Just Regular Guys

My friend Becky is a big Jars of Clay fan and has been for the past 15 years. She actually had tickets to a Jars of Clay concert a few years back, but the event was canceled, much to her disappointment, and so she has been determined to get to one of their concerts ever since.

Well, a few months ago, Becky, Jessica and I heard that the band was coming to Wabash with Brandon Heath, and it became a must-do item on our list. So Becky bought our tickets the day they went on sale and then anxiously waited for the concert.

Then a couple of weeks ago, Jessica had a brilliant idea that she shared with me. With Becky’s birthday coming up on October 19th, Jessica thought there might be a way to make the concert even more special for Becky, and so she suggested that we secretly contact the band, and so we did. Jessica and I drafted and sent an email 5 days before the concert.

Honestly, I think both Jessica and I were not expecting much if anything to come of it. The email was to the Jars of Clay management and promotion people, and so I thought maybe I’d hear from someone in a week or so. I imagined that perhaps someone would offer to send an autographed poster to Becky, but it would be some time after the concert. Our request was rather late after all.

But on Sunday afternoon as we drove to Wabash together, I got an email on my phone from the tour manager wanting to arrange to get Becky in to meet the band at the concert. So I slid my phone up to Jessica in the front seat. She read the message and handed it back to me, and then she said, "Well, I guess we need to make a decision, don’t we?"

At which point, Becky’s curiosity was piqued, and she asked what was going on. So we relayed the full story to her, and WOW! was she ever surprised! I could tell she was excited but also nervous. We gave her an out and told her that she didn’t have to go through with it. We explained that we wanted to make the evening special for her and not embarrass her or cause her stress. She thought it over and said she was in, and so I sent an email back to my contact.

We got to the Honeywell Center 2 hours before the concert, got into the restaurant there on site with our reservations, and then waited for the meet/greet time. We finally met up with Nathan, the tour manager, who took us backstage, where we waited outside the room for a few minutes. Soon after, Nathan came out to ask if we were all right with meeting Brandon Heath as well. Of course, we were just fine with that! So we were ushered in and met 3 of the guys from Jars of Clay along with Brandon Heath, and there were handshakes all around.

The guys were just like anybody else, like someone else’s brothers. The Tennessee Titans football game was on the TV, and Brandon especially was hyped up about the game. They were pleasant and gracious in our few minutes together. They genuinely seemed appreciative that we were fans of their music, and honestly, I think the experience of meeting them and glimpsing their kindness and sincerity in person, made me like them that much more.

Now Becky is a pretty shy person, and so I wasn’t sure how she was going to react to meeting her favorite musical group of all time. In fact on the drive, she had commented: "You know, I'm not gonna do any talking, right?" But when she met Jars of Clay, she was amazing! She answered questions and shared how she became a fan. I was blown away with her candor and how calm and natural she was. I was proud of her because I knew she was completely outside her comfort zone.

One of the tour team members was on hand to take photos, and so she took a picture of Becky with Jars of Clay and then a group shot of all of us, including Brandon. Soon after, we said our thank-yous and headed back into the lobby area with big smiles on our faces.

The concert started a few minutes later, and it was wonderful! I loved it, and I know that my friends did, too. We got to hear some old and new songs from both Brandon Heath and Jars of Clay. I could sense the worshipful heart of the performers in their music and was inspired by their dedication to helping those less fortunate than themselves as they promoted both Feed the Hungry and Blood Water Mission, too.

It was a fun and exhilarating experience, and I’m so glad that GOD worked out the details. I believe that HE does care about the details and delights in our happiness. HE truly blessed us with a perfect evening!

Going to a concert – Fabulous!
Meeting Brandon Heath and Jars of Clay – Amazing!
Surprising my friend Becky (and seeing the smile on her face) – PRICELESS!!!