Newsboys - Nearly Out of Step
- Updated Feb 01, 2002
![Newsboys - Nearly Out of Step](https://i.swncdn.com/media/800w/crosswalk/resource/areas/crosswalk/resources/images/defaultimages/article-large-landscape.png)
"We seem to get trapped in our own little subculture rather easily. So, we wanted our audience to think about what's going to be eternal for the kingdom of God." --Newsboys' Phil Joel |
by Bruce A. Brown for the Music Channel at crosswalk.com
This weekend (5/15/99) marks the conclusion of the second leg of what bassist Phil Joel refers to as the {{Newsboys}}' "longest, biggest, baddest, most expensive tour." As Joel putters around his Nashville garden shortly before the final show in Music City, he seems pleased with the success of the "Step Up to the Microphone" tour.
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The participation of the Teen Mania missions organization in the "Step" tour helped the Newsboys recruit more than 20,000 teens for short term missions work. Through the efforts of the World Vision relief organization, more than 3500 children received sponsorship by Newsboys fans, numbers that Joel recites with more than a little pride in the band's audience.
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Phil admits that he was a bit skeptical about joining forces with a relief organization, but a World Vision trip to El Salvador won him over. "It blew me away to see how smart this organization is. They do an amazingly compassionate work -- with lots of wisdom."
The band also took a missions trip with Teen Mania to Panama, something reminiscent of the trips several Newsboys members took in their teen years. "When I was teenager, I used to go on missions trips to beach resorts," Phil recalls with a hearty laugh. "Seriously. You'd do the same sort of things kids do today-have music, drama and share the Gospel. I think I often came away from those trips wondering if the people on the beach were having more fun than me. Their God seemed to be the God of fun. But it was good; it pushed me to ask some hard questions."
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"Those are crucial questions for all of us to be able to answer," he continues. "We understand that being on stage and making records - those things will pass, those things will fade away. We seem to get trapped in our own little subculture rather easily. So, we wanted our audience to think about what's going to be eternal for the kingdom of God."
For the Newsboys, one of the things that eases the strain of travel is what Phil calls "a love of toys. We've discovered the joys of go-peds, those two-wheeled scooters with the little chain saw motor on them. After we eat breakfast or lunch, depending on when we arrive in a town, we'll hop on the go-peds and visit bookshops, check out the city, grab a cup of coffee and just spend time hanging out and relaxing."
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The end of the "Step" tour will offer little relaxation time for the Newsboys. Phil says most of the band will head straight to Florida for pre-production for their next album. "We've rented some places on the beach so we can swim and get some sun. We also rented a little chapel, where were going to install some recording gear and write some new songs, as well as finish up some older songs. Then we go into the studio June 1st. But we'll make the record in Nashville and try to keep more 9 to 5 kind of hours."
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Despite such successes as the numbers tallied by World Vision and Teen Mania, Phil says that for him, touring gets harder as the years go by. "When you're out there and you're tired, you hit a wall," Phil admits. "You get grumpy, you hate the food. You wish your were sleeping in your own bed. You don't want to be there, it's a sacrifice, and you don't want to spend another day on that bus. But it's a part of laying down your life."
"The only reason we keep doing this is that we're so excited about it," Phil admits. "Music is great, I love it, and it's my passion in life. If I weren't excited seeing these things happen, I'd stay home and hang out in my garden. But we're making a difference in people's lives."