.

I hope taste rubs off on kids, because I don't want to go the pop fluff route.

[murlough23]

I never want to hear that I'm a fanboy for anyone, or an equivalent phrase, from you ever again.  You lost count . . . srsly?!   

Let's revise that to "I was too lazy to count at the time". Keep in mind that I've been a fan of this band for over 13 years now, that they've put out roughly one new studio album every two years, that a few of these concerts have been free due to the band playing a county fair or a Billy Graham Crusade, etc. (probably shouldn't even bother counting the crusade 'cause it was only 3 songs, but my Mom wanted to see Billy Graham), and that I voluntarily passed up an opportunity to see them this year. (A few of the times I attended in the past, I now wish I hadn't gone to those shows, because it was twice within the lifecycle of an album, the setlist was almost the same as last time, and I really should have spent the money on someone else. A fanboy would likely never say this.)

If I had to count...

1. November 1996, UC Irvine (w/ The Gufs and Matchbox 20)
2. September 1997, L.A. County Fair (free)
3. October 1997, Ford Theater, Hollywood (w/ Plumb)
4. September 1999, L.A. County Fair (free)
5. March 2000, Fox Theatre, Visalia (w/ Burlap to Cashmere and David Wilcox)
6. October 2000, Riverside County Fair (w/ Jennifer Knapp and Luna Halo)
7. May 2002, Greek Theater, Hollywood (w/ Jennifer Knapp and Shaun Groves)
8. October 2002, Azusa Pacific University (w/ The Elms)
9. November 2003, UC Irvine (w/ Caedmon's Call and Steven Delopoulos)
10. November 2004, Billy Graham Crusade, Rose Bowl, Pasadena (free, w/ Marcos Witt - I so wanted my money back after being subjected to the torture!)
11. April 2005, Azusa Pacific University (w/ Tyrone Wells and Small Boat Sinking)
12. November 2006, Pepperdine University (w/ Matt Wertz and Kate York)

So I've seen them roughly once per year, and if I had it to do over again, I'd have probably skipped one of the two shows in 1997, 2000, and 2002. And I haven't seen them in over two years despite having had the opportunity. I don't think this is going overboard.

[bloop]

Ready for my big Radiohead concert attendance list:

1  August 2001, Liberty State Park (NJ)

I wish I remember when I went to see U2 (I think just a little after the Radiohead show), but I know it was in Philadelphia in what was then the First Union Center. 

I don't even remember where I saw Sigur Ros in Philadelphia, but I remember that we were almost stranded because the trains stopped running and neither of us bothered to check.

I had the opportunity to see Jars once and missed it.  I regret it now, but I was a little overdosed with Jars at my college as it was.

The last concert I remember going to was Sleeping at Last and Switchfoot with Andree in NYC, pretty shortly before I moved to VA.

[murlough23]

I feel your pain. You've got the double whammy of having kids and most of those bands being more expensive. I would love to see U2 or Coldplay, but I always balk at the ticket prices. I can understand why you haven't seen Radiohead as many times as you've probably wanted to.

I also find myself less interested in going to most concerts (especially really popular bands) these days because the traffic and crowds and all of the "hurry up and wait" are a big hassle. I used to go to a lot of shows just out of curiosity; these days I have to be almost guaranteed it's going to be an excellent show with a well-rounded setlist, or I won't bother buying a ticket.

My favorite concerts are still the small, local club or church shows where you just pay the cover charge or it's free, because the band is still trying to build a following.

[bloop]

I think I'd rather go see a show by someone I haven't seen than do any of those again, even though they were very good to excellent shows (Sigur Ros and Radiohead were likely the two best shows I've seen, one in a very large setting, the other in a more intimate setting). 

Sigur Ros was $20, I think.  $45 for Radiohead, but it was worth it.  I can't say I wouldn't do it again, given the opportunity, but give me a choice between seeing Dylan or Radiohead again, I'll probably go with Dylan.

[murlough23]

I think I'd rather go see a show by someone I haven't seen than do any of those again, even though they were very good to excellent shows (Sigur Ros and Radiohead were likely the two best shows I've seen, one in a very large setting, the other in a more intimate setting).

