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Pete. How Do I Use This Shower?
Posted by on February 10, 2012
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Winterjam in Ohio!
Posted by on February 8, 2012
If you know anything about me, you know I love Ohio. I think I talk about it in almost every blog I write. I even have a small tattoo of Ohio on my arm. That’s how much I love it. Well, it’s a tattoo of Home, actually, but what better way to depict the larger, personal notion of Home than with a small icon of the physical place? By the way, the words in the picture above isn’t tattoo ink. It’s… (read more)
Winterjam 2012!
Posted by on January 27, 2012
Alright, so Winterjam has been underway for 4 weeks now, and I haven’t said a word. Just pathetic. I apologize. The problem is I’m having way too much fun on the tour, and I haven’t had the discipline to sit my butt down and write about it. Plus, Mark Anderson (our stage manager) and I may have snuck a tiny trip to New York City in between tour stops…I know. Shame on us :) So here’s where… (read more)
Come to the Well Tour – Madison, Chicago, Peoria
Posted by on November 7, 2011
So every night on tour, while Matt and Pete play “All of Me”, I try to hide out on stage and take a photo. Then I post it on Facebook so everyone at the show can tag themselves in it. After 20+ shows though, I realize these photos are all starting to look the same. I need to spice it up some. Got any ideas? Last week’s run started in Madison, Wisconsin. All my life, I’ve heard great things… (read more)
From Nashville, with Love
Posted by on October 18, 2011
After nearly a month of touring out west with Casting Crowns, The Afters, & Lindsay McCaul, we finally made it back home for a few days. The tour has been really great, but getting home was a welcome and needed rest. No matter how exciting travel can be, after 2-3 weeks, your brain starts to sizzle, and all you can think about is getting home. The Come to the Well tour goes into December, but from… (read more)
Sanctus Real Loves The Northwest!
Posted by on October 8, 2011
Come to the Well Tour - Photo by Jordan Owen There are a lot of places in the good ol’ US of A that we enjoy traveling to. However, I have to say that overall, the Pacific Northwest is our collective favorite. This is partially because it’s so far from home, and we don’t get to visit very often, but mostly it’s because the area is completely unique and gorgeous, and the weather is always just… (read more)
Song writing in Lake Tahoe
Posted by on October 6, 2011
A few weeks ago we ran across our friend from the road, Al Denson. He’s been involved with Christian music for a long time and is an all around swell guy. He offered places for us to stay and rest in different parts of the country if we happened to be passing through them. Well, it just so happened we were. The first place was his ranch in Texas where we rode 4-wheelers. It was a great and refreshing… (read more)
Jaws, Jurassic Park, & DJ Tanner
Posted by on October 5, 2011
Jaws I’m doing a terrible job of keeping up with tour pictures and things. Sorry friends. Today’s post happened over a week ago in Universal City, CA. We accidentally snuck onto a tram tour at Universal Studios. We didn’t know we were sneaking. We thought it was free, but some other guys from the tour tried it later and got the boot. Whoops…my bad. But, that’s part of being in a rock n roll… (read more)
What does a Chrisitan do with a day off in Las Vegas?
Posted by on September 30, 2011
These dudes think they're awesome. Touche', dudes It’s an interesting thing to be in a Christian band and play in Las Vegas. People back home raise their eyebrows at you a little bit and think things like, “Vegas, huh? Are you really a Christian?” At least that’s what I assume, but I haven’t actually asked anyone. I know I used to think things like that though, and since everyone is like… (read more)
Come To The Well Tour: El Paso, Phoenix, Corona
Posted by on September 28, 2011
I love being on the road during fall. Sanctus Real does not love flat tires on the bus. We do love playing concerts, especially when people come to them. Pete and World Vision Dan love pointing at their past roommate's names. Hi Andy and Josh. We’re 3 days into the Come To The Well tour with Casting Crowns, The Afters, and Linsday McCaul, and so far it’s really great. The atmosphere is uplifting… (read more)
About to Start a 3 Month Tour, and I’m Already Out of Socks.
Posted by on September 22, 2011
What’s the deal? I pack undergarments for 2 weeks, it’s only been 1, and yet I’ve run through all my socks. Where am I going wrong? Is it some deep-seeded need for extra clean feet or just poor arithmetic? Either way, I can’t be starting a tour as awesome as Come To The Well without socks. That’s no way to make new friends. Anyway, enough talk of socks. Here’s some photos of us riding… (read more)
Don’t Listen To Chris When He Tells You To Wear Sunglasses On Stage.
