Copious Notes

Guitarist Anthony Armstrong performs with Red on the Main Stage at the 41st annual Ichthus Festival in Wilmore, Ky. on June 18, 2010. Photo by Rich Copley | staff.

As street weeks go, this one is off -the-charts for Nashville rockers Red.

Unit We Have Faces sat perched upon the iTunes chart as we started our conversation with guitarist Anthony Armstrong, and the quartet had just booked its national television debut, an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show Feb. 8 (11 p.m., TBS). They’ll be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the following week.

“This album has some of the hardest songs we’ve ever written and some of the most commercial stuff we’ve ever written,” Armstrong said.

We were chatting for a story that will appear early next month to preview Red’s appearance on the Winter Jam tour, which hits Rupp Arena March 12. But with Until We Have Faces such a hot topic now, this seems like a good time to let you listen to our interview.

Hit play to hear our conversation about the new album, lead singer Michael Barnes’ voice and Red’s talent for playing really big venues such as the Ichthus Festival and Rupp.

[podcast]http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/files/2011/02/110204red-podcast2.mp3[/podcast]

Switchfoot - Tim Foreman, Jon Foreman, Chad Butler, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley, say goodnight - but, as it turns out, not for long - after their Ichthus set. Copyrighted photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.com.

We got a chance to talk to Tim Foreman and Drew Shirley of Switchfoot before their set Thursday night at the Ichthus Festival. Click play to hear our chat. (Btw, the guy who walks through toward the end of the interview is Relient K’s Matt Thiessen.)

[podcast]http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/files/2010/06/100617switchfoot.mp3[/podcast]

By the way, the line-up for Questapalooza was announced this morning, and Switchfoot tops the bill, which includes fellow Ichthus 2010 artists Newsboys, for their third Lexington-area show this year, and last year’s Questapalooza opener Group 1 Crew. The show is Sept. 5, and tickets go on sale July 4.

Lauren Barlow of BarlowGirl performs on the Main Stage at the Ichthus Festival. Copyrighted photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.com.

Ichthus stayed true to the form of recent years, ending the festival on a worshipful note Saturday with the Main Stage pairing of Casting Crowns and BarlowGirl.

One of the things many people were commenting on over the weekend was the strong pairings of evening headliners – the rock night of Skillet and Red, modern rock of Switchfoot and Relient K -and the Saturday night duo had sort of a worship/traditional contemporary Christian music vibe.

Saturday’s headliners had tough acts to follow.

TobyMac and Switchfoot fielded big, lively bands Wednesday and Thursday respectively, and then Skillet came with that and Fourth of July-worthy pyrotechnic show.

Mark Hall on stage at Ichthus.

Crowns, by comparison, put most of the responsibility for filling the amphitheater on the shoulders of lead singer Mark Hall. Barlow Girl, which in previous daytime Main Stage outings (they were one of the bands that braved the snow day in 2005)  was packed to the center of the stage by the equipment of later acts, seemed a little lost spread out across the entire main stage, Saturday night.

Sanctus Real, playing earlier in the afternoon, delivered the most lively set I got to sample on the Main Stage Saturday.

For those who wanted to rock a little more before going home, there were offerings on other stages such as Disciple and Pillar on the Deep End, and many took in those shows. This year, the Deep End really did claim the title of Main Stage Jr. as much as it ever has.

And this was as complete a festival as Ichthus has put together. From this perspective, it was a little like going to New York: Not enough time to do everything you want to do, even with the extra day. It hardly feels like a weekend in rural Kentucky, until you look around at the hills and cows – and we don’t mean the Chik-fil-a cow.

Photos by Rich Copley | LexGo.com

Except for a Saturday morning thunderstorm, Ichthus was hot and dry this year. Festivalgoers had to figure out how to beat the heat.

We caught up with Wilmore’s own Rookie at one of their four sets at Ichthus on Saturday.

The White Collar Sideshow brought its theatrical performance to the Main Stage late Friday night. Copyrighted photo by Rich Copley | LexGo.com

TD and Veronica Benton of White Collar Sideshow stopped by the press trailer Saturday afternoon to talk about their performance, which they presented Friday night on the Main Stage. They chatted about the genesis of the piece, a “live silent movie,” according to Veronica, about their own struggles with addiction, and about trying to get the piece out before people.

Click play to hear our chat.

[podcast]http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/files/2010/06/e100619whitecollarsideshow.mp3[/podcast]

Fans packed the lawn in front of the Deep End Stage for The Devil Wears Prada. Copyrighted photos by Rich Copley | LexGo.com.

There was a time at Ichthus when the Main Stage headliner would finish, and a speaker from the stage would send everyone back to the camp site, often mentioning a lights out time.

The White Collar Sideshow brought its theatrical performance to the Main Stage late Friday night.

Now, they say stick around for the late night program. And oh, there are bands going until the wee hours on many side stages.

Friday night, a crowd stretched out across the lawn in front of the Deep End Stage for an 11 p.m. performance by The Devil Wears Prada that actually started around 11:45. When the show got started, lead vocalist Mike Hranica wasted no time whipping the crowd into a moshing frenzy.

Back on the Main Stage, the White Collar Sideshow delivered its theatrical take on addiction and redemption.

And the festival doesn’t actually end until Sunday morning, with the Doorpost Project Film Festival winners on the main stage and bands such as Anberlin and The Showdown playing after midnight.

If you’re a football fan, you probably spent last fall hearing Skillet‘s hit Hero played as part of promotions for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. And wrestling fans were treated to Monster in several WWE programs.

Skillet frontman John Cooper during the band

The financial rewards for that exposure weren’t great, but frontman John Cooper said Skillet did see other benefits.

“Mainstream radio has always stayed away from Skillet,” Cooper said backstage at Ichthus Friday. “We’re pretty straight with our message and somehow we didn’t seem legit to them.

“But when the NFL and the WWE work with you, it somehow legitimizes you. People say, ‘Oh, Skillet must be tough.’”

Skillet looked pretty tough on the Main Stage Friday night. The pyrotechnics that, for a while, have been parts of the band’s show now permeate the entire concert, with explosions going off in virtually every number, save for the power ballads.

A few years ago, Cooper was happy just to have some pyro. Now, the challenge is to keep growing the production.

“That’s my favorite competition, with myself,” he says.

This year’s finale included cellist Tate Olsen and violinist Jonathan Chu being raised above the crowd on hydraulic lifts.

At this point, the most surprising thing Skillet might be able to do is show up and do an unplugged set.

Photos by Rich Copley