God is Not a White Man

One word:

WOW.

Had I not heard this performance in a church, I would have been on my feet yelling “WHOOOOOO!!!! YEAH!!!!!” during some of the blazing guitar solos. Next time I think I will. Who cares what anyone else thinks. I love good music.

Today I had the privilege of hearing the band Gungor live. This eclectic Denver-based group is making waves in the Christian music world, and music aficionados in general should take notice. They’re that good.

Husband and wife team Michael and Lisa Gungor, along with their gifted and versatile band mates, know how to glorify God while entertaining their audience. Today their instrumental lineup included Michael on acoustic guitar, Lisa on piano, keyboard harmonica, and glockenspiel, Brad Waller on banjo, guitar, and percussion, and bass and cello players whose names I apologize for being unsure of. All provided harmonizing vocals that effortlessly melted into one voice.

Michael can SING, and boy can play guitar!!! I was astounded at his range and talent. Lisa and the cello player had beautiful clarion voices that sounded heavenly contrasted with the men’s. At times Lisa’s vocals reminded me of Amy Lee, and they transitioned from one musical style to another effortlessly.

I walked away feeling like I’d just seen elements of Jonny Lang, Dead Can Dance, Ricky Skaggs, Celtic Woman, Muse, and the Electric Light Orchestra all rolled into one unique and empowering experience. There was something for everyone.

Gungor is one of a kind; one song will have a peppy, folksy pop style, the next will be more orchestral, and then they’ll switch to wailing lyrics and awesome guitars that will have you holding your open cell phone high in approval (much safer and healthier than hoisting a lighter).

Their song “God is Not a White Man” had me rolling, not only because of the lyrics, but because of the chipper cartoon that went along with it. “Free To Be You and Me”, eat your heart out. Hearing their hit “Beautiful Things” live was impressive, and their arrangement of “Dry Bones” was one of the songs that almost had me unleashing the unruly concertgoer within.

I’d heard these guys and gals before and watched some of their videos on YouTube. Initially I thought they were just a worship band with a cool name, and a lot of Christian music sounds the same to me. Many songs have the same strumming guitar, the same background strings, the same drum beat. But not Gungor. Recordings don’t do them justice. Their live show gave me a whole new appreciation for their talent. I highly recommend seeing them in person if you have a chance.

Considering that this week I’ve been on my comeback tour as Aja, lead guitarist for Jem and The Holograms (WHOOOOO!!! TOTALLY AWESOME!!!), this performance was a fun and meaningful start to the day. It added a very spiritual and soulful element to an already musical, family-oriented Halloween. Thank you, Gungor, for rocking the house for an eternal purpose!

Some of Gungor’s music can be easily found on YouTube and their official website, http://www.gungormusic.com/.
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God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honor and glory. –Augustine

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