Posted by on August 31, 2011
En Fuego Festival - Verbena, Alabama. So our set time was at 6:30pm. Just in time for the sun to set directly in our eyes. Chris convinced me to wear my sunglasses. I always feel a little strange doing this. I don’t know why. Maybe I feel like I’m hiding something. Or maybe there is a better connection between band and audience when we can see each other in the eyes. Or maybe I’m just too cool… (read more)
Alexandria, Louisiana
Posted by on August 29, 2011
After our day in Alexandria, I’ve decided that we don’t make it down to Louisiana near enough. Every time we’re there, it’s awesome. They take such good care of us. Their sense of humor is as quirky and great as their cajun accent. They feed us some of the greatest food. Jambalaya, crawfish, things like that. This time it was gumbo with cajun seasoned crackers and homemade fried chicken. They… (read more)
A Great Night at the Stroh Center – Bowling Green, OH
Posted by on August 22, 2011
Last week we played just down the road from Toledo in Bowling Green, OH. It was the grand opening of BGSU’s new basketball arena. What an outstanding night! Over 400o people were in attendance. Tenth Avenue North played. We added a couple members to our band including a string quartet. I looked cool in my hat and jean jacket ;) Chris and Jeff look cool all the time Matt sang songs Mark drummed drums… (read more)
Big Sur and Those Beatnick California Hippies
Posted by on August 16, 2011
After Spirit West Coast, I ditched the band and spent three days in California with family. I didn’t have many plans for my adventure except for a couple things. I wanted to drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur and see the Bixby Canyon Bridge. Well, I wanted to look at the ocean and mountains too, but I wanted to see the bridge in particular because I’ve read books and listened to songs… (read more)
Stage Collapse at the Indiana State Fair
Posted by on August 14, 2011
Last night at the Indiana State fair, a massive gust of wind blew through the grounds and the grandstand stage collapsed. 5 have died and 45 were injured. We were scheduled to play today on a different stage, however the fair is closed for Sunday. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by the accident. Please take a moment right now and join us in prayer. You can read more here (read more)
Spirit West Coast – Leguna Seca
Posted by on August 13, 2011
I had been looking forward to last Saturday’s festival outside Monterey, CA. First off, the temperature was in the 50’s & 60s, which was a wonderful departure from the 100 degree festivals we’d been playing at. Second off, it’s held inside a curvy, hilly racetrack where only two weeks earlier, I watched on the television the only MotoGP World Championship race in the United States. What’s… (read more)
Thanks, Pete, For The New Look
Posted by on August 8, 2011
Pete was inspired and drew up a new look for me. What do you think? (read more)
Six Flags Over Texas…and a little love Story
Posted by on July 28, 2011
July 23rd. Dallas, Texas. Six Flags Amusement Park. According to the thermometer, it’s 100 degrees in the shade. It’s so hot, two kids throw up in the front row while we attempt to play. Actually, I’m not convinced it was from the heat. Maybe we’re so terrible, we make kids puke. Hmm…you can choose your own adventure here. Anywho, before we went on, I met a guy back stage. He was a happy,… (read more)
Bicycle Powered Washing Machine…
Posted by on July 26, 2011
This is random, but I kinda think it’s awesome. Who wants to build one with me? dan (read more)
Let’s Write Some Songs!
Posted by on July 22, 2011
The time has come! We’re writing for our next album. It will be our sixth, and this puts us in a new ballgame. We’ve been around for awhile. We’ve already recorded 50+ songs over the last 10 years…in a genre that only writes on one general topic. Add to that, people seem to like our last album best, so now we have a new standard to meet. In other words, we don’t to make an album we don’t… (read more)
4 Days, 4 Time Zones
Posted by on July 19, 2011
After our minds were sufficiently blown from a night of watching U2, we left Chicago to begin a four-day, cross-country run of shows. We knew it was going to be a lot of work to make it happen. Chris and Kurt did a great job of preparing for the craziness, and it went as smooth as it possibly could. Arrangements involved planes, trains, buses, and automobiles. At times the schedule was extremely tight.… (read more)
“It’s A Beautiful Day” – U2 At Soldier Field
Posted by on July 10, 2011
"The Claw" is so big! Look how small the band is I grew up a Chicago Bears fan. I know…I’m from Ohio. Why? Well, my dad is from St. Joesph Michigan, directly across the lake from Chicago, and he grew up a Bears fan. I guess I just inherited the tradition. So being a Bears fan, I always thought Soldier Field was the coolest place in the world. I’ve always hoped to one day watch a game there.… (read more)
Independence Day, Navy Pier, and the DCB
Posted by on July 9, 2011
Matt, Mark, their families, and I spent a couple days hanging in Chicago. It was a great little vacation. I arrived via Amtrak train after visiting my family in Michigan. First off, riding the train is sweet. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. It’s fun, and it only cost me $18…so much cheaper than driving. Once in the city, we stayed at a Hyatt hotel downtown, which was amazing.… (read more)
Animals Are Cool! Everyone Visit The Zoo
Posted by on July 3, 2011
I went to the Columbus zoo the other day. It was awesome. Animals are awesome. (read more)
Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA with TobyMac
Posted by on July 1, 2011
