The biggest Christian concert to hit Humphrey Coliseum in years will start tonight at 7 p.m. Caedmon’s Call along with Jars of Clay and Glassbyrd will perform live for fans.
“We actually got the idea of doing a college tour from Caedmon’s Call. It’s been great so far and we are all excited to perform at Mississippi State,” Charlie Lowell of Jars of Clay said.
The tour began in February shortly after Caedmon’s Call’s new CD came out. Back Home is the band’s eleventh album since they began over 10 years ago. Drummer Todd Bragg said the band did not plan on becoming as successful as they are, but know it is something God called them to do.
“Caedmon was actually an English monk who God called to sing. He refused his calling at first, but gave in and ended up translating the Bible from Latin to English through singing,” Bragg said referring to how the band got their name.
Caedmon’s Call consists of seven friends from Texas who met in college. Guitarist Cliff Young first played in his dorm at Texas Christian University with a friend. Shortly he recruited his future wife Danielle to sing and Bragg from his church in Houston. Eventually Caedman’s Call added other band members and songwriters to complete the group.
“The seven of us plus our songwriters make up our band. Most people describe us as folk-rock, but we just play what God blesses us with,” Bragg said.
Since the beginning the band has sold over one million records, has had six number one radio singles and 10 Dove Award nominations including wins for Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year. The band began while they were in college and love playing the college scene. After the popularity of Caedmon’s Call debut, their old record label had them play other shows.
“We were singing in front of about 200 junior high students who were expecting DC Talk. We just could not deliver that because that’s not who we are,” Cliff Young said in CCM Magazine.
After signing to a new record label the band returned to the college scene. With their new tour Caedmon’s Call are also promoting Back Home. They produced the album on their own and added songs that have been said to be their best yet.
“The only way for us to express the songs in the way that they naturally make us feel when we play is to create this record ourselves. There is nothing too lofty or over-produced about it,” member Josh Moore said in their biography.
Young added in their biography that the band has evolved since the beginning in that they have tried a lot of different things musically.
“This album is a culmination of everything we’ve ever done. It’s inspired by every single project and every stylistic road we’ve traveled.”
This latest tour ends in May, but Bragg said they hope to do another tour in the late summer and early fall with Jars of Clay.
Tickets are still on sale for $20 at BeBop Records, www.ticketweb.com and at the Bryan Athletic Building. For groups of 15 or more, tickets are $15. For more information on Caedmon’s Call, visit their Web site at www.caedmonscall.com.