Date: 26 January 1999
To: MitchMailList
From: Danl Blackwood
Subject: [MitchMailList 020]: Baltimore, MD 01/16 reviews

• Dawn's Baltimore review
• Suzy Dixon's Baltimore review - (w/pics)

Dawn's Baltimore review

From: dawn
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 23:42:57
Subject: Baltimore review

Hey Danl - 

I think this concert took everything out of them...literally...and you'll
see why in a minute.

Mitch and the "Kid Siblings" (to be politically correct) opened with
"Love is Right Here" then "One of These Days". I, too, am guessing the
next one was "Guess That's Why He's Called Immanuel", then "New Mexico".
He talked a little about the Canticle of the Plains - explaining the
basic story and went into "Heaven is Waiting". Shelly Yoder and Eric sang
"Fairest Lord Jesus" which led right into "There You Are" which led right
back into "Fairest Lord Jesus". It was a beautiful arrangement. They
ended the Canticle part with Shelly singing "In Your Hands". Mitch sang
another new song, "Where Did it Go/Faith, Hop and Love Remain" (Your
guess as to the actual title on these has got to be better than mine!)
They ended the set with "Hope to Hang My Hat On" and "Only Love Will". 

The second half started with "Gospel Rain" and  "Freedom". Now Mitch said
that he wrote this song, but I know it's on one of Rich's very first
albums and it's called, "When You Love" - it had to be because I knew
most of the words. I really liked the next song, "I Wanna be Ready to
Wear My Long White Robe" - excellent! Then they did the instrumental of
"It Is Well" (one of my very favorite hymns and special because every
time I have seen Rich, he always ended with hymns and this was the first
one.) BUT then they did "My Deliverer" and WOW! Take away all those bells
and whistles the Ragamuffins use and it is pure, raw worship! I was just
amazed. Then he did "Take Hold of Me" and ended with "The Lemonade Song".
They left...and people clapped and whistled and hollered for them to come
back and when they finally did Mitch said, "I don't know what to do -
we've done everything we know!" He literally fumbled around for several
minutes and played with a little ditty "Dead Space at a Concert". Hence
the comment about taking everything out of them. But finally started into
"I Love You, Lord" and then "Lord I Lift Your Name on High". Someone
shouted out "Calling Out Your Name" and they all gathered and did it! It
was terrific. And to think I almost didn't go. 

He talked about a lot of things, personal and spiritual. He emphasized
how the cross was this knicked, knotty, marred, stained thing, yet Christ
carried it and it is a symbol of beauty to those who are saved. And
paralleled it to the church - how people think the church should be this
beautiful, spotless bunch of people, but we are very much knicked and
marred and stained. It is Christ that makes His church beautiful. He
carries it and loves it. 

Don't miss this concert. Despite Mitch's obvious struggle with his voice,
he manages to work around what he doesn't have. He said he's learning to
accept his new voice and not be so impatient to get his old one back. I'm
sure it must be frustrating at times, but he seems to be taking it in
stride. What a testimony of God's power and provision.

In Him,
dawn
I Cor. 1:24-31

Return to top

Suzy Dixon's Baltimore review

Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 14:38:54
From: Suzy Dixon
Subject: Baltimore, Jan 16 Mitch & Kid Bros Concert

Danl,

Hi!  And greetings from Washington DC!   I was able to go to Mitch and
the Kid Bros concert in Baltimore on Jan 16. The concert was at the
Baltimore Lutheran School in the gym.  Mitch, Eric, Michael and now a
Kid Sis, Shelly Yoder (Mitch's girlfriend), stood in a pool of light
surrounded by instruments, speakers, and light stands.  It was
awesome.  They get better each time I see them!

They opened with "Here & Now" and "One of these Days".  Then a new
song, not yet recorded (but it should be!), don't know the name but
one of the lines is "Guess that's why he's called Emmanuel".  Then
they did "a 1990, funky" version of "New Mexico".  Mitch spent some
time explaining the story behind "Canticle of the Plains" and who the
people were on the recording.  Mitch sang "Heaven is Waiting".  Shelly
sang a verse of "Fairest Lord Jesus", with Eric singing backup, which
lead right into Mitch singing "There You Are", then right back into
Shelly and Eric on  "Fairest Lord Jesus". Perfect!   Mitch said he was
really glad Shelly was along because he wouldn't "have to sing really
high and girlie like" on the next song.  Shelly sang "In Your Hands". 
Beautiful!  Mitch called her Brother Shelly.   They did another new
song, this one written by Mitch and Michael, again, don't know the
title, a line in the chorus went something like, "where did it
go? Faith, Hope and Love remain."  Mitch compared the church to the
cross Christ carried on his back.  Even though it was knicked,
cracked, marred, and dirty, Christ was committed to carrying it,
committed to completing the task.  The church is knicked, cracked,
marred, and dirty but still Christ is devoted carry us as the church. 
Then he sang "Hope".   Mitch talked about Compassion for a few
minutes, and then he said, "what ever I say about Compassion won't
make you become part of Compassion, so don't listen to me, listen to
God."

Intermission

They opened the second half with Gospel Rain (by the way, Michael and
Eric switched place and instruments on this song, Michael on bass and
Eric on accordion (I think) pretty impressive!)    Mitch sang
'Freedom" which he said was based on an Emily Dickinson poem, of which
he could only remember the last two lines.  Next was another new song,
"When You Love".  Mitch talked a little about feminists and how the
word has gotten a bad rap from the "men hater" part of the group.
(Mitch said that topic had nothing to do with the next song.)  Then he
said that Eric was the most feminine woman he knows.  He'd also picked
on Eric because of his long goatee. This started the quips flying for
the rest of the night, much to the delight of the audience!  These
guys (and gal) are hilarious!   Next came the Gorilla joke, which I
won't go into.   You haven't heard "It is Well" until you hear it
played by these guys.  Incredibly beautiful!  They did an instrumental
version that gave me goose bumps!  Mitch talked a little about the
accident.  And how he is ready to be completely healed but willing to
wait.  Next came "My Deliver".  Shelly sang the kid's part of the song
as it was recorded on the Jesus Record.  Haunting.  Mitch talked a
little about the first thing he wrote after the accident, Shelly said,
"You never tell them the second thing you wrote!" Mitch said he
couldn't remember.  Shelly reminded him "You wrote, "Can Shelly come
PLEEEEESSSSSEEEE!"  They finished the set with "Take Hold of Me" and
the "Lemonade Song".  Then they stepped out of the pool of light, the
crowd went wild, and finally after a couple minutes Mitch came back
and picked up his guitar.  He said that they weren't very good at
encores because they had already done all the songs they knew.   Mitch
mentioned earlier that a friend from Friends was in the audience (now
attending Princeton "Cemetery" ha ha ha).  I'm assuming that it was
this "friend" that hollered out "THE DEAD AIR SONG".  Mitch grinned,
and said he hadn't thought about that song for a long time but he
proceeded to do it.  Goofy!  The he lead the audience in "I Love You
Lord" and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High".  I was trying to think of a
song they could sing, then it came to me, so I shouted "Calling Out
Your Name", Mitch said, "We can do that!"  And they did!  With a lot
of help from the audience I might add.

I would recommend seeing these guys in concert at any opportunity. 
I've seen them in a small coffeehouse setting and a big theater
setting.  Go for the small setting.  You will have more fun and so
will they!  But where ever, don't miss 'em!

Maybe I'll see you there!  Ultimately, I will see you THERE!

Love ya, Suzy

Suzy's Baltimore Scrapbook

Return to top