TobyMac So, we had a 14 hour hike from Martinsville, IL to Williamsburg, VA. We arrived in time to do a sound check at 4pm…the same time doors opened. As we’re on stage, chunking half-hearted chords and partial drumbeats to set our monitor and front-of-house mixes, hundreds of people are filing into the park. We felt a little awkward; like someone we want to impress just walked into our house,… (read more)
Martinsville, IL with Gungor
Posted by on June 30, 2011
Gungor We had a good time playing at Elevate in Martinsville a few nights ago. This was the first time we’ve ever crossed paths with Gungor. They were really good, and I hope to cross paths with them again. Unfortunately our set was cut short due to an oncoming storm. We only got to play 42 minutes out of the 90 we were scheduled. We definitely felt bad about it, but there wasn’t much we could… (read more)
Bugs Likes To Travel
Posted by on June 28, 2011
Hi I promised I wouldn’t talk too much about my motorcycle, and I’m trying really hard not to, but I just cleaned it up and, well, would you look at it? Would you just look that? It’s so awesome! I can’t help it. I love traveling, which is good because my job requires a lot of it. If you turned a touring musician’s work week into a pie chart, the largest slice would definitely be travel,… (read more)
Great Day at Lifelight – Bethany, MO
Posted by on June 25, 2011
Snapping a quick photo with our Travelpro luggage Lifelight in South Dakota is a great summer festival. First off, it’s free (pretty legit, right?). Second off, the people who put it on are terrific. They do all the work for one purpose; to spread the gospel and glorify God. Believe it or not, not everyone in the Christian world is purely that way. It seems God has blessed their faithfulness and… (read more)
Rainy Day At Big Ticket Festival: Ionia Michigan
Posted by on June 24, 2011
Where else am I supposed to talk on the phone when it's raining? We had a bit of a rough day yesterday at Big Ticket. It rained and rained…and then it rained and rained some more. It was the muddiest show of the year so far. We started our set at 6:15pm with an intro to “The Way The World Turns” where Pete plays piano and Matt stands in the crowd and has everyone sing along with him. Mark and… (read more)
Quotes on Suffering and Weakness
Posted by on June 23, 2011
Reading in Desiring God today, here was some good quotes… “But I have heard strong saints say, ‘Every significant advance I have ever made in grasping the depths of God’s love and growing deep with Him has come through suffering.’” “What turns sufferings into sufferings with and for Christ is not how intentional our enemies are, but how faithful we are. If we are Christ’s, then what… (read more)
Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten
Posted by on June 17, 2011
You don’t have to be a cat person (I’m not), but if this doesn’t melt your heart, you probably need prayer. Thanks to our stage tech, Mark Anderson, for showing us this. (read more)
A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Epilogue
Posted by on May 28, 2011
This was an incredible week of conversation! When Sammy approached me with this idea, I had no clue what to expect. I’m so encouraged by how respectful and open everyone was. I felt it was a great reflection of how we should treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. At the beginning of the week, I showed Emmitt Fowler, a friend at FamilyLife Ministries, what was happening with this blog… (read more)
A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Part 5
Posted by on May 27, 2011
This is email 5 of 6 between Sammy and I in a discussion about love, marriage, and divorce within the church. We posted this dialogue on his blog about a month ago. I was so encouraged by the entire experience…the comments we received and general nature of the conversation…that I wanted to re-post it here in case anyone missed it. Thank you for reading. ————- Hi again, So these last few… (read more)
A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Part 4
Posted by on May 26, 2011
This is email 4 of 6 between Sammy and I ———————- Hola Sammy! Alright. First things first…I grew up in the church. I’ve known the “Book of Hezekiah” trick longer than you’ve been an American. You think you can bring weak game like that into my house? (Does anyone still say “weak game” and “my house”? How old am I? Where’s my ointment?) Book of Hezekiah? Come on now…… (read more)
A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Part 3
Posted by on May 25, 2011
Thank you to everyone who has responded and shared their stories on both this blog and Sammy’s. It really means a lot. This is Sammy’s response to my email…the third email in a series of six. —————————- Hey G-Dan, Sorry for the late response. I was in Mexico last week spreading the love of Jesus, eating tacos 3X a day and having random people pet my dreads. For reals. Would… (read more)
Lead Me, The Redeemer, And A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Part 2
Posted by on May 24, 2011
This is part 2 of an email conversation between Sammy Adebiyi and I where we discuss love, marriage, and divorce within the Christian community. Check it out… ————————— Hey Sammy, I’m almost over my Grammy hangover. Hang on… Aaaaaaannnnd… Cool. I’m good now. I was out partying with CeeLo’s Muppet band, drank too much Kool-Aid, ate too many cupcakes, and fell asleep in… (read more)
Lead Me, The Redeemer, And A Discussion on Marriage & Divorce – Part 1
Posted by on May 23, 2011
So a couple months ago, I had a conversation via email with a good friend, Sammy Adebiyi. He’s the college pastor at Vineyard church in Toledo. In the emails, we discussed love, marriage, and divorce within the Christian community. We posted everything on his blog, which sparked a lot of great and respectful dialogue. It was such a great experience, I wanted to re-post the conversation here and… (read more)
May I See Your Spiritual Menu, Please?