That's a matter of personal preference, I suppose. There are a lot of bands that I haven't even seen live once, that I'd love to. At some point I have to make sacrifices, and the choice of which concerts to go to usually gets made based on who else wants to go. Occasionally I will go see a band by myself if it's not too much of an inconvenience and not too long of an event, and if I'm curious enough about what they sound like live to offset the fact that I have to be alone in a crowd of total strangers. (Anathallo is one example. The only friend I've met in person who likes them now lives in Bangkok.)

For me, since most bands focus their tour setlists on their latest album, it's generally a very new experience to see them when a new album comes out. So that 2006 Jars show had little in common, both in terms of the setlist and the type of performance, with the 2005 show.

Sigur Ros was $20, I think.  $45 for Radiohead, but it was worth it.

Your Sigur Ros show was cheaper than my usual Jars show, which run closer to $30 depending on the venue and whether it's a big tour or just a one-off date. Radiohead would totally be worth $45 (I actually could have seen them in L.A. with a friend this summer who flew down from Vegas to see them, but that was when my wife and I were away on our road trip). Some bands like U2 and maybe Coldplay, I'd like to see, but probably only once because I know it will be very expensive.

The most I've ever paid was $50 to see the Dave Matthews Band, and that was worth it (other than having to sit through Widespread Panic and Macy gray - ugh!) These days I'm nowhere near as big of a fan as I used to be, but I'm especially glad that I saw them when I did, given Leroi Moore's passing this year.

Some bands like the DMB and probably Radiohead, who are big enough to book two shows on consecutive nights in major cities, are probably worth seeing on both nights if one is up for that sort of thing, since they'll change up the setlist. Personally, I wouldn't do that since the first night would probably be exhausting. But I can understand why fans do that. A band like Jars, I definitely wouldn't recommend doing that with. It always baffles me when I see a band like this or Switchfoot and they ask if anyone was at their show in San Diego/Orange County/wherever the previous night, and I'm like, "Why? You played the exact same songs there in the exact same order that you're gonna play 'em tonight."

NP: "Worlds Apart", Jars of Clay

[Ian]

I really need to see Radiohead.  Tickets for their last tour were over $100 though, which I can't do, but someday I will .  Hopefully they don't announce a final tour or anything anytime soon because a.) that woulds be tragic and b.) I would force myself to spend tuition money on a ticket and skip classes to see it which are both bad

Also I really ought to see My Morning Jacket and Muse.  The Mars Volta would probably be a lot of fun too.

edit: Also, good idea in people changing the subject from FFH

[murlough23]

$100 is steep for anybody. Was that even for the cheap seats?

NP: "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", Future of Forestry

[Ian]

Not sure what different seats cost, I just remember browsing ebay and seeing lots of $150+ tickets with lots of bids.

[bloop]

Ebay?  You might want to go to Ticketmaster first.  They have a surcharge, sure, but they aren't scalpers.

[murlough23]

Ebay?  You might want to go to Ticketmaster first.  They have a surcharge, sure, but they aren't scalpers.

The best source for concert tickets is usually the venue itself. Online, they may just route you through Ticketmaster anyway. But you may be able to physically go down the venue itself and save some of the surcharges and mailing charges and so forth. Of course, one has to weigh the cost of gas and the time it takes to do this.

Also, Ticketmaster is notorious for obscuring the Will Call option, but use it whenever you find it. It's so much easier to pick up tickets there, and it at least saves you the delivery surcharge.

NP: "Cry for Love", Michael W. Smith

[bloop]

I was just suggesting a cheaper method of getting tickets online than scalpers on ebay.  Of course, if you are relatively near the venue, it's good to do it that way.

[murlough23]

I was just suggesting a cheaper method of getting tickets online than scalpers on ebay.  Of course, if you are relatively near the venue, it's good to do it that way.

Agreed; I would think Ebay would be a measure of last resort for this sort of thing.

Then again, some high-profile artists can sell out tickets in mere minutes at certain venues. I'm not sure if this because of opportunistic scalpers buying up large blocks of them, or because there are just that many people who all want to go see them.

NP: "Dying Man", PfR