Date: 19 Apr 2000
To: MitchMailList
From: Danl Blackwood
Subject: [MitchMailList 059]: San Antonio 4/6 & Dallas 4/8 reviews

Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 20:35:43 (PDT)
From: Tina Eldridge
Subject: San Antonio and Dallas Reviews...

Hey everyone - 

  Paul and I were able to make it to both of the
concerts Mitch did in Texas last week, and while it
wasn't the "3-in-a-row" that we've come to know and
love, we had an awesome time anyway!!  I'll try and
hit the high points for you, all from memory of course
(since I'm always way too busy having fun to write
anything down), but I'll do my best.

  Thursday, April 6, 2000, San Antonio, Texas:

  The doors to Community Bible Church were supposed to
open to the public at 6:00, but it was closer to 6:40
before they actually did, and everyone made the usual
mad dash for good seats.  I'd heard ticket sales had
been slow, so I was thrilled to learn that they had
picked up and the organizers were expecting a full
house!  They got it!  There were about 600 seats and
over 700 people.  Granted many of those people were
there to hear Bebo Norman, but in order to do that
they had to listen to Mitch first.  Judging from the
standing ovation Mitch got, I don't think they minded
one bit. :)  

  Mitch's part of the concert was only about 30
minutes (**way** too short for me!), but he and Brad
did a wonderful job of both performing music and
making us laugh.  Mitch graced us with his polar bear
impression again, and the explanation he gave of how
they came to write "Someday" (I hope that's the right
title!!) was too funny! He said that Brad had been
practicing the mandola in the front seat while they
were on a long drive, and since, according to Mitch,
"the mandola fits better in the front seat than a
guitar!", they decided to write a song on it.  Mitch
added that with the mandola in the front seat, you can
still "steer with your knees" whereas that wouldn't be
as easy to do with a guitar.  As we all cracked up,
Brad told us not to encourage him because "you don't
have to ride with him"!!  Funny guys... :)  The set
may have been short, and they only got to do 5 or 6
songs, but they were very well-received and they did a
great job.

  Up after Mitch was a nice surprise - Andrew
Petersen!!  I had no idea he was going to be there,
but I'm so glad he was.  I'd heard wonderful things
about his music, and I can now say from personal
experience that they're true.  He's very talented and
very funny and he put on a great show.  If anyone gets
the chance to see him, do it!

  After Andrew finished up, there was a brief
intermission, and then without any fanfare or
introduction, out walked Bebo.  He just walked out
there and started playing!  I must admit that I'm not
very familiar with Bebo's music (in fact "Stand" is
the only song I know), but I was totally blown away by
his performance.  His lyrics are so...deep, and he's
got an incredible stage presence, not to mention an
amazing sense of humor!  He told us some stories about
the guy who travels with him (I think his name is
Dean), and how this guy's big feet have caused some
problems while driving.  I wish I could remember them
exactly because they were hilarious, but I can't.  I
do know from listening to Bebo tell them, however,
that a shaken bottle of Dr. Pepper, enormous feet and
driving do not mix!  He gave an outstanding
performance, and I think everyone there that night had
a great time.

  This concert was special for me because I was
finally able to introduce my parents and one of my
brothers to Mitch.  My dad and brother kept it to
"hi", but my mom talked to him for a couple minutes,
telling him how much she enjoys his music and what a
good time she had that evening.  My family said they
now understand just what it is that I love so much
about Mitch and his music (as if I ever doubted they
would!).  When I stopped by my parent's house the day
after the concert, my mom had her new Mitch CD on, and
she told me she was so keyed up after that concert
that it took her 3 hours to fall asleep!  I told her I
knew all about that... :)

  
  Saturday, April 8, 2000, Deep Ellum (Dallas), Texas:

   This concert was completely different than any
other we've seen Mitch do.  It was an outdoor concert
in the parking lot of a club in downtown Dallas, and
it was put on by LifeSolutions.org, a Christian
singles ministry in the metroplex.  

  I arrived at around 8:15 with Apryl and a friend of
hers, and Mitch and Brad were just getting ready for
soundcheck (which Mitch told us was supposed to have
been several hours earlier but wasn't).  We staked out
our "front row spots" and that's where we stood for
the next few hours.  The opening band (a local group
from Ft. Worth) went on around 9:00.  They were
good...if you like loud Christian rock.  They were a
little intense for our tastes, but they were quite
talented.  Mitch came on at 10:00 and did one of the
best concerts I've ever seen him do!!  He played for
about an hour to a crowd of I'd say 100 or so (not
counting those who heard him as they walked down the
street), and he was great.  After a few songs, he got
an obnoxious smile on his face and said "I've just
gotta do this song", and he proceeded to...umm...bless
us all with a rather lively version of "This Old Man"
(you know, "this old man, he played one...")!!!  Brad
joined him on guitar and they really got into it - it
was all I could to to stay standing I was laughing so
hard.  Always the comedians... :)

  We got to hear Brad do a song he wrote (about the
tin man), and we loved it.  I don't recall exactly
which songs Mitch did, but I know there was one that
I'd never heard before - I wanna say it's called
"Faith, Hope and Love", but I'm not sure.  Great song.
 The whole concert was awesome, and from what I could
tell the people around us enjoyed hearing Mitch,
though I don't think most of them really knew who he
was.  I heard one woman tell someone that Mitch was
"Rich Mullins, the guy who sings 'Awesome God'"!!  She
must have gotten there *after* he was introduced!

  We got to talk with Mitch for a few moments before
the evening ended, and that's always fun.  He really
seeemed to have a blast doing this concert, and we
certainly had fun being there...3 feet from the
stage...singing along with most every song... :)  I'm
not much of one for doing the "downtown on a Saturday
night" thing, but this was a lot of fun and I'd love
to see him do this type of thing again sometime.  It
was kind of a late night, but we didn't care - we
really enjoyed ourselves.

  Well, that about covers it.  I know I say this every
time, and this is no exception - if you get the chance
to see Mitch and Brad - do it!!!  They'll make you
laugh, make you think, might even make you cry (like
the first 4 times I heard Mitch do "Rich's Song"), and
odds are they'll give you an evening you won't soon
forget.  Please keep them in your prayers as they
travel from concert to concert, and may God Above be
with them in whatever situations may arise along the
way. :)    

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