Posted by on May 21, 2011
Leave it to Hotwire.com. A couple weeks ago, we stayed at a strange little hotel by an otherwise normal airport. This menu was sitting on the nightstand in the room next to a similar menu for pillows (You know…Firm, Soft, Side-Sleeper, Throw, Orthopedic, Body…standard pillow menu items). Initially I was caught off guard. I felt my shoulder muscles tense with indignation. “How dare they print… (read more)
The End Times…
Posted by on May 20, 2011
We’ve been hearing rumors that the world is ending tomorrow, but I haven’t really paid them much attention until I saw this… Now I’m a little worried… ;) (read more)
Goodbye Nighthawk
Posted by on May 19, 2011
I sold my motorcycle. Farewell, good friend. I bought a new one though. It’s a Triumph Street Triple. Hello new friend. You can call him Bug Eyes. Or Bugs, if you like. He might be a distant cousin of Wall-E or Johnny 5 from the movie, Short Circuit… My blog isn’t really supposed to be about motorcycles, but I’m PUMPED for this new little guy and had to share the news. I love riding. It’s… (read more)
Dove Awards in Atlanta – Violent Torpedoes of Truth
Posted by on April 23, 2011
Haha. I put “Violent Torpedoes of Truth” because Charlie Sheen’s tour was coming to the Fox Theatre the following day, which I thought was funny. Anyway, here’s a bad picture of us in front of the bus before the Dove Awards… #Winning? You might notice that Mark isn’t with us, and that’s because the Graalmans are about to have their third child. We all agreed he should stay home with… (read more)
READ “DESIRING GOD” ALONG WITH SANCTUS REAL
Posted by on April 6, 2011
Via Matt on Twitter… Can’t wait to hand these out to @Sanctus_real. Anyone out there want to join us? We’re going to attempt to read Desiring God as a band, and we’d love for you to join us. Actually, we’ll be following the online read-along with John Piper and Bethlehem College & Seminary at www.desiringgod.org. Here’s more information from Desiring God: “Beginning Thursday, March 31,… (read more)
GOOD TIMES, FEBRUARY, part 2 – GRAMMY AWARDS
Posted by on March 1, 2011
Sanctus Real at the Grammys. Sad Matt couldn't be with us. He opted to stay home with his family We were extremely surprised and humbled to be nominated for a Grammy award this year. It’s still surreal to me that our little corner of the musical world would ever collide with something as prestigious as the Grammys. It was an exciting day. We wore suits. We walked on the red carpet. Mark met Questlove… (read more)
WOULD THE REAL DON GARTHY PLEASE STAND UP? LAMINATE FAIL
Posted by on February 27, 2011
Do I really look like a Don Garthy? I just came across this old stage pass from Ichthus Festival in Kentucky. Even though it’s 6 years old, I still get called Don Garthy as a joke from time to time. Mostly by Jon Schnek of Relient K. Seriously. Do I look like a Don Garthy to you?   Classic good times! (read more)
GOOD TIMES, FEBRUARY, part 1 – KLOVE CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS
Posted by on February 26, 2011
I have to be honest. I’ve had a lot of fun being in Sanctus Real this month.  That’s not to say every month doesn’t have great highlights, but this February has been especially…ummm…highlightful? First off, it’s cold in Ohio.It’s to the point where I’m taking each blizzard and ice storm as a personal offense. 2 inch blanket of ice covering my car after ice storm I mean, seriously.… (read more)
“To Dig For Gold Rather Than Rake For Leaves”
Posted by on January 1, 2011
Happy New Year! It’s been a little while since I’ve written a post, and I apologize. When the band has time off, it’s hard to find things to write about. I don’t do anything cool when I’m at home. And if I do do something cool, I can never write about it very well. I try, but it doesn’t sound nearly as interesting as when I was doing it. I guess some things are better cherished when they… (read more)
HUNGRY FOR LOVE TOUR – GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
Posted by on November 23, 2010
Well…we knew this day was coming. It’s just sad that it’s already here. The Hungry For Love Tour with Leeland, The Afters, and pastor/author/all around swell guy, Palmer Chinchen has officially ended. We really had a great experience with everyone involved and made some long lasting friendships. More importantly and longer lasting though is the number of children who were sponsored through Food… (read more)
HUNGRY FOR LOVE TOUR – MAINE, NEW YORK, WEST VIRGINIA
Posted by on November 8, 2010
First off, thanks to Jeff Harris for coming out and taking some photos this weekend! Check out the gallery below. Then check out his website. What a great week of the Hungry for Love Tour! We started way up in Lewiston, Maine, and if you’d like to know, Sanctus Real likes it up there. People are always friendly and the shows are always great. This time around, they treated the entire tour with fresh… (read more)
A TALE OF TWO COUPLES – “LEAD ME” AT A GLANCE
Posted by on November 6, 2010
Every night on this tour Matt shares the story of writing, “Lead Me” (If you haven’t heard his story, you can watch a video on our website here). Before we begin playing, Matt speaks the lines of the bridge. It’s a prayer from a husband/father to God: So Father, give me the strength To be everything I’m called to be Oh, Father, show me the way To lead them Won’t You lead me? When the bridge… (read more)
CHICAGO, IL – HUNGRY FOR LOVE TOUR WITH LEELAND & THE AFTERS
Posted by on October 15, 2010
Today I’m typing from a parking lot in Hoffman Estates, IL, a suburb of Chicago. We’re on the road with Leeland and The Afters, and I think I can speak for the entire band when I say we couldn’t ask for a better group of friends to be out with. This morning several of us made plans to take a train into the city. In my heart of hearts, I envisioned spending the day wandering around Michigan Avenue… (read more)
Cake and The Wife of Noble Character
Posted by on September 26, 2010
