At 9am sharp I met with the guys from True Vibe in the Provident Suite. This band seems to be a
tight-knit group with each guy taking a clear role. According to Jason, Jonathan is the “daddy,” Nathan
is the “strange cousin from KY,” Jordan at nineteen years of age is the baby of the group, hence the
nickname “Baby J,” and Jason is the official “big brother” in the band. These guys can clown around
and have fun, but “papa” Jonathan’s passion for evangelism and vision for the band keep them on the
straight and narrow.
11:30 am. Due to a problem with my photo processing yesterday, I had to reshoot the Jake photos,
which turned into a highlight of the week as the guys just had fun setting up action shots and I let
them direct the shoot… and just enjoyed being along for the ride!
12:15 pm. Kurtis Kegley has done a masterful job of attending events and doing a daily update for
Christian Activities and I felt like the least I could do was take the guy out for lunch! It was a
pleasure to get to know Kurtis better, and since we ate at San Antonio Taco Company, better known
as Satco, it was also a stellar experience as we did not dine alone!
Katinas in a Cantina: The brothers join manager Brian Smith at San Antonia Taco Co. for a business lunch before their scheduled press conference during GMA Week.
The Katinas were in their when we
arrived and Kurtis suggested a good photo would be “the Katinas in a Cantina” so I snapped a
couple of the Samoan boys. Then I was telling Kurtis how much I enjoyed meeting True Vibe and
sharing some of my interview notes with him when in they walked… and they weren’t alone!
Tagging along with the big boys was diminutive band “Next Generation.” Garbed in do rags, T-shirts and
jeans, just like the Big Boys, Next Generation then got up on the small Satco stage and did an
impromptu dance routine with attitude. Scarcely had I recovered from this unexpected rendezvous
when on the way out, we ran into Cheri Keaggy again. All were good natured about having photos
shoots during their dining experience, so it was a fun and productive lunch for me.
1:30 pm. After lunch Kurtis and I followed the Katinas back to the media room for the Katinas press
conference. They announced the release of their next project, Destiny, on May 8 and wanted to show
a much-anticipated video that uses cutting edge technology similar to the camera George Lucas used
in Star Wars. However, the Force was not with them and technical problems held up the viewing until
another day.
The Katinas share a joke at their press conference.
We learned some interesting tidbits about the Katinas. Besides their great belief in
setting up an apostolic foundation for their ministry, we learned brother Joe is on sabbatical with his
family and will return to the group this summer, they will perform at four Promise Keepers events,
and due to the early influence of Andre Crouch on the Samoan siblings they almost moved Waco,
Tx. to launch their career. They even performed part of one of their songs for us!
The brothers find their note…
Then they sang a song for the media at their press conference.
The artists were not only stuffing their faces at Satco, but this was a great day for spotting familiar
faces all over the hotel. Jamie Slocum, Jill Williams, Benjamin’s Gate, Jeff Deyo, Phil Joel and many
others were in evidence in stairways and hallways, elevators and escalators. The artists say it is like a
family reunion for them.
7:30 pm. This was Sparrow’s big night — the 25th Anniversary Showcase.Kicked off by a video of
Keith Green singing “O Lord, You’re Beautiful” which segued into Avalon singing along in
harmony, this was one of the nicest, and in many ways, low-keyed showcases I have been to as one
artists graciously introduced the next. High points for me would be hard to pick. Would it be CeCe
Winans impassioned ending to “Alabaster Box” or Steve Taylor’s telephone humor or perhaps
already-legendary Steven Curtis Chapman? all of the above, certainly, but I think my introduction to
Earth Suit and ZOEgirl as well as Jump 5 would rank up there with things that were better then I
expected. I will all more notes later, but now I have a jillion pictures to scan and post!
Check the Gospel Music Week section for more news, GMA activities and earlier Journal and Update entries.
