By Tamara N. Casias
Tribune reporterThe Newsboys have long been known for going big.
When the Christian rock band first formed 13 years ago, then-frontman John James was known for bizarre costumes and lyrics that were unlike any other in the genre.
Now, the boys from Down Under are at it again. This time, they say, they are going bigger and better with their newest baby, the Festival Con Dios tour.
When James left the Newsboys in the capable hands of Peter Furler four years ago, Furler took the band to new ground. The new Newsboys began experimenting with different styles of music and toying with the idea of mixing a big tent revival with a big-time concert tour.
"As Christians, we shouldn't get greedy with the Gospel," said keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, 26. "I think we sometimes feel like that is what Christians do. We want to take it out of the subculture and put it out where everyone is, and not in a preachy way."
Thus, the dome idea was born. The band says the million-dollar idea (literally) was a first in the entertainment industry. No band had ever built a traveling stage -- or certainly not one of this magnitude. The inflatable dome held thousands of screaming, jumping, wild fans and the famous spinning drumset that had become a staple for the band's tours. And let's not forget the giant disco ball that drops from the ceiling on cue, fully functional catwalks and hanging seats for lighting techs. It was a grandiose idea from a band built on going big.
Two $500,000 domes leapfrogged across America, bringing the huge tour to both urban and rural areas.
But the Newsboys soon found out that their big idea wasn't perfect.
"We learned that (the dome) isn't something we can do again," Frankenstein said, his tone of voice hinting at the caution they exercised while developing the Festival Con Dios idea.
"With the dome tour, everything was on the line; I mean, our houses were on the line," he said. "We learned a lot from last year, the dome tour," Frankenstein said. "We decided that we would just improve on the idea. We learned what worked and what didn't work."
After the dome, the tired band and worn-out roadies were not incredibly sad to see the tour end. But what of the million-dollar idea now? Some roadies have scraps of dome material hanging on their walls -- little mementos from one of the hardest jobs they've ever had. One dome was sold to a missionary group, which uses it as -- what else? -- a traveling big tent revival.
"The dome lives on," Frankenstein said. He laughed and added, "Man, that was a tour. They (the roadies) all worked themselves to the ground, and most of them came back for more punishment to help out with this tour."
So, many lessons were learned, Frankenstein says, and the band has used those lessons to make this time around much easier on everyone.
"We feel that was just too much stress and too hard. This (Festival Con Dios) is definitely a lot easier stress-wise."
Easier for several reasons, Frankenstein says. One of the biggest reasons is that the entire weight of the tour doesn't rest on the shoulders of one band. Festival Con Dios will feature 10 bands per stop. The Newsboys' set at 45 minutes long is only half of what it was on the dome tour.
Also, each dome took almost all day to inflate and set up. Frankenstein said the new festival set "is designed so that it sets up and tears down in one day." He said the crew starts set-up at 8 a.m. and is finished in a matter of hours.
Not too shabby considering it's not just a stage and spinning drumset this time. Concertgoers will also find themselves in the midst of a climbing wall, an X-Games-style motocross, a full-size half-pipe ramp and trampoline bungee jumping.
"It's definitely a bigger undertaking than the dome tour and I think everything is right on the money," Frankenstein said.
Speaking of money, what's the cost of this mega-production?
"I have no idea," Frankenstein said with a laugh. "I try to stay out of stuff like that."
One big difference between this tour and just about any other tour -- be it Christian or mainstream -- is that there are absolutely no set changes.
Frankenstein said that as soon as one band gets off stage, another gets on. It's six hours of music with only one break; before the last two bands take the stage, guest speaker Anthony Walton, founder of The Rock church in New Zealand, will say a few words.
The Newsboys said this is a full-fledged family event. "For the first time in history, rock n' roll will unite a family," said Furler, the band's frontman. "Live on stage, bands from around the globe, bungee jumping, rock climbing, extreme motorcycle stunts and freaks everywhere. This is a 21st-century circus -- a Festival Con Dios."
Frankenstein agreed: "Rock n' roll kind of divided families for such a long time and I think that this kind of brings families together. It's also one of the few times you see such a diversity of people and denominations."
Along with diversity, another goal of the tour was to make everyone feel comfortable about being there. "The tour creates a neutral place where everyone is welcome," Frankenstein said. "Not everyone feels welcome in the church."
Thus, in creating the festival, nary a musical style was left out. Concertgoers will find a diversity in the types of music each band offers, from fun surfer-pop to hard-core rock.
The master plan is for this to be the inaugural year of a traveling concert festival.
"We hope this will be an annual thing," Frankenstein said. "It really is a state-of-the-art thing. There are a lot of things that happen.
"There are a lot of cities that don't get that festival vibe, so we like to bring it to them."
And what of the ever-changing, go-big boys from Down Under?
"We're working on a new album right now. You really don't know until you get there how it'll turn out. There will definitely be more of an emphasis on songwriting," Frankenstein said.
"We've realized that it's OK to rip ourselves off, you know? It's OK to sound a little like we've sounded in the past. We don't have to do something entirely different every time."
After 13 years in the business, there seems to be no end in sight for the hard-working group.
"Bring it on, that's what I say," Frankenstein said with a laugh. "We love what we do. Why would we not do that? You don't go to a U2 show and go, 'Man, they're has-beens, they're washed up.
"I mean, as long as the people will have us, I say, bring it on."
http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/diversions01/060801_diversions_condios.shtml