I was watching television the other day and was very excited to hear an old song by the band, Cake, during a commercial break. The commercial was for the new iPod Nano. Now as we all know, iPod commercials run on every station 1,000 times a day for months on end, and since I love Cake, I’m very happy for them…enjoy the residual income, guys! They have a bunch of great songs, all of which sound… (read more)
BLOODBUZZ OHIO
Posted by on September 20, 2010
Does anyone have a tattoo? I always thought they were cool. After all, I grew up on a healthy diet of rock n roll…I was required to like them, right? I never fell in love though like some of my real rocker friends. It was in their blood. Before they could drive a car they had elaborate tattoos plotted out. They knew exactly where they were going to put them, and as soon as they were 18 and had the… (read more)
Pray For Bowen
Posted by on September 14, 2010
I sat down to write some kind of blog today, but anything I thought to put down just seemed unimportant.  Matt and Sarah’s new baby boy, Bowen had his first open-heart surgery on Monday, and it seemed to go well. However today his heart crashed and they had to open him up to perform more surgery. Currently he’s stable and doing really well on life support, but he still has a very long road ahead.… (read more)
APPALACHIAN MOTORBIKE ADVENTURE 2010
Posted by on September 3, 2010
Eric and I made it home from the motorcycle trip.  Without a doubt, it was everything we hoped for…4 full days of motorcycle riding under a blue sky, canopied in trees and mountains, with hardly a straight road for miles. Day One: Nashville, TN – Asheville, NC. Riding St. Rt. 129 aka Tail of the Dragon – 318 curves in 11 miles. This road is insane! Eric is a veteran rider and I’d barely call… (read more)
Adventure Is Out There
Posted by on August 30, 2010
It’s been awhile since my last entry. I apologize. The Rohmans and the Prevosts both had baby girls a couple weeks ago, and the Hammitts are about to have their son in the next couple weeks. This equals a big chunk of time off for Sanctus Real, and I haven’t had much to write about. I’ve just been fixing my new used Volvo, reading new used books, and taking a stab at writing one myself. Turns… (read more)
This Week’s Adventures in Chicago, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, Denver, Dallas, & Home
Posted by on August 3, 2010
I sold my car, so it's been a Motorcycle Summer. We had an adventurous little week. It started on the way to Ignite festival in Chicago. 15 minutes from the venue, right past the downtown skyline, the freeway flooded. The interstate was a river. We could see trash floating where cars should be driving. It took us 90 minutes to snake our way through neighborhoods and shopping centers to get to the… (read more)
Bowen’s Heart
Posted by on August 2, 2010
Matt and his wife, Sarah, have been keeping a blog (bowensheart.com) as a way to update everyone with news of their unborn son. He has a heart complication known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).  Matt recently posted a story about finding heart-shaped rocks. It’s encouraging. Click the link below to read the story and to find out more about the Hammitt’s son, Bowen. http://www.bowensheart.com/… (read more)
Mt Rushmore
Posted by on July 19, 2010
Photo Taken by Mark Anderson Here’s a photo of us at Mt Rushmore.  It was my first time going.  It was pretty rad. And here’s a couple more that I took (except for the one I’m in, a family we met took it)… Click to view slideshow. (read more)
Full Moon Fever’s Long, Lost Twin & Twin Cities’ Minnesota Twins
Posted by on July 17, 2010
We had a day off at Minneapolis yesterday and right in line with all days off in Minneapolis, it was full of adventure and dream-chasing.  Now its typical for me to wake up and be confused, but this day I woke up especially confused as I looked out the window to see an identical bus parked next to ours, (named Full Moon Fever).  Turns out the band, Bread of Stone, owns the exact same one.  They… (read more)
LEAD ME – THE MUSIC VIDEO
Posted by on July 9, 2010
We finished filming the music video for “Lead Me” a couple days ago with director, Nathan Corrona.  He was the mastermind behind the video for “Forgiven,” and we had such a great experience with him then, we were thrilled to work with him again. This time around proved to be no different than the last.  Nathan had a great vision for the storyline and found the perfect locations to color… (read more)
IJM & The Underground Railroad Bicycle Tour
Posted by on June 29, 2010
“15 ordinary people with one extraordinary goal: This team will cycle all 1800 miles of the Underground Railroad to raise awareness of slavery and other violent injustice – and rally supporters to raise their voices on behalf of victims around the world.” - 5 Weeks For Freedom Bike Tour Find out more HERE “International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims… (read more)
“TOUCHDOWN JESUS” WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTENING
Posted by on June 21, 2010
Touchdown Jesus was stuck by lightening a few days ago. It caught fire and burnt down. If you’re unfamiliar with the “King of Kings” statue that faces I-75 in Monroe, OH.  It had quite a reputation…and a few comedic nicknames, the most popular being “Touchdown Jesus” because of the way his arms were up as though someone scored a touchdown.  A Google image search will bring up a half… (read more)
MUSIC VIDEO FOR “LEAD ME” ON THE WAY
Posted by on June 16, 2010
Good news…we just found out that we’re going to film a music video for our second single, “Lead Me.”  We’ll be working with Nathan Corrona again.  He is the same director that filmed our video for “Forgiven,” so we’re looking forward to another great experience.  We don’t have a date set to shoot, but it should be sometime in the next month.  Anyway, just wanted to spread the… (read more)
SOME DAYS YOU’RE THE DOG. YESTERDAY I WAS NOT
Posted by on June 12, 2010
Here’s a photo of Pete draining the waste-water tank.  We had 12 people on the bus, so there was a lot of “water.”  It smelled like…asparagus. Speaking of asparagus, we’ve been enjoying a healthy amount of time off lately.  I say healthy because leading up to it, we were on the road since March and were in dire need of a break.  I’ve since been filling my time with many boring, non-blog… (read more)
