Oceanside Concert

[SkyCaptain]

Since some of you are going to Spirit West Coast, I was wondering which Petheads will be at the Oceanside show. I'm really looking forward to it. I've got some friends coming too.

For those of you who haven't met me at a previous concert, I'm a tall, skinny guy who will be wearing a red t-shirt with a flying V electric guitar on the front with the words "Loud and Proud."

Mark

[Susannah]

My family and I will be going to both shows.

[74CAPethead]

My husband and I will be going, plus family & friends (15 total).

Pastor Mike called last night with more great news...Petra will also be singing at both of the Sunday morning worship services!

Looking forward to seeing all of you again!

[74CAPethead]

My husband and I will be going, plus family & friends (15 total).

Pastor Mike called last night with more great news...Petra will also be singing at both of the Sunday morning worship services!

Looking forward to seeing all of you again!

[SkyCaptain]

That's really cool of the band to play for the church services too. I'd go back Sunday morning if I didn't live so far away. Susannah -- it'll be great to see you guys again! 74CAPethead -- it'll be nice to meet you and your group too. I'm bringing one person and there's a family of three who's coming also. Possibly a co-worker and his wife too. He was still undecided yesterday.

Mark

[Shell]

I'll be there with a friend...It'll be good to see Susannah again and get to meet everyone. It's cool they're singing at the church services, I'm going to try to make it. I don't know for sure about that though.

[Susannah]

*jumps up and down* Yay! I get to see Shell and Mark and Julie again! Man, there's just nobody like a Pethead, is there?

[Mexican Spud]

Ahhhh!!! The whole gang together again. See you all there

[SkyCaptain]

Hey, Spud! I knew you were going to be at Spirit West Coast, but I didn't know if you were going to be at Oceanside. See you guys tonight!

[SkyCaptain]

Well, I guess I'm the first one to post a review of the concert last night. It was incredible. The band sounded better than ever (and, I think, louder too. I'm still waiting for my ears to feel normal again). They did a great mix of old and new songs. All the band members were enjoying themselves immensely. There were a few bloopers, but that added to the fun of the event. One person estimated that there were about 600 people there.

The opening band was a local group called Seven Layer Soul. They did a really good job and the lead singer/guitarist had a powerful testimony to share. On the last song, his son came up to play acoustic guitar and sing with his dad. It was really cool moment.

When Petra came on, Paul took a little time to fire up the sample box. Bob killed time for him by soloing a little. Once that was going, the band launched into "Test of Time." While this four-member version of the group has done a great job of modifying the old songs, the songs from Jekyll and Hyde fit their arrangement perfectly. The new songs were loud and heavy! Early on, John ran backstage to grab the forgotten set lists and distribute them among the bandmembers. He did this with some great comedic flair.

Before playing "Creed" (which took a while to recognize, because Bob had substituted the keyboard part with a cool guitar effect), they dedicated the song to Pastor Mike Reed -- who's set these Oceanside concerts up. During the song, Pastor Mike ran across the stage waving with the spotlight on him. There were people on the right side of the stage who alternated doing sign language for all the songs. One of the guys played "air bass" with Greg at the beginning of one of the songs (I think "Dance," but I could be wrong). Incidentally, this new version of "Dance," which features some cool syncopation, gives the song a fresh, modern rock twist while keeping the fire of the original arena rock version. If there's any live song I want preserved on CD from this tour, it's that one. A big surprise of the night was how well Petra Praise 2 was represented. They did several songs from that album. I have a feeling it's the band's favorite praise record. I know it is for a lot of fans.

The band "ended" with "Jekyll and Hyde," The did an encore of "He Came, He Saw, He Conquered" -- after which Bob gave his testimony and invited people to come to Christ for the first time or to renew their commitment to Him. They ended with "Show Your Power." Early in the concert, John and Bob expressed their appreciation for all the support that Petra has recieved over the years. It was a great, unforgettable night for everyone.

On the technical side, I was blown away by how well Bob's custom built Jekyll and Hyde guitar held it's tune. I never noticed him tuning at all during the set. He brought a backup guitar on stage, but didn't need it. My friend was excited about the fact that Bob uses the same Boss multieffects pedal board that he has. Also, Paul's digital "sample box" (for lack of a better term) is a great tool for drummers. He used it to get all kinds of cool tones (i.e. the chimes on "Jekyll and Hyde," the wailing at the beginning of "The Noise We Make," etc.). There weren't any on stage amps for Petra. Bob and Greg's amp simulators did the trick.

I know I've left out a lot of interesting stuff. If you were there, please add your input. It was great to see all of you guys again and to meet some new people. Also, a big thank you to Calvary Chapel Oceanside for putting this concert on. Your new building is really nice. God bless you guys!

Mark

[brent]

Thanks!

[SolidRockStrength]

Thanks for the great review and for anyone else that was there please share your review!

[Shell]

I just got back from a little overnight getaway with a friend who lives pretty close to Oceanside and it was an awesome concert. Linda and I met back in 1984 at a Petra concert, so it made sense that we should go to one of their last shows together. We had seats right up front and our ears were ringing after the concert. The band who opened up before them, Seven Layer Soul, did a good job and their lead singer has a wonderful testimony. It was cool when his son got up on stage and played. I remember Petra did "The Noise We Make", "I Waited (For the Lord On High)", "It's About Who You Know", "Judas' Kiss", "Rose Colored Stain Glass Windows", a medley of older songs, and "J&H." It was good to see Mr. Hartman up on stage again, he and Greg did very well on backing vocals and Paul and Greg both rocked. I got up close, right in front of the stage on my knees and got some pictures, I hope they turned out. I got to see Susannah and said hi to Mexican Spud briefly. There were a lot of people there...There may have been 600 people. It was too crowded to really talk, but I said hi to the guys briefly afterwards. I finally got to meet Paul and Greg, and here it is so close to retirement...Rats. Paul especially is a cutie. It was good to see John again...Hehe, he sort of threw up his hands and said "oh no, not you again," and I informed him he should have known I'd be there to haunt him. We gave each other a big hug and then I went back to my friend's house, spent the night and we had a fun day today.

[epdc]

I still don`t understand why they are retiring....I won`t believe it until it happens...

[charl]

Ooh thanks for sharing the concert highlights, guys.