Setlist:
Consider
Children of Time
O How the Mighty Have Fallen
Fine Fun Time
Mercy Will Prevail
Yellow Skies
Sad Face
A Sentimental Song
To Cover You
Tear for Tear/About Love
Circle Slide
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To Rescue Me
The Choir said after 1996 they would never tour again. So, when the band announced they would be playing weekend shows during the year of 2006, there was no question I would be there to see them, even if I did have to drive to Athens and endure the maelstrom that is Friday afternoon traffic in Gwinnett County.
Steve Hindalong and Derri Daughtery may have more renown in Nashville for their production work and their success with City on a Hill and “God of Wonders”, but The Choir is still their first love and their creative outlet. Thanks to the success of City on a Hill, The Choir can still be allowed to operate, even though it never was a money-maker. It’s a shame, too, because their latest album O How The Mighty Have Fallen has earned critical acclaim both in the Christian market (CCM magazine) and the mainstream market (Paste Magazine), but without any label push, no one knows about it.
The lineup featured Hindalong, Daugherty, and saxaphone/lyricon player Dan Micheals along with the newest member Marc Byrd (Common Children, Hammock) and Matt Slocum (Sixpence None the Richer, Astronaut Pushers) on bass guitar. Normal bassist, Tim Chandler has been unable to tour due to work commitments (The Choir has really become secondary employment for each member), so Slocum ably filled in with his typical easy-going manner and smooth playing.
I’ve seen The Choir play a couple times and of all the times I’ve seen them, this was the tighest and most well rehearsed that I’ve heard them. Sometimes at Cornerstone festival, they would get lax and make mistakes, knowing that they were playing before an adoring audience that knew all their work, but tonight they played as if they were a new band debuting their first album. Hindalong was a crisp as always on drums and it’s really a treat to watch him on the trap kit. He often appears playing percussion with various artists, but rarely plays an actual kit anymore, so I really enjoyed watching all of his facial expressions and tight playing. Daugherty and Byrd created a wall of sound through their rows and rows of effects pedals while Micheals alternated between saxophone and the breathy, “swirly” sound of the lyricon.
The set list was a combination of mostly favorites from their most popular albums between 1988 and 1994 added with a couple songs from their new album. Humorously, it didn’t match up at all with the actual printed setlist which included all sorts of interesting song selections (including their own version of “God of Wonders!”) I guess they didn’t have the setlist totally down because they even left the stage one song too early, sheepishly returning to the stage to tell us they weren’t ready to do their encore yet.
After the show, we were able to thank each of them for all of their work over the years. The most adorable moment came when two ten-year old girls went up to Matt Slocum and sang “Kiss Me” to him, much to his delight. They all are humble and gracious. Perhaps one day they shall recognized for the pioneers and legends that they are, but for tonight, we were glad we had them all to us.