| Phil |
Summer Tour |
June 24, 2005 |
| I'm right now sitting in Rocketown in Nashville, TN with
the band as well as Jonas (our booking agent) and his girlfriend.
Oh yeah, Pack's little brother, Jordan, tagged along, too... We're
on the road with the Will Play for change tour to raise sponsorships for
children orphaned by the Tsunami a few months ago. Man, God has
done some cool things as far as our tour goes. A couple of weeks
ago, we effectively fired our booking agent, leaving our summer tour
completely empty. Then God moved in. I got an e-mail from "The End of Silence Tour" with MG The Visionary and Noetic (a band sponsored by P.O.D) looking for some additional tour dates. Long story short, he ended up inviting us to join their tour. It was far and away better than what we already had booked. Check out our tour dates page to see where we'll be this summer! Hope to see many of you at a show! |
||
| Phil |
D-Now x 2 |
April 11, 2005 |
| We're on our way home from an exhausting, but excellent
weekend in Mechanicsville, VA. We are headed right now for the Natural
Bridge, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. From there we'll
stop by Mandy's house and her mom is going to cook us dinner. Doesn't
get any better than this! Perhaps one of the best things about being in a touring Christian band is that you get a glimpse of the future of Christianity. Everywhere we go I find myself being encouraged about the kind of kids we meet. There have been very few exceptions to this. Either kids put on a great show of spirituality when we come to town (which is always a possibilty) or the future of Christianity is bright. My tendency is to opt to believe that these kids are something to look forward to. Based simply on the kids we just met at Cool Spring Church, I'm feeling good about the future of the Church! So Dave (our 16 year old bassist) was definitely his normal self this weekend. We get in the van on the way home and are discussing the ham sandwiches we are about to eat for lunch. Someone mentions that they aren't a huge fan of mayonnaise. Dave pipes in and confidently asserts, "Beggars can't be likers! Oh wait. I messed that up, didn't I? I've messed that up twice this weekend!" Perhaps the future isn't so bright after all. We have a precious few days before we hop back in the H.o.T. van and
head to Joplin, MO. We are very excited about meeting the group of
kids there, as well! Going to be a long, hard trip, but God does
cool things at D-Now. Can't wait to be a part of it... |
||
| Mandy |
Thirsty? |
March 1, 2005 |
|
This weekend, Hands of Thomas and the Gang (8 Disciple Now leaders from Carson-Newman) traveled to Hotlanta for a Disciple Now with Mount Vernon Baptist Church. From the very beginning (and Phil can attest to this even more than I), it seemed as if Murphy’s Law was invoked on many occasions, from a rush to get curriculum to print, to unforeseen circumstances jeopardizing whether several leaders would be able to make the trip at all. It seemed that there was an obstacle to overcome at every turn. I wondered if we would make it to Atlanta at all, and if so, if any of us would have any energy to give to the students. However, on the other side of the weekend, I am thankful to be able to say that it was a growing experience for all of us. Sure, we are all exhausted, and getting up for work this morning was more of a chore than it has been in a while, but I’m giving thanks that moments spent in the presence of God make the mundane much more bearable. To be honest, if for no other reason than to cause me to depend on God in a way I hadn’t in too long, I’m glad that this weekend was stressful. In a culture of self-sufficiency (financial and otherwise), dependence on anything is often shunned, even among believers. As we were preparing our curriculum before the weekend, one of the topics discussed was how Jesus fulfilled the roles of Prophet, Priest, and King as foretold by scripture. Dave McNeely, one of the leaders, posed the question for discussion: “What kind of Jesus do we need in America?” That idea really resonated with me. Perhaps I don’t need a Jesus who provides food and shelter (though He gives me the abilities to provide that for myself), but what about peace and joy? The jaded voice of too much experience tells me that I simply cannot provide that for myself. One of the songs that we do as Hands of Thomas is called “Thirsty.” As a result of this weekend, it has somewhat of a new meaning for me. We thirst for lots of things in life. Money, power, acceptance—these are like salt water to our souls. The more we drink, the more dehydrated we become. I love that Jesus uses the idea of thirst to speak to the Samaritan woman at the well. He knows our true thirst. I pray that we drink deeply of the living water… - M |
||
| Phil |
Not to us, but to Your name! |
February 21, 2005 |
So you may have noticed that the website hasn't seen
regular updates for a few weeks. Yeah, that's my fault.
