Expect non-stop action at Summer Slam
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Non-stop action in a improvised beach setting will include inflatable games, tubular water slide, inner tube slide, giant Twister game, ladder climb, sand sculpture contests, beach volley ball in addition to Youth Praise Band and several give-aways. A concession stand will be open along with the serving of a roasted pig, hamburgers and hot dogs.
The music of Seventh Day Slumber, a Nashville-based Christian rock band, will be a highlight of the event beginning at 7 p.m.
On the surface, Seventh Day Slumber doesn’t sound much different from other modern rock bands. They belt out catchy hooks behind throbbing guitars while singing about real-life problems confronting many young people like addiction, suicide and depression. What sets them apart, though, is the band also sings about solutions.
Members of the band have traveled vastly different paths to Jesus. Their distinct life journeys instill a diversity that allows them to identify with their audience.
“There are things going on with Christian kids that no one wants to talk about because we’re supposed to be happy,” said Joseph Rojas, lead singer and guitarist for Seventh Day Slumber. “When talking about those issues, we always paint Christ as the answer to hurting people and depressing situations.”
Seventh Day Slumber is releasing its first album on the American Dream/Crowne Music label. The album, “Picking Up the Pieces,” releases Sept. 3. The group previously released two records on independent labels and two songs, “Candy,” and “My Struggle,” both shot into the top 10 on the R&R and CCM charts. Both songs are included on their national debut.
They have skillfully adapted the musical style of secular bands like Stained and Incubus to create an innovative hybrid of the edgy modern rock sound. The band derived its name from Exodus 20:11 which states how God created the world in six days and designated the seventh day for rest. But SDS’s live shows are anything but a sleeper.
The band approaches the stage as a makeshift pulpit, ministering to young people who are looking for something or someone with which to identify. During shows, Rojas delivers a stirring, passionate testimony about his life that eventually led to Christ. Show-goers gain a greater understanding of a graceful, loving Savior.
Over the years, more than 8,000 young people have committed their lives to Christ after a SDS show. The band songs praise songs with those who come forward and prays with each fan until the venue is empty. They often keep in touch with fans via e-mail and send spiritual words of encouragement.
In speaking with their fans after shows and via e-mail, the band members hear harrowing stories of what everyday teenagers face in their shift through adolescence.
“A lot of these kids grew up in Christian homes and when something hits, they have nothing to relate to,” said guitarist Jeremy Holderfield. “In our songwriting, w try to show you can still be a Christian with all this bad stuff happening to you.”
“Rojas added, “We’re trying to impact the world by getting people to look to Christ. If you try to do it on your own, at the very best you’ll end up depressed.”
The album contains a hidden altar call by Rojas, much like the call given during the band’s live shows. The concluding call to accept Jesus is the band’s purpose in making music, and their goal to reach Millions before they are finished is what drives them each day of their lives.
“When Seventh Day Slumber is done, I want people to say we’ve made a difference in people’s lives,” said bassist Joshua Schwartz.
If their first five years as an independent band are any indication of the future, they are well on their way to doing just that.