St. Joseph, MI

While spending hours of preparation loading up the car with gear and diapers for a concert with a family of four inspires excitement and adventure, it's not the easiest and most stress-free way to tour. As I recently found myself rearranging car seats and wedging strollers between my road cases in the back of our SUV I remembered traveling with all dudes in a tour bus with a massive trailer packed with merchandise, gear and often a massive sound system. While I miss playing with a band of fantastic musicians, I prefer the small SUV with my cute little family.

Even better are the dates close to home. Several weeks ago I spent an early afternoon playing Tetris at the back of our MDX. Poor Gabby had to share her seat with a piano. Every time I have to move a keyboard I ask myself why I didn't choose to play the violin or guitar?



Even though the rain made the load in slightly obnoxious, we found ourselves ready for a great night with good friends. What better way to spend a rainy evening than with a group of friends at a concert?



Other advantages of having a show close to home is the ability to invite a network of cool friends. Always thankful for my friend and creative counter part Kyle Pierpont. Having a good photographer in one's inner-circle is always a good idea.









A one man show is tough and not my preference by any means. Toby Mac is probably the best example of this philosophy of business and has been very successful at it. He's the first to admit that he's not the most talented guy on the bus and purposefully surrounds him self with people who are better than him to make his concerts what they are. Any one who's seen Toby and the Diverse City band would see that. A band compensates for a player's weaknesses and potential lack of preparation. When you're by yourself, there's nobody to hide your mistakes behind. You also never get a break. There isn't a guitar solo that allows a few seconds to step back and drink some water and catch your breath, or a trash can ending to to give a few minutes to think of your next joke. It's also tough to remain entertaining for 80 minutes. When I'm hiding behind a keyboard, it's tough to visually stimulate an audience. I try to come out from around the keyboard a few times a night, but I always feel the pull hurry back behind my shield.




A band will come, but this has been a tremendously rewarding and challenging way to travel and play concerts. God has been so gracious to us in this, we've helped facilitate over 60 children sponsored this year. Considering the size of my typical audiences, this is a tremendous blessing.
If you've come to my shows, thank you. If you're thinking of having me to one, pull the trigger. Do it. Do it now. I can't wait and look forward to seeing you soon. Christmas is around the corner and I can't wait to share some Christmas music with you.

Collin

Breckenridge

A much needed change in our routine brought our little family to Colorado for the next few weeks for some shows, a family reunion and hopefully some family time. My EP Fight for Me released last week and this is the first run of shows that I have it with me. We've experience a lot of attack leading up to and during the past few days we've been away. Traveling with a family presents a new set of challenges and Jenna and I are adjusting to this new reality. It's no longer just the two of us switching off driving and only stopping for gas until we're at our destination...it's a little more complicated. Our little Cracken (Gabby) had enough of her car seat at hour sixteen of a twenty-one hour drive. Turns out toddlers also need lots of sleep and we've realized just how valuable her home routine has been to keeping her rested! Due to either the altitude of where we are in Breckenridge, or a bug she picked up, she's been a sick little girl battling a fever and hopefully a doc visit this afternoon will reassure her folks' anxious hearts!

Last Saturday we loaded up about 4,000 diapers, babies, concert gear and finally ourselves and left for Chicago to see some great friends. Once our Nashville family, God has moved us all across the country and our paths intersected in Chicago. Jonathan is a creative arts director at Willow Creek and David is a Brentwood, TN cop. We've more than doubled in numbers...how is this happening?





We are thankful for First Federated Baptist in Des Moines for hosting us and allowing me to join them for worship on Sunday. I'm always for some reason surprised and comforted connecting with believers across the nation singing the same songs to the same God. Common bonds are pretty neat.

Our journey has led us to here where Jenna's immediate family is off enjoying the Rocky Mountains. At least we get this view from our deck where I'm awaiting my turn at rocking the little ill one.



I haven't seen this mountains since I recorded Songs from Brookside which was inspired by the places we will see this week. Come back to my website throughout the next few days and I'll give you some video stories behind the songs and tell a few stories about this beautiful place.

Wish you could see it.