Why I Love this Town #6...

Of all the harmless lies we* tell ourselves at UBC, none is told (or insinuated) more than this one: We are somewhat baffled and unimpressed with the minor celebrity status of our very own David Crowder Band. We share stories of being outside Waco and running into a DCB fan whose pulse rises at finding out we know THE David Crowder. We then express shock at these people making such a big deal about someone we rarely give a passing thought to.

I suppose in theory our surprise is genuine. But this is only because we have spent time questioning (or, for those of us reared in "the subculture," reassessing) the idea of a "Christian Celebrity." There seems to be something antithetical to the message of Christ in this term, and when we see it applied to someone we see on a semi-regular basis, it can seem out of place, since the idea of "celebrity" implies inaccessibility.

But with that out of the way, let me go ahead and announce to all of you fans that, to varying degrees, we are just as awe-struck as you. Sometimes, more so, because we have experiences, yearnings, thoughts, etc. unique to our community, but which we are unable to articulate with words. Crowder comes along and translates what we are feeling into the universal language of music, and we silently ask ourselves "How did he do that?"

This was one of the many areas in which Kyle was always a step ahead. Unlike many of the rest of us (me included,) he never pretended to be so sophisticated and emotionally mature to have a lukewarm attitude toward the Crowder Band. Kyle, who was probably closer to David anyone, could never hide his amazement and appreciation for the sheer brilliance that Crowder and the rest of the band continuously exhibit. He always received copies of the albums several weeks before they were released, and when Illuminate and A Collision, came out he called me and we would go for a ride in his car and listen to them in their entirety. This is said so much about Kyle that it can seem to be disingenuous, but it's true-- Kyle received Crowder's music as a kid receives gifts on Christmas morning, unable to hide the ecstasy he was feeling at the moment or to retreat behind a facade of intellectual detachment. I don't know this for sure, but I can say with some deal of certainty that if Kyle was out of town and someone screamed with delight at finding out he knew THE David Crowder, Kyle would join in their joy and say "Yeah, I know him!," in the same way Will Farrel said he knew Santa Claus in the movie Elf.

Reason # 6 Why I love this town: Yeah, we know him. And we are just as impressed, in awe, and appreciative as you are.
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*Note on my gratuitous use of the word "we" in this post: There are obvious dangers inherent in the use of this word, as it gives the impression that I am speaking on behalf of a group of people who may or may not share my feelings in this matter. I am simply writing as an observer of a group of people to which I happen to belong, not as an official spokesperson.