Sorry about that! I'm now shaking the cobwebs loose and trying my
best to get back on my feet after what has been a laborious couple of
weeks. We've been working hard to prepare for an upcoming D-Now
weekend in Atlanta, GA. This morning at about 4:00 a.m. I put the
finishing touches on our curriculum and sent it off to the printer to be
picked up on Thursday. We've been practicing every other night to
put together a fresh worship set. Last week I sent a list of the
worship songs we were planning on doing to Atlanta and got word back
that the songs we were using were going to be old news to the kids that
would be there. So, we've been reworking that vigorously.
I'm currently taking a break from completing the teacher's curriculum
since it has to be done by our Leaders meeting @ Carson-Newman tomorrow
night. All that said, the pressure has been mounting to make sure
everything comes together and is impressive this weekend. I was
driving home tonight after practice and was really stressing out.
I started praying and letting God know how much I had to do and how much
we wanted to give these kids in Atlanta an incredible weekend. I
just wanted to make sure He understood the kind of stress I was under.
Like a cool breeze, the thought brushed through my mind. It isn't
about us. It isn't about our great curriculum. It isn't
about the cool leaders we're taking down. It isn't about our
worship set or our original compositions. We are but facilitators
to what God is going to accomplish this weekend. God doesn't care
if those kids think we're the coolest band that ever hit Atlanta or not.
He cares that His name is lifted up! What a breath of fresh air
that paradigm shift was! Please pray for us as we head to Atlanta.
The name of the church is Mount Vernon Baptist. Pray specifically
that kids are receptive to what God wants to teach them this weekend!
Thanks for your prayer and support of Hands of Thomas! -Phil |
||
| Pack |
Promotion |
January 21, 2005 |
| What's up my beautiful people? Just thought I
would let you guys know what's been going on lately. As of right now,
I've been super busy finding radio stations to play our single, "Parking
Lot Prophet". I've sent out copies to approximately twenty different
stations in the last week and a half (one went to a station in
Albuquerque, NM; we'll take what we can get, I guess). I've never done
stuff like this before in any of the bands that I've been in. But let me
tell you, there's a lot of work involved. This one time I talked to
Steve (drummer) from Further Seems Forever after a show, and he was
telling me how much hard work is involved in "making it". But I took his
comments as meaning to just practice a lot by yourself and with your
band. But there's a whole 'nother side to it. You guys in bands, if
you're just starting, will realize this soon enough also. Well, that's
all the time we have today folks. Oh, and be sure to check out the photo
on our purevolume.com page. If you didn't believe me about Dave before,
you'll have no argument once you see it. Holla at your boy(friend)!
|
||
| Phil |
I needed that... |
January 8, 2005 |
| The clock just rolled past 2 a.m. and I'm still
contemplating what just happened. It was just a week ago (New
Year's Eve) we were at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church where kids moshed,
danced, crowd surfed (even if it was just a stuffed tiger), and acted
like we were rock stars. I've never felt so famous. People
wanted Hands of Thomas CD's, stickers, autographs, picks... anything
they could get their hands on. It was that awkward, "I don't know what
to do with this but it's cool" kind of thing. Tonight we played a
gig where the kids looked at us as if to plead with us to be finished.
Their eyes screamed, "can we go now?" I actually caught Mandy
laughing at me trying to interact with a crowd that didn't even clap at
the end of the concert, much less between songs! And it was just
what I needed. Something that we talk about as a band on a regular
basis is making sure we keep the main thing the main thing. It
isn't about being treated famously. It isn't about signing
autographs or having crowds scream words you penned. While all of
that is nice, it isn't the point. Tonight we did exactly what we
did on New Year's-- We brought our best offering and laid it at the
altar. A week ago the message was received eagerly. Tonight
the message was endured. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to
throw it out there. Jesus wasn't always well received, either.
