Tour Day 1 – Immanuel Southern Baptist Church – St Joseph – Wagoner, OK

As we were driving into St. Joseph this morning, Emily mentioned that it really seemed like tour exists in this parallel timeline that somehow skips over real life - it seems kind of like we just had homecoming, went home long enough to wash laundry and take showers… and BOOM! Just like that we’re back at it again.

So we showed up again feeling like this alternate life is somehow actually real.  Fitting I guess, as it relates to Bemo’s physics lesson about the transformation and conservation of energy – you can’t lose it, it just changes. It was a little like that when we got on the busses this morning. The buzzy frenetic busy-ness of send off suddenly transforms into the reality of bus life.  There are rules to be doled out about expectations on the busses, our first tour lunch in Harrisonville (a true test of a singers ability to successfully navigate the pace we roll at), and of course, our first new state, Oklahoma (I hear it’s OK).

If you were to be dropped in a random town or city in northwest Oklahoma and asked to identify what state you were in you would be forgiven if you guessed Missouri; there is a lot of similarities. It’s not exactly the exotic change in scenery that many might expect on tour. One thing I did notice however, is that Oklahoma, in small ways, really starts to feel like you’re in the south. Like how the grass in the yards is really short and shows through to the sand or clay underneath. It’s a small transformation, but it’s a herald to transformation in scenery that awaits us.

But, all of this was a set up for the transformation that was about to happen here in Wagoner, OK. The churches energy really set the tone for what was about to happen. Many of the parishoner showed up in custom made “Find The Way” New G shirts and then fed us like we were kin-folk (that is what they say here in Oklahoma). But after dinner friends, wow. I have been in New G now for coming up on 13 years (this is my 12^th tour) and when I tell you have never felt energy like this on the first day of tour I promise there is no exaggeration. Many of the sponsors have been commenting on how awesome the singing was, and that was just DURING THE WARM-UP!! I literally heard the best “Ain’t No Grave”  I have ever heard before the performance even started.  I wish you were there to see it, the video just won’t do it justice.

Needless to say, they are transformed. Some rookies into veterans. Veterans into mentors. Matt said that we witnessed a performance that 20 years from now we will all tell stories about…Please friends, I’m not blowing smoke… it was THAT good.  I’m not sure any of us will be able to walk out of homecoming.

I’m a little worried.

Well, bed check is done and it is time to get ready to kill it in Springfield tomorrow!  Until then, this is Joseph signing off.