New Concert 12/31?

[BForm]

Sue's right. This organization is endorsed by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Think what you want about the SBC, but they are huge and have a lot of big churches with big outreach budgets. Working with this group could open the doors for John into a lot of outreach/revival weeks where churches in my area have been known to spend over $50,000 for three or four day FREE events.

Slapping them in the face is not a good idea. Any updates Sue?

[executioner]

Sue let us know what kind of response you get on this. We are pulling for you. This would be a huge mistake for John's future in music if he has to back out.

[sue d.]

The only answer(s) I've gotten is really a non-answer.

I was told that nothing is changing from what he had discussed with the promoter, everything is fine and I don't have to worry about it.

That is as clear as mud.

I'll keep trying to get some clarification.

[brothertom]

Sue, you have nothing to worry about. Meaning no show, or something akin to that. Sorry to be glib, but something is definitely going on! Tickets for the non-show in NC on 12/31 are now being offered for sale on itickets.com (general admission). Showtime is posted as 7:00, but no word on if all the prior acts are going on beforehand. I assume they are. What time was John scheduled to do his thing in Myrtle Beach? There's no good way to get from there to Murphy, though. 7+ hours by car, and 2.5 from Atlanta, which appears to be the closest major airport. Let us know what you find out.

I've booked my trip assuming Petra shows in Dawsonville and Murphy on 12/30-31. I'll be returning home on 1/1, regardless of how events unfold.

Tom

[sue d.]

This is the answer:

His playing at both.
29 and 1st at the conference
30 and 31 with Petra

There wasn't a set time yet for the conference, which has two sessions (Dec. 28-30 and Dec. 29-Jan. 1).

Looks like John will be jet-setting between SC and GA. I'd hate to be the one paying for the airfare - or gas, as the case may be.

[Shell]

I do believe prayer is in order here...Let's trust that God sees what goes on and will take care of things. Let's try to keep in mind many of us here don't have backgrounds in the music biz and may not know what all is involved in planning a concert, and let's leave some room for God's laws of reaping and sowing if there is wrongdoing on anyone's part.

I can understand the frustration, and I can understand people wanting to know if there's actually going to be a concert before they make plans, but let's trust that God knows what He's doing. Just thought I'd throw that in before things get too out of hand, and it hasn't yet.

[BForm]

Good Deal. He'll do them all. Getting from Myrtle Beach to Dawsonville, GA is not a huge problem. I'm sure Delta will get him to Atlanta leaving a very reasonable drive up. Getting from Dawsonville, GA to Murphy is really not a very long drive either. However, getting from Murphy to Myrtle Beach may take some creativity, or become a very long day for John.

I still think it's a shame for Eddie to be told the SC date conflicted with the 31st, and then find out it really didn't. Yes, I realize I don't understand all the workings of the music business, but I'm tired of hearing this excuse as if Christian music has it's own set of rules that excludes it from simple etiquette expected in other forms of business. The bottom line is, if I made my customers put up with some of the bull crap that goes on this buisiness, I'd be outta business in a hurry. Doesn't it seem clear that some promoters have simply chosen to look elsewhere as well?

[BForm]

Having said all of that, I realize that God has a perfect plan and no man is capable of "ripping us off" in the eternal sense. However, that does not preclude us from voicing our concern when things aren't as they should be. It was obviously God's will that the schedule work out the way it did. Yet the actions of the men involved may not be very God glorifying. Just like when Peter said in Acts that "evil men" did exactly as God ordained they would do.

I'm not saying that the powers involved in Petra are "evil" in that sense, but I think you get my point.

[Shell]

Some good insights, Bill; it does make sense to take your business elsewhere if the people you work with don't deliver. But we need to keep in mind, John is not a dummy; he probably has a pretty good idea of what goes on and what he chooses to do or not do about it is up to him.

We all screw up, it's inevitable since we're imperfect human beings. The key is whether we will learn and do what is necessary to do better or just continue doing the same old thing over and over.

Whatever the case, getting to all those concerts will probably be interesting.

[brothertom]

I'm happy that this little drama has worked out in the end. It probably could have been handled better, and I'm sure not everyone is totally happy, but it does seem that people were doing the best they could with the information at hand - for the most part, anyway. Let's hope thre are no other surprises, and that the rest of the tour goes smoothly. I'm thinking of Dawsonville as the final concert, with Murphy, NC, as a bonus or concert encore. We'll see what happens in 2006.

Sue, any fine print that says you are responsible for getting John to Myrtle Beach?

Tom

[executioner]

Good Deal. He'll do them all. Getting from Myrtle Beach to Dawsonville, GA is not a huge problem. I'm sure Delta will get him to Atlanta leaving a very reasonable drive up. Getting from Dawsonville, GA to Murphy is really not a very long drive either. However, getting from Murphy to Myrtle Beach may take some creativity, or become a very long day for John.

I still think it's a shame for Eddie to be told the SC date conflicted with the 31st, and then find out it really didn't. Yes, I realize I don't understand all the workings of the music business, but I'm tired of hearing this excuse as if Christian music has it's own set of rules that excludes it from simple etiquette expected in other forms of business. The bottom line is, if I made my customers put up with some of the bull crap that goes on this buisiness, I'd be outta business in a hurry. Doesn't it seem clear that some promoters have simply chosen to look elsewhere as well?

I know of two promoters in my area alone that won't even touch Petra because of management concerns. I wonder how many more there are around the country, and I wonder how many concerts were not promoted because of these circumstances?