{"id":1359,"date":"2008-01-03T19:23:21","date_gmt":"2008-01-03T19:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=1359"},"modified":"2010-12-22T12:47:03","modified_gmt":"2010-12-22T17:47:03","slug":"6036","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2008\/01\/03\/6036\/","title":{"rendered":"Hit CD: It\u2019s Not Just the Sound, It\u2019s the Message"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORLANDO, FL (January 3, 2008) – Brant Christopher is surprised that his band\u2019s new CD album Beautiful Imperfection<\/em> is getting such good reviews. \u201cI was blown away by them,\u201d he says.
\n
\nThe members of Fort Pastor<\/a> love their unique sound, but just were not sure many other people would hold the same opinion. After all, it\u2019s not every CD that features a cross between American and Australian roots music and extensive use of instruments such as the didgeridoo, djembe, xylophone and darabuka, not to mention zipper and front door.<\/p>\n

Christopher likens the music to \u201cDave Matthews meets the Blue Man Group.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cover\"But a reviewer for Christianity Today\u2019s<\/em> music website declared Fort Pastor\u2019s album \u201cA rare triumph in the realm of Christian music, and Fort Pastor makes it sound easy.\u201d He adds, \u201cThe stellar sound wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without some witty, well-written lyrics to match.\u201d<\/p>\n

A CM Central<\/em> reviewer opined that the album contained \u201cthirteen magnetic songs. They are eclectically arranged and well executed, covering a lively variety of subjects from war to love, giving intelligent expression to their passionate heart for social issues.\u201d He praised its \u201cveritable soundest of unique instrumentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher, who now lives in Orlando, Florida, previously has helped lead worship at Emmanuel Covenant Church in Nashua, New Hampshire, and has stayed connected with the church. Christopher also toured two years ago as a solo artist to raise money for the Paul Carlson Partnership.<\/p>\n

That was shortly before forming the band Fort Pastor in October 2005, when he met Jeffrey Todd and Jono Callow at the Greenbelt Festival in Cheltenham, UK, the largest Christian music event in the country. The music, which reflects the influence of David Matthews, also draws from the Americana music of Texas from where Todd hails, as well as Callow\u2019s native Australia.<\/p>\n

After independent releases, the group signed with Kosmos Records earlier this year and toured extensively this past summer with appearances at major festivals including Soulfest. The band also has shared the stage with major artists such as Jars of Clay and Mercy Me. Fort Pastor just signed with major promoter Street Level Artist Agency.<\/p>\n

\"Group\"Most Christian radio stations have refused to play the CD because the sound doesn\u2019t fit any easily definable genre, Christopher says, adding he hopes the reviews will cause programmers to change their minds.<\/p>\n

Christopher says the album title is intentional because they never set out to make an album that was perfect. \u201cAs a society and culture we are too obsessed with perfection,\u201d he maintains, adding that the obsession runs counter to the gospel, which is honest about imperfection and the need for grace.<\/p>\n

As for the band, \u201cWe are concerned more about the passion and the performance than we are about the perfect note.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band is attracting attention as much for its message calling listeners to engage in social justice and community action as it is for the album\u2019s sound. Even the name is a reference to the band\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

Fort Pastor is the name of the military installation at which people seek safety from zombies in the film Dawn of the Dead<\/em>. Christopher explains that the movie was a political statement about consumerism and how people become zombies consuming all that is around them.<\/p>\n

The band has created its own foundation called the \u201cSocial Justice Army (SJA)\u201d that fans can join. The band wants people to be as concerned about ministering to people in their neighborhoods as they are in traveling to other nations. Chapters are being formed across the country, with members pledging to give at least one hour a month to community service.<\/p>\n

So far, volunteers have logged more than 20,000 hours, says Christopher. The volunteers have donated time in various ways, including working with Habitat for Humanity, food kitchens and shelters.<\/p>\n

The band oversees the organization while on the road – including while traveling in the van. Christopher says with a laugh that he praises the Lord for wi-fi.<\/p>\n

Inspiring people to social action is the major motivation of the band, Christopher says. \u201cAfter the music is over, that is what I want my life to be about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ORLANDO, FL (January 3, 2008) – Brant Christopher is surprised that his band\u2019s new CD album Beautiful Imperfection is getting such good reviews. \u201cI was blown away by them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHit CD: It\u2019s Not Just the Sound, It\u2019s the Message - Covenant Newswire Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2008\/01\/03\/6036\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hit CD: It\u2019s Not Just the Sound, It\u2019s the Message - 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