Jack Johnson Practices What He Sings

By ALYSSA PATRICK
EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL
THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George, Wash. — Through puffs of smoke — of both the cigarette as well as a more explicit variety — emanating from a man who was filling the space of six with his rather awe-inspiring swaying back and forth, and down a once grassy but now completely peopled hill was the barely-visible source of some beautiful lyrics.
Jack Johnson stood there playing his guitar in front of a darkened gorge, singing the songs I have so often sung in my car.
Needless to say, it is much more gratifying to sing along with his actual voice, though my friends may have preferred to hear him without my lovely accompaniment.
Unfortunately for the three of them, there are some artists who have put words together so beautifully that I cannot help but to utter them in my own voice as well, and Johnson is definitely one of those artists.
Though I was hundreds of feet away from him on Friday night, I felt closer when I was able to remember some lyrics that his sweetly nervous self forgot. He is an artist unlike many others. His face does not often appear on the cover of magazines, and his songs reflect the differences he is trying to make in the world.
It was immediately evident upon entering The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., that Johnson is an environmentalist. Special parking spaces were reserved for hybrid cars and carpools of four or more people. One couple even rode their bikes past us as we waited in an extremely long vehicle line.
Inside the actual venue, recycling bins accompanied every garbage can. The biggest pieces of evidence, however, were the members of Johnson’s “All At Once Campaign” who were dispersed throughout the amphitheatre. According to the pamphlets that these people were handing out, “All At Once” connects people with local non-profit groups, creating change through our actions, our voices and our choices.
These non-profit groups focus mainly on environmental concerns, such as clean water, land preservation, and environment education.
Johnson is a celebrity who truly practices what he preaches. (Or should I say, sings?) According to the same pamphlet, his latest album “Sleep Through The Static” was recorded using 100 percent solar energy and printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper.
His humbleness and genuine concern for the causes and non-profits he supports radiated from his performance. He didn’t do much talking between songs unless it was to welcome and praise a couple members of the opening acts back on stage to sing with him. Though forgetting lyrics is usually something we would criticize an artist for, his comment of “you try and remember your lyrics in front of all of these cameras” was so sincerely stated that I truly believe he is a regular man who sometimes is intimidated by the limelight.
As I stood in the crowd, admiring the profoundness of his solo, acoustic encore performance of “All At Once,” I almost felt that just by being there, just by supporting this man in the purchase of his recycled CDs, just by being a fan, I too was a part of his gentle movement.

Tom Petty Rocks, Audience is a Different Story

By LISA GARRIGUES
NACHES VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George, Wash. — My dad is a big Tom Petty fan.

He owns every Tom Petty CD and even DVDs of his concerts.

So when the opportunity arose for my family to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert at The Gorge Amphitheatre, he took it.

We got tickets soon after the tour was announced in February and anxiously waited all summer for the concert day — Saturday, Aug. 16 — to arrive.

Steve Winwood opened the concert. Although I had never heard his music before, I found him to be an excellent musician. Most of the songs he performed were from his new album, “Nine Lives.” And his outstanding performance paved the way for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

By the time the band stepped on stage, everyone was already rockin’.

Tom Petty started with “You Wreck Me,” then moved into the popular “You Don’t Know How it Feels” and wowed the crowd with “I Won’t Back Down” and “Even the Losers.” He sang many of his older hits, including “Free Fallin’” and “Refugee.”

And the crowd sang along to almost every song.

Even Petty noticed, saying, “I can hear you singing from down here!”

The crowd responded by cheering and singing even louder. I also noticed that Petty was very gracious and humble about his applause, and thanked the crowd often for cheering. Every three songs he would say sincerely, “Thank you so much.”

He ended the concert with an encore of three terrific songs, “Running Down a Dream,” “Gloria” and “American Girl.”

I now understand why Tom Petty has so many fans and followers. He’s an excellent performer and this was probably one of the best concerts I’ve heard.

The crowd that came to the concert was a different story. It seemed the majority of the audience consisted of middle-aged people trying to get as drunk as possible and re-live their younger days.

This was not a pleasant sight to see.

I witnessed several spectacles that showed me what not to do when I grow up. We got there early and chose seats as close as we could get. People came and went along the nearby walkway almost constantly the entire night. It became obvious we had picked a bad location to sit.