Sometimes crowds just wanted to be near him. Sometimes they tried
to kill him. Either way, Jesus' message was the same. He was
faithful to do what He was there to do. I'm sure he probably
enjoyed feeding the five thousand a little more than when people in His
hometown wanted to throw Him off a cliff. We enjoyed being cheered
and celebrated. The point isn't the response, though. The
point is living a call. I pray that in situations where people buy
8x10 glossies to be signed as well as in situations where people throw
tomatoes we bring our sacrifice. Thanks for supporting the band.
Big things coming up! Stay tuned! -Phil |
||
| Dave |
Recording |
December 7, 2004 |
Hey all, It's officially 2005 (of course, I don't think
it could be unofficially 2005, but that's beside the point) and we've
gotten through our first new year's show! It was at Lincoln Ave (pack's
old church) and needless to say, it was the most fun show hands of
thomas has ever had! However there was one shocking moment that I must
report and apologize for. Whilst playing Exeteo during the
performance.......I, Dave Williams, broke an "E" string (sniff sniff).
It was tragic, and somewhat embarrassing. For those who don't know,
Exeteo is one of our slowest songs; I wasn't even playing that string at
the time! I was seriously worried that while I was going to put another
on, Phil would feel led to step up to the mic and tell stupid "Dave
Stories", but luckily the kids screamed for our drummer boy to show
off before he got the chance. Pack was awesome, and I'm sure the kids
loved it. I even nailed my solo in "quiet time" (our newest song) for
the first time! In your face pack! Much love to all the kids and
remember to come to new city on January 29!  -Dave |
||
| Phil |
Exhale |
December 23, 2004 |
| Today we put the finishing touches on mixing the EP.
Now we leave it in the capable hands of the producer for mastering to
finish of the sound with a little lacquer. This is one of the
biggest exhales I've had since I've been in Hands of Thomas. The
final mixdown is beyond what I had anticipated and I can't wait to hear
it after mastering! We'll hopefully have copies pressed and in
hand by the the first tick of 2005. Thanks for those of you who
have encouraged us and been a part of this recording process. This
has been a great growing experience for our band as we have learned from
each other. God has been faithful. -Phil |
||
| Pack |
Christmas |
December 22, 2004 |
| As Christmas approaches, I can't help but get excited.
Awesome gifts, Jesus' birthday, I get to resume my five hour/day
practice schedule (no, seriously). But mostly, I absolutely can't wait
for our new EP to be released. I really hope you the fans (Miller,
Jonas, my mom, a couple other people) really like what we've come up
with. It's definitely exceeded my expectations, even though I've never
recorded on Pro Tools before, so I didn't really know what to expect.
We're trying to get the things pressed as soon as possible so they'll be
ready for our New Year's gig. And any of you guys that can make it for
that show, we'd love to see and hang out with you guys there. I don't
know, I'm just excited. And I get to play in my hometown. What could
be better? Merry Christmas to all of you. We really appreciate your
support. God Bless!
|
||
| Phil |
FINALLY!!! |
November 23, 2004 |
| Wednesday was not a banner day. That
was when I was supposed to knock out vocals in the studio.
Four hours and $120 later, nothing. I just couldn't hit anything
for whatever reason. Tonight, however, was a different story.
Tonight was the best night I've ever had in a studio. Something
about the studio just freezes me up. Not this time... Hopefully
this will cap off what was a STELLAR EP before I started on Wednesday.
The music was beyond anything I had imagined. Mandy was
ridiculously good (just wait till you hear her on Exeteo).
My level of anticipation about this project is rising quickly.