TOMS SHOES…GET YOU SOME WITH PROMOCODE “SANCTUSREAL”
Posted by on May 30, 2010
First off, how cool is it that TOMS put my photo up on their TOMS Blog & News section?  Really cool. That’s right.  And I’d like mention that I look pretty good in it too.  ;)  My friend, Eric Newcomer, took the picture at Energy Lake in Kentucky when we were on a motorbike camping trip. Thanks Eric! Second off, starting now through July 15th, you can support Sanctus Real by typing in the… (read more)
TOMS SHOES…GET YOU SOME
Posted by on May 30, 2010
How cool is it that TOMS put my photo up on their TOMS Blog & News section?  Really cool. That’s right.  And I’d like mention that I look pretty good in it too.  ;)  My friend, Eric Newcomer, took the picture at Energy Lake in Kentucky when we were on a motorbike camping trip. Thanks Eric! In case you’re unfamiliar with how TOMS works, for every pair of shoes purchased, they give a pair… (read more)
UNITED TOUR ALL STARS
Posted by on May 29, 2010
We spent most of May on the road with David Nassar, Jonny Diaz, and Mikeschair for Holt International’s United Tour.  Good times have been had by all, but just as good times always do, they’ve come to an end.  Today was our last day together. We just finished up our day in Valparaiso Indiana, and in my few, small experiences with the town, I like it a lot.  This is probably because Valparaiso… (read more)
UNITED TOUR ALL STARS
Posted by on May 29, 2010
We spent most of May on the road with David Nassar, Jonny Diaz, and Mikeschair for Holt International’s United Tour.  Good times have been had by all, but just as good times always do, they’ve come to an end.  Today was our last day together. We just finished up our day in Valparaiso Indiana, and in my few, small experiences with the town, I like it a lot.  This is probably because Valparaiso… (read more)
DAN GARTLEY ON “DEAR HEART” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on May 15, 2010
LISTEN TO “’DEAR HEART” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE “Dear Heart, do you belong to me, or do I belong to you? Look at all the trouble, you’ve dragged me into.” This is a light-hearted (no pun intended) song about the effects of “following your heart.” Sometimes our hearts can motivate and strengthen us to pursue and achieve incredible things.  Other… (read more)
DAN GARTLEY ON “DEAR HEART” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on May 15, 2010
LISTEN TO “’DEAR HEART” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE “Dear Heart, do you belong to me, or do I belong to you? Look at all the trouble, you’ve dragged me into.” This is a light-hearted (no pun intended) song about the effects of “following your heart.” Sometimes our hearts can motivate and strengthen us to pursue and achieve incredible things.  Other… (read more)
The Heartbreakers & Tom Petty – A band that inspires us as musicians
Posted by on May 13, 2010
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have a new album coming out in June called Mojo.  It’s going to be awesome.  They just posted this song as a preview. It’s also awesome. PS. I think I need to get some aviator sunglasses… (read more)
The Heartbreakers & Tom Petty – A band that inspires us as musicians
Posted by on May 13, 2010
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have a new album coming out in June called Mojo.  It’s going to be awesome.  They just posted this song as a preview. It’s also awesome. PS. I think I need to get some aviator sunglasses… (read more)
DAN GARTLEY ON “TIL I GOT TO KNOW YOU” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on April 27, 2010
LISTEN TO “’TIL I GOT TO KNOW YOU” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE Ever since that fateful day when Adam and Eve realized they were naked and hid from God in the Garden of Eden, we’ve had this innate sense that it’s better to hide our imperfections than to let them be seen.  Do we think we’re valued only when our best foot is forward?  Is it that we believe… (read more)
DAN GARTLEY ON “TIL I GOT TO KNOW YOU” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on April 27, 2010
LISTEN TO “’TIL I GOT TO KNOW YOU” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE Ever since that fateful day when Adam and Eve realized they were naked and hid from God in the Garden of Eden, we’ve had this innate sense that it’s better to hide our imperfections than to let them be seen.  Do we think we’re valued only when our best foot is forward?  Is it that we believe… (read more)
On Answering Interview Questions
Posted by on April 22, 2010
In the post, The Other End Of The Rainbow – Our trip to Oz, from April 9th, I mentioned how in Australia, many of the interview questions we heard were asked very differently than they are here in the states.  First off, I didn’t mean to sound like we Americans ask bad questions (we ask good ones too), but there is a noticeable difference in style…and the way a question is asked can invoke… (read more)
On Answering Interview Questions
Posted by on April 22, 2010
In the post, The Other End Of The Rainbow – Our trip to Oz, from April 9th, I mentioned how in Australia, many of the interview questions we heard were asked very differently than they are here in the states.  First off, I didn’t mean to sound like we Americans ask bad questions (we ask good ones too), but there is a noticeable difference in style…and the way a question is asked can invoke… (read more)
THE THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS HOPED TO NEVER DO AND THEN DID
Posted by on April 19, 2010
This post’s title could sound like an adaptation of Paul’s words in Romans: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…(7:15 NIV) What Paul is saying is meaningful and important.  What I’m saying is boneheaded and mostly useless. If you were hoping for a good spiritual anecdote today, sorry. I cut my thumb a couple weeks back.  I was chopping an… (read more)
