Leadoff Hitter

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Leadoff Hitter

I had every intention of writing about the Cubs initially but instead we're talking Switchfoot for starters. I am incredibly paranoid about the new Switchfoot disc. That probably doesn't mitigate my sense of anticipation for it, but there seems to be a sense of (can't think of a better word than innocence) that's been lost over the past couple of years. Not in them, but in the overall perception of the band I guess.

Switchfoot has always flown under the radar. The first time I heard of them was a few months before The Legend of Chin was released. The little blurb said "expect the unexpected from this trio..." I immediately liked their style. Hadn't heard them yet, but I liked their image, their cover art, and eventually the quirkiness of their lead single--"Chem 6A."

When the album came out, "Chem 6A" was probably still my favorite song on there (that has since changed.) But even at that point (with me in my musical infancy), I knew there was something different about the way Switchfoot made music. I was a fan. They were surfers, not rock stars. And I guess they didn't know they weren't supposed to smile in their publicity shots.

Their first tour ever was the Conspiracy No. 5 tour--opening up for Third Day AND All Star United. The first night was at Reardon Auditorium in Anderson, Indiana. They came on--just Jon, Tim, and Chad--and opened with "Ode to Chin." They played five songs in all. It was very raw, the sound was bad, and they seemed unsure. Tim was only 18 at the time. During the intermission I rushed back to the T-shirt table to get in line. There was no line. They were elated to discuss their set with my friend Jason and I.

Tim nervously asked how they sounded. I talked to Chad and found out he had only been playing drums for four years at that point. They talked as long as we wished, and posed crazily in the pictures we took with them.
New Way to Be Human is still my favorite Switchfoot album. I bought it as a graduation gift for myself the day I graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1999. I remember the first time I heard "Amy's Song." I didn't think I had ever heard music that sounded like that before. And I hadn't. The album was the perfect summer soundtrack that year, and I still think that record strikes a remarkable balance between their current polished sound, and the newness of the Switchfoot experience.

I first heard Dare You to Move as a 30 second clip on a website before Learning to Breathe was released. I immediately indentified it as being anthemic. I bought the disc the day it was released.

Derek and Bucy are here so this will have to be continued...