The Petra Zone

I was thinking about this last night. What if Petra did a concert where they took requests from the audience. A person could request any Petra song ever. I know this would be impossible, since they'd have to practice virtually every song they've ever done. If someone came up with a song they couldn't do, they'd get some sort of prize. Maybe after a song of a particular album was requested, no more songs from that album could be requested, that way nobody could keep tripping them up with all the songs off of their older albums they probably haven't sung since about the time that album came out.

Maybe it's a silly idea, but interesting (at least to me, lol) none the less.

For what it's worth, "Lucas McGraw" was requested at the Farewell recording.

Of course, so was "Freebird"...

The same thing happened at the Irving show. When Bob started to introduce the rock medley and was talking about it being hard to choose which of the songs to play, someone yelled out Lukas McGraw. I'm sure it's probably happened more than once here lately.

It seems every show Petra does is a request show. Bob makes the point of saying that they listen to all requests, and then ignore the ones that aren't part of the set list already.

I'm sure too that there are some songs they have never played in a concert. Like Witch Hunt from Beat the System, I can't seem to think this is one that has ever been played or even requested. It's not a bad song, but I can't believe it's on the top 10 of anyone's favorite list. It would probably be one that would trip them up if they hadn't prepared for it.

Chicago (the band), did an anniversary show similar to this a couple of years ago. It was shown on PBS, and they had people requesting songs from the audience and also some people calling in over the phone. And yes, there were several songs (not many though) that they had to say that they just couldn't play due to the fact that the newer band members had just never played them .... All in all, it was really neat to see and hear ...

How many Petra songs do you think Paul and Greg have actually practiced? Maybe John remembering the words to the songs would be a problem as well. I guess you could have a teleprompter to help him out.
Bob would probably have no problem playing most of the songs. It would probably be fun just to see if they could play some of the songs and if the song fell apart then Bob could break out into a guitar solo to cover up.
I'd request "Hand on my Heart" just to see them dress up in those jackets again perform it again.

Do you have a pix of the guys dressed in those jackets? I'd love to see it.... John told me he still has one, and that Krey wore it for Halloween a few years ago... hehehe...

Witch Hunt is like one of the coolest songs ever! I can't believe somebody doesn't like it ... Too bad people wouldn't live by the message of the song! The church is the one place that this souldn't be happening ... oh well ... I really do like the song ...

I haven't forgotten I said I'd look to see if I had a pic of the guys in their "Hand On My Heart" jackets...I've just been so buried in school I haven't had a chance to look. I should have a little time to look this weekend...And I will have a break from school for a month starting December 15.

I didn't say I didn't like the song. I do like the song. Beat the System is one of my all time favorite Petra albums even before I knew that it was the tour for the live album, CiTaS. The opening song grabs your attention with the opening sample, and keeps you hooked with some great rock songs all the way through.

Hollow eyes is another song off that album which has always touched me, but any time I listen to it now, it touches me differently, since our adopted son is from Nigeria, the first country mentioned in the first line of the song, "Another day in Nigeria..." Of course, having been there for a month, there were days the flesh was singing that part of the song, "Another day in Nigeria!"

It's a very poor country and very desparate. It's also so blazing hot. I'd be doing nothing with nothing but shorts on and I'd still be sweating like a pig (where does this phrase come from?) But I knew God had sent me there, and it was great playing with, holding, changing, bathing the orphans there, including the orphan that is no longer an orpahn. Hurry up US embassy in Nigeria. Malachi, our adopted son-almost 2, may start singing those words before too long...

Should I jump in here and say that (original) Petra HAS played Lucas McGraw twice during concerts within the last 18 months:

Angola, IN 6/12/04
Ft Wayne, IN 11/12/05

and would have played it a 3rd time in Enid OK 11/19/05 if the circumstances hadn't suddenly changed at the concert...

That said, there are a couple songs I would request, not to stump the band, but just for the sake of hearing them live once more, Praying Man being the first and foremost. I was thrilled they did a portion of Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows in a medley at the Fort Wayne show... The whole song would have been better, but oh well! And I will never ever complain that the last song I ever heard Petra play live was Show Your Power at the Enid show!

As for stumping the band, how about Friends?

Jen

As for stumping the band, how about Friends?

Bite your tongue Jen!

Jump right on in there. Yeah I knew that the original guys had played it with Bob, and maybe have been playing it in their own concerts without Bob. It would be a fun song to here. Lol, I think Friends might be one of those that would stump them.

Computer Brains would be a good one for them to pull off, another one off of that Beat the System album. Shoot, Beat the system itself would be a great song tp hear. Of course they did that one on on the Double take album, so it might not stump them.