Praise in Palo Duro Canyon

The Afters perform first in Christian Concert Series
By Rachel Nelson

For Edge Monthly

The Afters kicked off the Christian Concert Series at the Pioneer Amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon June 27. The concert opened with prayer led by Will Ratliff, followed by performances from Andy Chase and Texas Express.

Shane Chadwick is a worship director for God of Wonders Fellowship, located at 4100 Republic in Amarillo. He and his family attended the premiere of the Christian Concert Series.

“I’m down with Christian music. There’s not enough of it,” Chadwick said.

Andy Chase, with the help of an electronic harmonizer, opened his gig acoustic-style with a gospel comedy song about Moses and the Israelites spending 40 years in the wilderness. Before singing a song titled “Draw me nearer,” Chase told the audience, “If you’ll sing with me, I’d be honored.”

Following a brief intermission, the Afters were greeted with a Texas-size welcome from the crowd. They performed hits such as “Beautiful Love,” “You” and “Love Will Make You Beautiful.” Singer and guitarist Josh Havens had a message for the fans. He encouraged the audience not to waste life on things that aren’t important. He quoted his father, who lost his two-year-long battle with cancer last year.

“Live every single day of your life with meaning and purpose because you never know how long you have,” he said.

Just one day before their Panhandle performance, the Afters appeared on MTV’s ‘Advance Warning,’ a show that features bands on the verge of getting big.

Amanda Harwerth, a box office employee at the Pioneer Amphitheater, said she had never heard of the Afters until she saw their MTV interview.

“I think they have a lot of potential as a Christian group, honestly, because if they were on MTV, they have to be something special. Not everyone gets on MTV,” Harwerth said.

Jesse Janis, a roadie for the Afters, performs tasks such as moving heavy equipment and selling t-shirts, stickers and Cds. Janis met the group in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area where he said the entire band now resides.

“I started going to Afters shows at 16 and lost count after about 45,” Janis said.

According to Janis, after leaving the Panhandle, the Afters headed to the Seattle area to play five gigs in three days.

Immediately following the show, the Texas quartet met with fans to sign autographs and chat. The Afters seemed to enjoy playing the concert as much as spectators enjoyed watching it.

“The people [here] are phenomenal. They’re some of the nicest people in the country, and definitely in Texas. I also enjoy the cool nights,” Havens said.

Brad Wigg on bass and vocals was astonished by the wildlife the Canyon has to offer.
“I’ve never seen such big spiders,” he said.

During their performance, Wigg noticed a spider crawling on the stage, and decided to name him “Stevie.” This is only on example of the band’s charisma.

Drummer Marc Dodd’s fun began before the concert started.

“I had fun. I felt like we were playing G.I. Joe. We went hiking earlier,” he said.

Guitarist/vocalist Matt Fuqua, the only native Texan in the band, enjoyed the scenery.
“I haven’t spent much time in Amarillo, but the Canyon’s beautiful,” he said.

The Afters’ latest album, “I Wish We All Could Win,” hit shelves in February. It can be purchased at any entertainment store or online at theafters.com.

Don’t miss a chance to see other bands in the Christian Concert Series. Monk and Neagle are next in line on July 25, leaving three more opportunities to enjoy a night of fun-filled praise and worship.

Genny Owens will be performing on August 15. The month of September holds shows by Lyle Lovett on the 2nd and Shane Bernard on the 28th. All concerts are being held on Monday nights in the Palo Duro Canyon Amphitheater.