The people standing by us weren’t there for the music; they were there to drink and be noticed. The night started out with a beefy-looking man giving high-fives to everyone that walked past him. This seemed pretty ordinary for a concert.

However, whenever people walked by with alcohol in their hands, he convinced them to let him have a sip of it. I couldn’t understand how complete strangers would be willing to share spit plus their expensive booze.

Then, there were the two 20-something female exhibitionists who shed their tops and physically accosted other young women, pleading with them to do the same. In between acts, they posed for pictures with older men and their wives, as strange as that sounds.

Finally, we had front-row seats for two arguments that almost ended with punches flying, and security guards’ pursuit of a troublemaker. After a long chase, they took down the troublemaker — but also three innocent bystanders in the process.

The drama surrounding us really ruined the concert experience. It was frustrating to have so many disturbing distractions pulling us away from the amazing music.

I’d watch both performers again in a heartbeat — but not with that audience.

Creation Festival Northwest

By HANNAH KIVI
RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George, Wash. — The line had been forming for four hours before the gate finally opened.

When we walked through it, I was so excited.

Creation Festival Northwest is a four-day Christian music festival featuring not only the hottest bands in Christian music, but moving speakers and hilarious comedians.

The four-day event, held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., ran July 23 to 26. I went with the youth group from Connections, a church that meets at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church in Yakima.

Above the main stage, a banner proclaimed: “A Tribute To Our Creator.” Below us, a beautiful view of the Columbia River stretched beyond the stage.

Flyleaf kicked off Creation 2008. The Texas band has a hit single, “All Around Me,” which plays not only on Christian radio but mainstream radio as well. The genre is hard rock with some metal mixed in, and I liked their originality. Lead singer Lacey Mosley definitely seemed passionate about her music.

Leeland, a more laidback band, followed Flyleaf. I feel like I saw God working through the hearts of the audience that first night of the festival. As we sang Leeland’s version of “How Great Thou Art,” the music and scenery around us was captivating and showed me that God’s plan for us is something we can’t fathom.

Justin Lookadoo was the first speaker of Creation. He was enthusiastic and humorous. I really enjoyed listening to him talk. He held my attention and kept everyone entertained while sharing a great message.

After his talk, loyal Hawk Nelson fans started to gather in front of the main stage, wearing “Hawk-Mart” hats and anxiously waiting. Hawk Nelson’s music is lively and fast-paced. When the band performed, high energy pervaded the air. On the floor in front of stage, everyone danced, jumped, and yelled out the lyrics.

The last group to perform that first night was Kutless. I knew very little about the band, but as I watched I liked them more and more. They had a good mixture of worship and entertaining songs. The crowd loved them and they were called back for an encore after the show.

And that was only the first night.

There were many more great performances throughout the next three days, including Switchfoot, Jeremy Camp, Tenth Avenue North, Skillet and the David Crowder Band. And all of their music was positive and uplifting — just like the atmosphere of the entire festival.

The mood was very loving. Random people would ask for a high-five, even a hug. Everyone was very energetic and fun to be around.

I didn’t know too much about Connections when I went to — and camped at — Creation with members of the congregation. But by the end of the festival, I felt like part of the church. I look forward to spending more time with that youth group.

Creation was definitely worth going to and I would recommend the festival to anyone that is interested. It’s a great way to come closer to God and join in fellowship with other people.

Plus, it was a lot of fun.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

— For more information, visit www.creationfest.com.

Sasquatch! Unleashed

By LISA GARRIGUES
NACHES VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, George, Wash. — This year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival was my first concert experience.

When I bought my ticket, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I hadn’t heard of many of the bands. But I was going with my brother Mark and sister Emily, who are both experienced concert-goers.

Seeing as Saturday and Sunday of the three-day festival were sold out, we went on Monday, May 26. The line up included The Hives, Built to Spill, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Flight of the Conchords, The Mars Volta, and The Flaming Lips U.F.O. Show.

We had no idea what kind of weather the Gorge had in store for us, so we packed for both sun and rain. I had heard stories of hail, rain and extreme heat, which made it harder to decide what to bring. I only wanted to carry a small backpack, but my rain jacket filled up the entire thing. In the end, Emily fit the jacket in her bag, and we rushed out the door in a hurry.