THE THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS HOPED TO NEVER DO AND THEN DID
Posted by on April 19, 2010
This post’s title could sound like an adaptation of Paul’s words in Romans: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…(7:15 NIV) What Paul is saying is meaningful and important.  What I’m saying is boneheaded and mostly useless. If you were hoping for a good spiritual anecdote today, sorry. I cut my thumb a couple weeks back.  I was chopping an… (read more)
JASON GRAY ON “I WANT TO GET LOST” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on April 17, 2010
Jason Gray is one of our best friends on the road. His thoughts and songs are deeply profound. It was such a privilege to tour with Jason, and we’re very fortunate to have him co-write a song with us. And write a blog… FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JASON GRAY HERE VISIT HIS FACEBOOK PAGE HERE LISTEN TO “I WANT TO GET LOST” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE ———- I… (read more)
JASON GRAY ON “I WANT TO GET LOST” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on April 17, 2010
Jason Gray is one of our best friends on the road. His thoughts and songs are deeply profound. It was such a privilege to tour with Jason, and we’re very fortunate to have him co-write a song with us. And write a blog… FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JASON GRAY HERE VISIT HIS FACEBOOK PAGE HERE LISTEN TO “I WANT TO GET LOST” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE ———- I… (read more)
STANDING CAT
Posted by on April 11, 2010
Here’s 47 seconds of worthwhile entertainment ;) (read more)
STANDING CAT
Posted by on April 11, 2010
Here’s 47 seconds of worthwhile entertainment ;) (read more)
THE OTHER END OF THE RAINBOW – OUR TRIP TO OZ
Posted by on April 8, 2010
We just got back from our first ever trip to Australia.  We played at a festival called Easterfest in the town of Toowoomba, Queensland.  It took 20 hours of flying to get there and 20 hours back (I watched 8 movies and read 2 books), yet the trip as a whole was entirely too quick.  We were only there for a day and a half. Australia is super cool.  It’s cool in a lot of ways.  Obviously they… (read more)
THE OTHER END OF THE RAINBOW – OUR TRIP TO OZ
Posted by on April 8, 2010
We just got back from our first ever trip to Australia.  We played at a festival called Easterfest in the town of Toowoomba, Queensland.  It took 20 hours of flying to get there and 20 hours back (I watched 8 movies and read 2 books), yet the trip as a whole was entirely too quick.  We were only there for a day and a half. Australia is super cool.  It’s cool in a lot of ways.  Obviously they… (read more)
MARK GRAALMAN ON “THE REDEEMER” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS PART 5
Posted by on April 5, 2010
Here’s Mark “da drumma” on song #5 – “The Redeemer.” You may be wondering what happened to song #4 – “Lead Me.”  Matt’s supposed to write that one, but I’m not sure if we’ll ever get it out of him.  He’s a busy guy.  I know he’ll do it though if enough people pester him on twitter. Pester here :) @matthammitt LISTEN TO “THE REDEEMER” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL… (read more)
SPRING TOUR – SPRINGFIELD, IL / KANSAS CITY, KS / CHICAGO, IL
Posted by on March 29, 2010
This weekend was a great run of shows. Each day had good little nuggets of some kind. And when I say, “good,” I mostly mean, “interesting” or “at least makes for a story.” I’ll take the nuggets though…both good and bad. They’re enriching to life. We kicked things off at the Assemblies of God Headquarters in Springfield, Illinois by playing songs for their chapel service. It was 8am.… (read more)
HOLY GHOST HOKEY POKEY
Posted by on March 28, 2010
What do you think and feel about this? Matt posted this video on his Twitter page yesterday and asked the same questions. He got a lot of response, and I thought it was pretty interesting, so I posted it here. I admit, it definitely evokes a variety of strong feelings in me…similar to how I might feel if I were watching home movies from a family reunion I wasn’t at where relatives I never met… (read more)
CHRIS ROHMAN ON “THE WAY THE WORLD TURNS” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on March 27, 2010
Here’s #3 by Chris.  It’s a good one! LISTEN TO “THE WAY THE WORLD TURNS” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART – DELUXE VERSION – HERE ————– Sometimes I wonder what people who listen to our records would think if they could hear our demos. Basically, a demo is a song idea in its most raw form. Usually it’s just us in a bad sounding room playing into a couple microphones and… (read more)
PETE PREVOST ON “THESE THINGS TAKE TIME” – SONG BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on March 23, 2010
Here’s the second installment in our “Song Blogs by Band Members” series, written by our wonderfully bearded guitar player, Pete Prevost. LISTEN TO “THESE THINGS TAKE TIME” HERE PURCHASE PIECES OF A REAL HEART - DELUXE VERSION – HERE ————– During the writing process for Pieces of a Real Heart, Matt and Chris came down to work on one of the songs in Nashville.  After their writing… (read more)
MATT HAMMITT ON “FORGIVEN” – SONGS BLOGS BY BAND MEMBERS
Posted by on March 18, 2010
So I’ve convinced the guys in the band to write blogs about every song on Pieces of a Real Heart.  Each of us will write about two different songs with one very special guest blog in the middle.  With each post, we’ll include a link to listen to the song on our myspace page.  With any luck, we’ll post them every 2-3 days.  Anyway, without further ado, here’s our singer, Matt Hammitt, writing… (read more)
Dan vs Bikeman
Posted by on March 15, 2010
The last few days have gone by peacefully.  We left Bakersfield and made our way up to the Pacific Northwest.  Spent the evening in Portland, walking around downtown and eating Mac n’ Cheese.  In a vast improvement, we were only heckled one time during the visit; by a guy riding away on a bike.  It was a weak heckle too. “Safety in Numbers!” He shouted at the 8 of us. “Safety on wheels,… (read more)
I Roast Coffee!
