![]() |
Related article: A Classic Christian Music—A list of radio stations, websites, books, and documentaries |
I was there seeing two little known aging rock artists. I say little known because the crowd was mostly in their 40's or above, with a few sprinklings of people in their 20's and 30's, as well as a few kids. I also say little known because only around 200-300 people were there, and though the venue was mostly full the two artists who performed have both had sustainable music careers for over 40 years. So...you'd think more than 200-300 people would be there...
And I should also say both of these artists are rock legends who continue to put out music showing they are still at the top of their craft. Well, what was the problem? Why weren't there more people there? The answer is easy: they both are "Christian" artists who put out "Christian" music within the realm of the Christian music industry. The concert I went to featured a doubling billing of Glenn Kaiser playing solo blues and Phil Keaggy playing a rare show with a full band. Most anyone who knows anything about these artists would easily call them "rock legends", most especially Keaggy but I think Kaiser deserves to be up there too. It was the best concert experience I have had in years and it made me a little bit sad.
"Christian"music, you see, has a legacy problem and it manifests itself in two main ways:
1.) there is basically no infrastructure for artists to go on tour.
2.) there is basically no infrastructure for artists' music to stay in print or reach a new audience.