Mute Math/Eisley live in Houston TX, November 11th, 2007

I spent six years of my life working in an establishment that most patrons would typically refer to as a Christian bookstore. Now, we sold more than books - we sold all manner of Christian-themed paraphernalia, from the tawdry and mundane to the over-hyped and glitzy. Whether we were peddling the hot-selling pieces of cutesy plastic (affectionately named “Jesus Junk” and “Christian Crap”), promoting the latest and greatest Study Bible, or pimping the newest and hottest names in the realm of fiction, non-fiction (do the names LaHaye or Lucado ring a bell?), or Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), there hasn’t been a trend in the past decade of Contemporary Cultural Christianity (CCC) that I haven’t personally read about, learned about, or sold. And while I admittedly entered this magical world of Christian retail with the purest of intentions and gobs of naivety, a naivety that was crushed to bits long ago, I still hold this place in my heart for the people and products I served for so long.

Thus, if there’s one trend that has grabbed both CCM and CCC by their respective throats and has yet to let go, it would be the penchant for taking any and every possible marketing and style trend from mainstream culture and tweaking it just enough so that it’s safe for parents and kids to enjoy. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to make products that entire families are able to enjoy, there is something inherently shady and tasteless with stealing/borrowing/co-opting the intellectual property rights and artistic vision of another in order to clean it up and pass it off as your own. Yet, this is exactly why CCM and CCC have done for at least the last 15-20 years: see where the musical, literary, and general entertainment winds are blowing and soften them up enough to sell to Christians who are afraid to leave their cultural ghettos. Specifically, in this insane search for cheap cultural relevance, CCM has sought to promote singers, groups, and bands that, once you get past their sugary-safe lyrics, are mere shells of the mainstream acts they’re attempting to mimic. However, when one of these artists seeks out a wider audience for their music, they regularly maligned for “crossing over” and/or selling out (their soul) for money and temporal fame in the “secular” market.

Nevertheless, the past 5 years have seen a crop of artists rise from the outskirts of CCM and declare that while they are firmly Christian, they desire to make stunning music and bring that music to a wider audience, an audience that accepts their material. You see, for whatever reason - lyrics that are less overt with their meaning, a sound that’s not easily marketed on a Christian-specific radio station, or an unwillingness to play CCM’s game - these acts never found a place for their band within the confines of CCM and their fans love them for it. So, on Sunday evening, November 11th, 2007, I had the opportunity to see two of the bands that better exemplify this movement take the stage together - Eisley and Mute Math.

Warehouse Live, probably the premier mid-sized venue in all of Houston, TX, was filled to near capacity with a diverse crowd, including people ranging from two random 12-year-olds and some quasi-hip 40-somethings to the more expected collection of trendy teens and 20-somethings. Granted, judging from the relative inactivity of the bartending staff over the course of the evening, it would be safe to say that, based upon the history of the two bands who performed on this evening, there were a great many “cool” church folks in attendance, people who might not drink at the show, but they weren’t afraid to attend a show where alcohol was being served. With that being said, there was a great deal of positive emotion flowing throughout the room, as people were simply anxious and excited to see an amazing live show.

Suffice to say that these ticket-holders were not disappointed in the slightest by the talent, passion, and energy that flowed freely, as both bands put on fantastic sets. Eisley took the stage first with the lovely trio of sisters taking up their stations upfront - Stacy, the youngest sibling, stood firmly behind her keyboard and handled a vast majority of the lead singing duties, while being flanked by her elder sisters with their guitars and voices. From the outset, it was evident that the band has made the conscious decision to turn up the crunch on their guitars, relying less upon the gauzy whispers from their past, while allowing the ladies’ ethereal voices to control the mood. Eisley blazed through a strong 12-song set of popular selections from the band’s 2 LP’s, with standout tracks that included “Taking Control,” “Invasion,” and “Marvelous Things.” And while it became increasingly evident that the crowd was primarily in attendance for Mute Math, they responded well to Eisley’s music, singing along with the songs that they knew and applauding the band’s big, mysterious pop sound.

After a 30-minute pause between sets where the crowd anticipation became rather palpable, Mute Math leapt on stage to deliver their funk-and-groove-laden atmospheric rock to their awaiting, adoring fans. This is truly a band that thrives on its live performances, as the 4 men oozed charisma and stage presence, allowing their personal chemistry to overflow onto the crowd. Fronted by Paul Meany, the lead singer and keyboard player, and driven by Darren King, the ridiculously intense drummer, it was evident that the group’s desire to turn the crowd into the 5th member of the band, involving them as much as possible in the tight-yet-still spontaneous set. Throughout their nearly 90-minute set, the band grooved, danced, ebbed, flowed, and drove the crowd into a glorious, uproarious frenzy.

Chief amongst the highlights of the evening was the mid-set, three-song cluster of “Plan B,” “Stare At The Sun,” “Control,” the brilliant track “Noticed,” and the explosive, instrumental freak-out that immediately preceded the band’s break before their three-song encore. What set these selections apart from the rest of the band’s well-executed, U2/Coldplay-esque songs is that they found the band truly stepping into their element. Mute Math possesses the kinetic ability to deconstruct a traditional up-tempo pop riff into its component parts - kick, snare, bass, and melody - and turn these elements inside out, while mixing in copious and equal parts passion for the music and yearning to envelop their fans into that passion. What resulted was a phenomenal live show featuring funky bass lines, syncopated drum patterns, a swaggering frontman and his keytar, some handstands on keyboards and the kick drum, a rafter-climbing drummer, and the psychedelic soundscapes that provided the backdrop for all of the frenetic action. This was truly a band that had fun on stage, wasn’t afraid to display how much fun they were having, and performs it all with a beautiful, technical precision.

The crowd departed high on adrenaline, the speakers still ringing in their ears and their eyes dazzled by the shimmering lightshow. While there was a sizable amount of cute couples swaying in time to the smart, waltzy pop of Eisley, it’s the electric energy and intensity displayed by Mute Math that will be most readily remembered by the attendees. Thus, while walking to awaiting vehicles, whining about how unseasonably warm it was in November (even for Texas!), it was difficult to quell everyone’s exuberant mood of euphoria. Whoever said that Christians aren’t able to make high-quality art that is exciting and accessible within the mainstream, yet possesses a worshipful quality that CCM should have embraced has never experienced the vitality of a Mute Math show.