A Christian progressive rock band, Uncut Stones isn’t always sure how they’ll be received in a secular setting. But with Tom Jackson’s inspiration, they’ve made recent impact through the “moments” they are creating.
Two years ago, Dan & Melanie Browning began working on their original music, writing songs with a band.
Although the duo had been playing in the Buffalo NY area for over 10 years, it wasn’t until 2012 that, along with drummer/keyboardist Aaron Blackmon, bass guitarist Aaron Greenwald, and guitarist Chris Deci, this band of five became a solid force.
This year Uncut Stones were semi-finalists in the 2014 Kingdom Bound festival’s talent competition, and their local TCT television station video recorded six of their songs to be aired at various times. In addition, the band’s “Faithful to Me” placed in the Top 20 of Indieheaven’s Song of the Year. It’s the title track on their upcoming album:
| Faithful to Me by Uncut Stones |
[audio:https://onstagesuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/Uncut_Stones_Faithful_To_Me.mp3] |
As a band, Uncut Stones feel led to make music that isn’t just fitting to a congregational worship setting, but expands on the idea of what worship is and can be. Their name is derived from Deuteronomy 27:6 where the Lord directed the Israelites to build him an altar of “uncut stones,” using them in the shape they were found.
The band was gripped by how that idea mirrors the Christian walk. “God doesn’t seek to perfect us before he uses us,” says Chris Deci, “but takes us in whatever shape we’re found, and incorporates us into what he is doing.”
A few weeks after learning from Tom Jackson at a Buffalo workshop, the group was asked to play a battle of the bands. Although the booking agent for the battle wasn’t aware they were a Christian band, they wanted to share their message and implement some of the ideas they’d seen during the conference workshop.
With that in mind, they set out to work on their set and create some moments, but with some objections on the part of two of their band members. Slightly outnumbered, Uncut Stones started putting Tom’s ideas to the test, with the odds stacked against him!
“We were a Christian rock band, some of us in our 40’s, battling what ended up being all punk rock bands that were not playing Christian music with no one older than their 20’s,” says Chris. “The odds of us being liked was slim, and even if Tom’s ‘moments’ worked, they probably weren’t going to work here.”
But during their performance at the battle, and with an audience made up mostly of other musicians, people were clapping and joining in with Uncut Stones. A management pro approached the group, telling them how he loved their performance, “even with the religious overtones.”
“Not bad from a guy with Satan tattoos and an ‘I Hate God’ T-Shirt!” remarks Dan.
If you are in the Buffalo area, check out Uncut Stones’ schedule and see what the fuss is about. Here is a YouTube of their recent performance at The Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo:
Tom Jackson
Tom is uniquely talented and skilled at transforming an artist's live show into a magical experience for the audience; helping artists at every level create a live show that is engaging and memorable, teaching them to exceed their audiences' expectations and to create fans for life. Tom has taught indie and major artists of every genre. He has worked with Taylor Swift, Le Crae, Home Free, The Tenors, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, & many more. Tom also teaches at colleges, conferences and events worldwide.
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