Mitch McVicker concert
The Refinery, 7:00pm
Goshen, IN, March 27th, 2003

review by Tim Francis

It was a beautiful March evening in northern Indiana. A perfect night for me and my family to soak up some great music, root beer, hot chocolate and some blue bubble gum soda at the Refinery Coffee House in Goshen. Mitch McVicker and his band were in town to do a benefit for a local Children's Home. The band was tight and gave the impression of seasoned musicians as they played through some early technical problems with an amp that was apparently overheating and causing the sound to cut in and out. The problem was solved when Vince Turner of Bashor Children's Home borrowed the fan used to cool Cobra Joe and placed it on the amp. The amp did not cut out again, but Cobra Joe was really smoking behind the plexi-glass.

Brad Layher opened the show with 3 acoustic songs that I really enjoyed. These included "Tin Man" and "Like the Mighty Joe Louis". Mitch and the band then joined him on stage opening with a forcefully electric version of "Here and Now" from Mitch's first album. It sounded better than ever with Brad switched over to an electric guitar. Next up was "You Have Everything" the first track of Mitch's latest cd "Without Looking Down". Cobra Joe's drums and a driving bass from John Rice really drove this song home.

After a brief intro from Mitch the band played the best version of "My Deliverer" that I have ever heard. Brad's low distorted heavy guitar made the song weightier and more powerful. Next up was my new favorite "I Need You Jesus" another great song off the latest cd. It's simple message of realizing where we are without Jesus awakens the longing for new life. The song also offers a startlingly harsh reminder that we all need, "save me from myself, protect me from me."

The band then breathed new life into the hymn "Solid Rock". Using their guitars for percussion instruments Mitch and Brad intertwined their beats around Cobra's rhythms on his unique drum set which included a barbecue grill, cooking pot, and a brake drum. John meanwhile played a toolbox. The crowd loved it. You'd have to really hear it to appreciate it. Mitch then introduced the band in sort of a rhyming rappish way during an extended version of "The Lemonade Song". Mitch had to take several shots at the first verse as the band played on while some of the lyrics seemed to escape him. Mitch finally ended up humming and smiling his way through a few lines as the rest of the band and some of us in the audience snickered.

"Heaven is Waiting" the timeless classic was next. Perfect for the coffeehouse atmosphere, the song sounded fresh and a bit different from other versions I've heard live . Mitch and the band just keep getting better and better every time I see them. Next was a hard driving "Take the Wheel" and then a quieter reflective "Not Holy Just Yet" again off of Without Looking Down.

Brad then did another song that I very much enjoyed but had not heard before. Mitch and the band returned for "Stargazer" and "Burning the Fields". While I did miss the hammered dulcimer, Brad's guitar again provided a heavy feel of support underneath the lyrics of hope and promise that I came to hear. The words of "Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled" were like fresh water to my soul as we all live today in such uncertain times. It was a strong statement of reassurance and comfort to me. They closed the show with every one singing together some praise songs: Trading My Sorrows, Open the Eyes of My Heart, and Step by Step.

If you get a chance to see Mitch. Don't miss it. The band is better than ever offering up quality music in a highly polished set. Great songs are mixed in with humorous stories of ladybugs, rest stops, and the power of our living God. Mitch reminds us God is more consistent than any of our questions and challenges us to try living each day as Jesus calls us to. Mitch, Brad, John, Joe. Thanks for a great evening.

Tim Francis
Winona Lake, Indiana