STRICTLY OBSERVING: Band back home

By ZACH COOLEY
Since 2003, Christian rock band DecembeRadio has been the pride of Southwest Virginia.  I had heard the buzz about them since the Christiansburg-based band’s formation, but had never heard their music.  On Sept. 12, I was finally able to see them perform live as the headliner for the Autumn Fest at the New River Valley Fairgrounds in Dublin.
I must confess that, although I had heard a lot of talk about DecembeRadio throughout this region, it wasn’t until recently that I learned just how big this group actually was.  After signing with Slanted Records in December 2005, their self-titled debut commercial album received a Grammy nomination “Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album.”  Two independent releases from January 2005 preceded this title as well.
Promoting their sophomore album with Slanted titled Satisfied, DecembeRadio made a special stop on their tour in Dublin.  “It’s good to be home,” lead singer and bassist Josh Reedy proclaimed a number of times during the performance.  Reedy and lead guitarist graduated together from Auburn High School in Riner.  It was at this point in time the pair decided to pursue a musical career after performing together at school talent shows.  Rhythm guitarist Eric Miker joined the group after meeting Reedy and Bunn at a youth event in West Virginia.  Miker took up guitar at the age of sixteen after learning only a few chords from his father.  After two years at West Virginia University, he felt his calling into Christian ministry and joined the band as a result.  Drummer Brian Daughdrill, a Mississippi native, joined in late 2005 and was crucial in getting DecembeRadio signed with a commercial label having arranged their showcase performances in front of record company executives.
DecembeRadio received its big break after evangelist Billy Wayne Arrington invited them to join his touring band after they opened for him in Dublin.  It seemed more than fitting that the band be reunited there with the man who helped them start it all.  Arrington served as emcee for the event and spoke of his own Christian journey during the DecembeRadio set, discussing his tumultuous rise from a childhood filled with bullying and the abuse of an alcoholic father to a nationally renowned messenger for the word of God.  As for DecembeRadio, whom he has known since they were seniors in high school, Arrington had nothing but kind words.  “I can say one thing for sure,” Arrington stated. “These boys love Jesus.”
Their love for Jesus certainly shone through each song they performed.  From their rock and roll version of “Amazing Grace” to such original compositions as “Dangerous,” “Love Found Me,” and “What I Got,” the band kept fans exhilarated while delivering a powerful Christian message with their lyrics.  From their latest album, Satisfied, the group performed such numbers as “Love Can,” “Satisfy Me,” “Powerful Thing” and “Gasoline,” all of which were equally as riveting.  However, in my opinion, the most impressive aspects of their performance was their ability to put Christian spins on such secular rock classics as Kansas’s “Carry On My Wayward Son” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”
After seeing this performance, I now see why everyone has been talking about DecembeRadio.  They deserve our continual praise and have certainly made Southwest Virginia.  I hope and pray for their continued success.
The opening act, COR13, did a great job as well.  The Wytheville band also served as the opener for Seven Glory, who headlined the “Spirit in the Park” event for the youth groups of at Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park on Sept. 20, sponsored by the Wytheville Presbyterian Church.
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville. Contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).