This Thursday we were at Mr. Small’s in the sleepy town of Millvale, PA (just outside of Pittsburgh) for the Pick Up The Phone tour with Blue October. It was quite a contrast from the night before when we were at the House of Blues in Boston, which is the biggest venue in the franchise. This building used to be a gathering place for religious individuals, coming together as a community to celebrate a common belief. So while the music may be less orthodox, a bit louder, and include words not often said from a pulpit, it is still a room that celebrates community.
It has been a pleasure spending time with the bands and fans on this tour, hearing their stories and watching them sing along with the passion of a favorite hymn from yesteryear. Across the county, we see that every person joining us in these rooms come here for a reason. Many of them planned this night months in advance – their very own musical holiday. They come here because they relate to the music, and thus, to one another.
For this tour, we are united behind the cause of suicide prevention. Ironically, it’s a topic rarely discussed in circles of faith. Despite the silence of some communities, there are waves of applause whenever the topic of saving lives is announced from stage. And this is something worth celebrating. While many of you may not be able to make it out to one of the tour dates, we still want to invite you into this celebration. We want to encourage you to continue to have the tough conversations, to help someone struggling.
Also, a key part of this tour is promoting IMAlive. We are still in the process of accepting volunteer applications for this new program and would be honored to have your help as we continue our journey toward the first live, online 100% trained and certified suicide prevention network.
Tickets are still available for most of the remaining dates. Find out more at putp.org. See you on the road.
With hope,
Chad