Hope you can all make it out to New City for the CD release party on
January 29! -Phil |
||
| Dave |
Recording |
December 7, 2004 |
| Well, as many of you die hard Hands of Thomas fans may
already know, we're recording again. That means a lot of very serious
faces (Brad, Phil) and a lot of not-so-very serious faces (Pack, Mandy,
and myself) But really it's been an awesome experience trying to get our
new sound out to all that are willing to listen. Sitting in the control
room of the recording studio (makes us sound professional, eh?) I came
to a whole new realization that recording and my Christianity are a lot
alike. Now before you totally tune me out as crazy, let me explain
myself and take you back to your very first day, right after that great
epiphany we all remember so well, when you were so excited. You
couldn't wait to go tell everyone that something great was happening in
your life (the first day I found out we were going back into the studio
to record.) That was great; you were so excited! Then it faded. You
subconsciously started memorizing nothing but the rules and regulations
of Christianity (worried about pickscrapes, being slightly off beat,
forgetting parts) and totally forgot about the real, true reason you
agreed to go on this voyage in the first place. Life gets very
difficult. You're constantly worried about breaking a rule, showing a
bad example, not doing this or that. Pretty soon you're so stressed out
you're fixing to quit (the days right before recording.) You've
convinced yourself there's nothing else, and you might as well deal with
the hand you're dealt, but wait, there's one last step. Sitting alone,
you wake up from your monotonous haze and remember that sense of
excitement. Those days when you realized why you love Jesus, and that
it's not following rules, it's more living in Him and the right things
to do seem like the right things to do. Your maturing in you
Christianity like wildfire, and you're addicted to it. Everything seems
perfect. Unfortunately this last step came ten seconds before I hit the
first note on contradiction (which is totally punked out). It hit me, I
do this (being in a band) because I love God, and I want to show other
people that were in my shoes a year ago (pre-jan. 3, 2004) that there's
something awesome in this world. So I just breathed in, and breathed
out, and bang! Well not really "bang!" it was more of a
sigh. Nevertheless it was all I needed to relieve me of all the
imaginary expectations I thought were placed upon me. It was all I
needed to fall in love with it all again. I hope everyone loves the new
EP as much as we do, merry Christmas to everyone. -Dave |
||
| Phil |
Recording Studio |
November 23, 2004 |
| As Thanksgiving approaches we've been working diligently
to prepare to record... again. No, it will not be a full-length
album. It will be a 6-song EP that accurately depicts our new
sound. That way, those of you who haven't made it to a live gig
since Paximus joined the band (clears throat) can hear what we're
sounding like these days. We'll be in the studio in Johnson city
starting Monday of next week. We're hoping to only be working on
the project for 2 weeks, but the studio can be unpredictable.
Watch the website for some changes in our December schedule. We'll
hopefully be playing a gig at the Fret Store on Main Street before
Christmas. Come out and see us if you get a chance! Buy an
EP. -Phil |
||
| Pack |
Football |
October 25, 2004 |
| Football is awesome!
|
||
| Phil |
Crossfire/Jon Stewart |
October 23, 2004 |
| Religion and politics are the two things that really
just light my fire. Jon Stewart has had me rolling after his
appearance on CNN's Crossfire (a show I detest passionately).
Stewart came as a guest on Crossfire and absolutely ripped Tucker
Carlson and Paul Begala apart. (Read a transcript of the event
HERE)
Stewart drove home an excellent point. Why does it have to be
about right and left? Why must we always bifurcate our political
system into Democrat and Republican? Must the lines be so clearly
drawn? It seems we have lost the meaning in our political system.
Party lines are so clearly drawn that there is no real dialogue anymore
within the parties, much less between the parties. Our
discussions are a farce. We delude ourselves into believing that
something is being said when our politics have become so thin that we
have ceased to really speak at all.
Recommended Reading: Civility by Stephen L. Carter |
||
| Phil |
Welcome |
October 17, 2004 |
| Welcome to our new journal page! Here we'll have
the opportunity to write our individual thoughts as band members and
share a little more about what's going on with us personally.
Right now I'm in the "Tour Bus" with Brad, Jacqulyn (Brad's girlfriend)
Dave, Dave's friend Jeremy, and Mills (our producer), as well as his
very pregnant wife, Debbie. We're headed up to Lynchburg, VA to
see Phil Keaggy live in concert. My life might just change
tonight. Ok, probably not. But I bet it will be incredible.
We are working on a new song tentatively titled "Quiet Time." It is coming along well, and should be ready for performance fairly soon. I wrote the chorus and Brad wrote the verse. It will also be the first song to feature Brad vocally on the verses. This could change everything... haha Notice that there's a lot going on with the band as far as dates go.
Come see us live. Soon. Seriously. Ok? Ok. |
||