Reunions of rock bands are getting kind of hard to stomach these days. If it isn't Fleetwood Mac or the Eagles gouging fans for over $100 a ticket to relive a vibe that's long gone, then it's the Sex Pistols shamelessly cashing in on the trendy music industry that they railed against in their heyday. This one was different. It had nothing to do with record labels or target demographics. It was between a band, their fans and God. The way it should be.
A little history lesson is in order. Like the aforementioned Sex Pistols, the Prayer Chain was a star that burned brighter than most and then burned out far too quickly. Their two full-length releases, Shawl and Mercury, influenced just about every Christian who has been in an aggressive band since then. For a while it looked like they might outgrow the Christian music scene and bring their art to a larger audience. But internal struggles and frustration with the subculture that they were still a part of proved to be too much, and they disbanded in early 1996.
The following year, however, brought a handful of live performances in their home state of California at the request of their longtime fans. The shows were not publicized much outside of that area, but when word got out that they had played together again, band members were flooded with requests from fans to perform a little closer to their hometowns. The demand was great enough that the band decided to regroup for one final show east of the Rockies, and the Chicago area was chosen as the site for this historic evening. Thanks to mass publicity at several summer music festivals, fans from around the nation filled the gymnasium at Trinity Christian College to bid a grateful farewell.
Area promoter Edan Productions wanted to make sure concert-goers got more than their money's worth, so the bill was expanded to the point of overflowing. Honey was a logical choice on paper, being from the area and having had their albums produced by members of the headlining band. Unfortunately, their set never escaped their heroes' shadow, coming off as a Prayer Chain Lite. All Star United threw the evening a stylistic curve ball, with Ian Eskelin energetically leading his band mates through a set of sunny pop tunes. Plankeye seemed to have weathered the departure of two founding members intact, playing the rawest set of the night. Minutes later, as the lights dimmed, anticipation cranked into high gear along with numerous video cameras and tape recorders. The best was yet to come.
The Prayer Chain took the stage with the abrasive "Antarctica" before
settling into the steady groove of "Waterdogs," and for 75 minutes, it
was as if they had never been gone. How a band can regroup after two and
a half years (with only a couple of shows in between) and retain everything
that made them a great live act is beyond me. Drummer Wayne Everett, guitarist
Andrew Prickett, and bassist Eric Campuzano brought the music to life in
a
way that made the band's demise even more tragic. They moved effortlessly
between styles, like the quieter (by their standards) "Worm" and the Middle
Eastern-flavored guitar assault of "Crawl." "Grin" was given a new treatment,
with the first verse of "Shiver" blended in as a bridge before the thunderous
"One day we'll see love as it is" coda. Through it all, singer Tim Taber
matched the emotional range and intensity of his fellow musicians. Whether
with his expressive voice or as the visual focal point for the music’s
energy, he played the role of front man without coming off like a rock
star.
The band went out of their way to make this evening a special one by bringing copies of a new, limited edition two-disc set, So Close... Yet So Far, containing early demos, remixes, and previously unreleased material. Two of the songs found their way into the set. The scorching (and rarely played live) "Chatterbox," an outtake from the Shawl recording sessions, was the most energetic point of the evening. There was also the delicate "Lose Yourself," which had been lost in the shuffle when the band was asked by their label to make Mercury more accessible. Everett explained that the song was written as a direct response to the frustration the band felt during that and other similar situations.
This night was also about the One who gave the band their gifts as
they joined with the crowd in worship. Hands were raised all over the gym
as Taber began singing, "I can feel it, the blood of the Redeemer" to start
the song, "Never Enough." The encore continued the mood as Taber, accompanied
only by Prickett, sang "Whirlpool." "Do You have to die again;
for me to understand; what You mean to me; and what I mean to You?"
became the center of a reverent crowd sing-along. Afterwards, Taber said
that he "really felt the presence of the Lord during a couple of those
songs." We all did, Tim.
After “Whirlpool,” there was the eerie "Mercury," the explosive yearning of "Dig Dug," and finally the soaring, epic "Sky High." Then, like the band's career, it was over too soon. This ending was easier to take, though, because they had finally been given the proper send-off. Sure, we'll see them again as part of other projects, but not like this.
Bon voyage, guys. Thank you for giving us one last memory to hold on to.
Prayer Chain set list:
“Antarctica” (Antarctica)
“Waterdogs” (Mercury)
“Grylliade” (Mercury)
“Fifty-Eight” (Shawl)
“Chatterbox” (So Close... Yet So Far)
“Lose Yourself” (So Close... Yet So Far)
“Chalk” (Antarctica)
“Worm” (Shawl)
“Crawl” (Shawl)
“Grin” (Shawl)
“Never Enough” (Shawl)
“Whirlpool” (Whirlpool)
“Mercury” (Mercury)
“Dig Dug” (Shawl)
“Sky High” (Mercury)
