my final d:show?

This past weekend delirious? passed through the fort for a show at our outdoor amphitheater. I took it in (it had been a while) and have to say that no one comes close to bringing the power-packed-pop-worship as delirious does (sorry crowds & toms). They have a way of being incredible performers yet still remaining genuine. I had to take in the show b/c they are retiring at the end of this tour, marking the end of an era, so here is my delirious timeline...

1. 1996 - I go away to college and start trekking up to fort wayne to go to the Vineyard where Dave Chumchal plays some early delirious at twice the recorded speed
   
2. Summer 1997 Gary Gentry pulls up in a minivan at Kensington listening to Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble, I recognize the song (played much slower) and take Gary's Cutting Edge tape
3. 1997-98 I devour the Cutting Edge tapes, blown away by songs like Obsession, Lord You Have my Heart, I've Searched For Gold
4. Fall 1998 I grab a copy of King of Fools and head to Israel for the semester. Countless times I escape away to the Western Wall area or nearby parks and listen to Friend Forever over and over.
5. Fall 1999 - I meet Jeff Searles who is friends with the band, we go up to Ann Arbor for my first D:show. Incredible packed show at the Michigan theater. The band obviously made a stop at Urban Outfitters before the show.
6. Spring 1999 - Praise Rally - East Lansing - Wes and "the band" come up to East Lansing rockin mostly d:songs in a small classroom where we aspire to end racism, break dividing walls, bring revival and Coach McCartney all in one night (I loved those nights - so raw and passionate, Bradley doing the unthinkable and soloing for two hours straight, Rueben's classic quote "we'll go back eat a few slices of pizza, let everyone hangout with the band then hit the road..")
   
7. Spring 2000 - Adam Witmer and I completely rip off the "There is a Light that Shines in the Darkness" song from Live and in the Can during a chapel service at Taylor (mostly to blank stares in the audience), a guy from my floor comments later, "hey Gaines nice Delirious show this morning"
8. Summer 2000 - Andy Booth and I completely rip off "There is a Light that Shines in the Darkness" at Soultrip (Andy inspired by the moment holds up a candle in front of the stage but the candle keeps blowing out...we scrap the idea)
   
9. Summer 2000 - (Summer of Love??) Steve, Rueben and I go to Cornerstone for one night to see Delirious in what turned out to be the most random night ever. We arrive on the scene where Jeff and Steph were enjoying their wedding "gift" from Eddie (camping in mud for a week) We hook up in Illinois, Jeff see's Stu-G (guitarist) walking towards him and with nothing else to say blurts out "What up Stu-G" and offers him a high-five (Stu G is struck with a spontaneous moment of culture shock and cautiously proceeds with the high five). the show is hot, sweaty, and wonderful we dance in the mud then try to head home. First we get pulled over for speeding, then Reuben decides he doesn't need socks, shoes, or a shirt (its very hot), somewhere around 2AM Wes notices the car has been running on fumes, so we pull off the highway and coast into this dinky town near the Illinois-Indiana border where the only gas station in town doesn't open till 8AM. Rueben keeps his socks, shoes, and shirt off and crashes in the back, Wes and Steve experience the longest 6 hours of their lives.
10. Fall 2001 - I'm flying everywhere whenever I want, so I go to London for the weekend and see them play at Shepherd's Bush
11. Spring 2001 - Go to see them in Grand Rapids meet Jeff and Steve there - the best part of the show is when the guitar starts playing "King of Fools" but no Stu G in sight...oh wait he's in the back of the auditorium wearing a jesters hat and singing the song. Classic. (a Delirious show is made 100 times better when Jeff is going nuts up and down the aisles)
    
12. Summer 2001 - Delirious comes to Fort Wayne, Martin brings the Faux-hawk to the midwest..."Yeah his hair was really weird looking..." Months later everyone in church is sporting faux-hawks (Youth Pastors are just catching on to that one)
13. Summer 2008 - Final show - i still love this band and enjoyed the show next to my friend Andy Booth. They end the show with a great new song "My Soul Sings" (download free here- all the robots from previous albums come out at the end of this one)
    

Thank you, Delirious. Wes