Posted by on March 11, 2010
I’ve been catching flack from the other guys in the band about not promoting my coffee roasting enough.  They’ve been trying to help me out in radio interviews, on twitter…all over the place.  So here is an attempt to get them off my case. Ready? Here it goes… I roast coffee.  You should try some. How was that?  Should I elaborate a little bit? It’s true. I’m a coffee geek.  I worked… (read more)
The Native Son
Posted by on March 8, 2010
March 6th was spent in the great city of Bakersfield.  Well, technically people call it “the armpit of California,” but I think it smelled just fine.  If we’re talking about stinky towns in California, lets talk about Modesto and the dairy farms. Bakersfield is a different animal than the rest of the state.  It’s not beachy.  It’s not wine country.  It’s not woodsy or mountainy. … (read more)
If I had 30 dollars for every time I could take a photo like this one, I’d pay for the ticket
Posted by on March 4, 2010
A few months ago Sanctus Real made a milestone purchase; we bought our very first bus; a 99 Prevost. It’s a dark shade of bluish-green or greenish-blue and we named it “Full Moon Fever” because we love Tom Petty and want him to be proud of us. We learned later on that it was once owned by a popular Canadian band with a song about what they’d do if they had a million dollars. They also “made… (read more)
Forgiven Music Video Shoot – Commerce & Maysville, GA
Posted by on February 22, 2010
It was either a fairly early morning or an especially early morning for Sanctus Real at 5am the other day…depending on whom you talk to.  I say “fairly” early because 3 (soon to be 4) of us are dads and I think that makes early mornings a common affair.  I say “especially” early though because we’re musicians in a rock band. Any story at 5am is supposed to be about the end of a long… (read more)
PRE-ORDER YOUR AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF PIECES OF A REAL HEART TODAY
Posted by on February 16, 2010
Pre-Order Pieces of a Real Heart today and receive an autographed copy at your door on March 9th!  Click here to get it.  Hurry before we run out!  http://bit.ly/cCF7qE (read more)
I guess it’s still Jocks vs Bands Nerds
Posted by on February 1, 2010
10 years out of high school and they’re still segregating sports and music.  The music kids in one corner, the basketball kids in the rest of the gym.  Where is Connersvine when you need them? Oh ya, going to the Superbowl again.  Go Colts For the record, even though I’m band nerd to the core (my senior year of high school band, I was elected marching band president…snort, push up glasses,… (read more)
Upstage is the New Backseat
Posted by on January 28, 2010
This is our stage plot. Whenever we book a concert, the sound company gets a copy of this in advance so they can prepare the stage.  Stage direction is confusing by the way.  I always assumed upstage meant front and center.  It sounds show-offy.  However now that it’s occupational jargon, so to speak, I’ve learned it’s the opposite.  It’s the back of the stage.  When you upstage someone,… (read more)
The Introduction: Define The Bass Player
Posted by on January 27, 2010
It’s 2010 now…time to get serious and start a new blog. I kept one for a while called, Awesome Bloggsom…extra awesome. It’s been a faithful friend and we’ve had some laughs, but I think it’s officially gone the way of the buffalo. Even the title is a 4-year-old reference to The Office (Season 2, Episode 7 if you want to check me). Time to move on. So what should be included on this new… (read more)
A Letter About My Divorce
Posted by on January 27, 2010
Hello, To any friend, fan, or fellow believer in Christ who has found a connection with the music and message of Sanctus Real, I wanted to write a letter concerning the last several months of my life. I joined the band in 2005, the same weekend that recording for The Face of Love began.  At the time I barely knew them.  I quickly learned that the three original members, having already been together… (read more)