After our 1996 Ford Escort wagon struggled up the hills through Ellensburg, we finally arrived at the Gorge. There were lines for everything: tickets, bathrooms, the entrance itself. After a long wait, we reached the front of the line and the freedom to explore.

Sounds were already blaring from the nearby Wookie stage. Food, beverage and T-shirt vendors lined the pathway. Everywhere I looked, there was a mess of people. Being surrounded by so many sights, smells, sounds and people was a bit overwhelming.

Right off the bat we decided to get Sasquatch! T-shirts. We feared they had already sold out, one of the downfalls of coming on the last day. Fortunately, there were still some left. The only problem was they were all in sizes much too large for me. So I decided to save my money and not buy one. This was a decision I later regretted.

We followed the crowd up the steep hill. The sight from the top was amazing. People were strewn everywhere on the hillside, huddling together on blankets, standing in front of the stage, or searching for friends in confusion.

We found a spot to sit, spread our blanket, and settled down to enjoy the show. The bands seemed tiny from our vantage point. I spent most of the time viewing the artists on the giant screen located near the stage and listening to the music coming from the stacks of speakers.

One of the first bands to play was The Hives. All the band members had lots of energy, and the lead singer was very animated with his stage antics. You could tell they were really passionate about their music. Sometimes, it seemed a little too much, but they still had a great performance.

The next band to play, Built to Spill, was the complete opposite. The band members were less social with the crowd and a lot quieter. Their songs seemed more mature, intended for an older audience. I think if I had known some of their songs, I would have enjoyed it more, but instead I just got bored.

We decided to head down to the floor level to watch Rodrigo Y Gabriella. This was a group none of us had heard of. They ended up being a pair from Mexico with expert guitar skills. We were amazed by how fast Rodrigo could play and had never heard anything like it before. The duo played upbeat Mexican rhythms with great ability. The audience seemed to really enjoy their performance; many began clapping along with the music.

People were crammed together, all trying to get a closer view of the stage. We had been standing up for more than an hour, and I was getting tired. I was also starting to feel sick, and the smell of cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol didn’t help at all.

I felt light-headed, and began to worry I might faint. So my sister and I left the crowded area to sit down. I immediately felt better. But we had lost our brother in the sea of people.

Soon, Flight of the Conchords stepped onto the stage and made many people laugh, including me. Every song was full of hilariously cheesy lyrics. They were also very social with the audience, continuously chatting and making jokes between songs.

But the next band, in my opinion, was a complete disaster. When The Mars Volta first appeared on the stage, they didn’t seem that bad. Once they started playing, however, their lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, went crazy. He ran around the stage, jumped off the drum set and climbed giant stacks of sound equipment. About a minute into their first song, he threw one of the cymbals into the unsuspecting crowd. Later, he threw an electric fan off the stage.

The music was so loud and distorted you couldn’t understand the lyrics. It got annoying very quickly. This was the perfect opportunity to refresh myself with a $5 frozen beverage and check out the other stages with my sister.

At one point, a girl walked by us, stopped, then vomited right in front of me. Everyone around us took a step back. But, upon seeing the empty space, several people looking for a better spot scooted in. They had no idea what they were standing in.

The Flaming Lips U.F.O. Show was definitely a highlight of my day. At the beginning, a giant U.F.O., complete with flashing lights and beeping noises, landed on stage. Then the band members climbed out one by one.

The best part, however, was when the lead singer, Wayne Coyne, appeared. A life-size, clear ball emerged on top of the U.F.O., and he was standing inside. He proceeded to roll the ball off the stage, then went crowd-surfing safely inside his bubble.

After he made it back to the stage, about 40 fans, dressed in different colored Teletubby costumes, greeted him, and loads of confetti and balloons were launched into the audience.

The band performed many songs and even engaged the audience in some sing-alongs. Then, during the middle of a Led Zeppelin cover, four naked girls ran onto the stage and danced around for a while.

When the day was done, I had enjoyed my first Sasquatch! experience. The bands came and went, each extremely different from the other. Some sang serious songs, some sang funny songs, and some I didn’t understand at all. But the diversity amazed me.

The festival opened my eyes to new genres of music. I now know to buy my Sasquatch! tickets, be prepared for crowds of crazy people and strange weather, and go on the first day for the best selection of T-shirts, particularly to find a size that fits.

— New Unleashed reporter Lisa Garrigues will be a freshman at Naches Valley High School in the fall.