Just over a week ago, UTR hosted a lunch concert and interview with Jenny & Tyler. Not only did I get to see them perform in this private intimate setting, I also saw them play that night at The Union in Naperville, Illinois, in front of the most responsive crowd they’ve seen outside of Delaware, their home state. When I pulled up to what looked like an older conservative church, I had doubts about The Union, a concert venue sponsored by North Central College. Could this really be the same artsy place I checked out online? As soon as I reached the entrance, I was greeted with an excited buzz of college students …

I’ve not yet lost the wonder of interviewing gifted songwriters, and sometimes the setting makes the interview.  When I was invited backstage at Chicago’s House of Blues to interview Matt Wertz, it definitely made me feel less nerdy for approximately 5.875 hours.  It was also a memorable interview because it almost never happened.  Matt was trying to save a sore throat before he hit the stage, but was gracious to spend time with UTR.  I even blogged about the the opportunity a friend & I had to pray for Matt and how it touched him deeply.  Here’s some of that interview:   DT:  When did you first begin to write songs? …

Over the last 4 days, I got to experience one of the most amazing gatherings of community, faith, and art.  Hutchmoot is an annual gathering in Nashville, organized by The Rabbit Room, an online community founded by one of my favorite artists, Andrew Peterson.  It sounds like an exaggeration, but I believe this event has ruined me in all the right ways - something I won’t forget for the rest of my life.  Here’s my daily notes:   Day #1 - Appropriately, the very first event on the schedule was dinner.  I learned quickly that here meals were sacred experiences. It was also clear that the presenters were “one of us” …

Singer/songwriter Josh Wilson has had quite a few songs roll through Christian radio rotations—most recently the song "Fall Apart." But my fingers rarely grace the radio dials so when I was invited to a Josh Wilson concert, I didn’t know he’d received a lot of radio play. In fact, I was pretty clueless about him and his music. I count that a blessing. If had known he was so loved by Christian radio,  I might have made hasty judgments about him and not made the effort to get to know this down-to-earth songwriter/one-man band/comedian.   There’s something about Josh Wilson that makes you feel like you’re having a house show even …

Today marks the beginning of the 4th leg (out of 7) on the UTR "In Your House" Tour with Eric Peters.  So far, we completed the Oregon trail, survived Hotlanta, and husked some corn in Nebraska.  It's been a tremendous experience for everyone involved.  We're in the midwest for the next several days.  While most of the concerts so far have been private events (mostly living room concerts) -- there are a few shows this coming week that are open to the public.  Here are the details on these "open" events.  [I'd highly encourage you to come enjoy Eric live if you are within driving distance of any of these.] Thursday, …

One of my all-time favorite singer/songwriters is Andy Osenga - founding member of The Normals, former lead guitarist for Caedmon's Call, and an accomplished solo artist. As a sought after stage guitarist, sound engineer, studio musician, vocalist, songwriter, & producer, he has left his own fingerprints on the works of Randall Goodgame, Andrew Peterson, JJ Heller, Jon Troast, Eric Peters, Nick Flora, and many more. Here's some of my interview with Andy. DT: When did you discover your love for music and the gift that you have? AO: I'm from a musical family. My parents were both band teachers in high school - my dad plays the trumpet and my mom …

This weekend is the launch of an epic & historic project for Under The Radar:  organizing and sponsoring a national tour of living room concerts.  Yep, for the next 2 months, we are partnering with singer-songwriter Eric Peters to play a total of over 35 concerts (mostly in living rooms).  It’s a grassroots way to let people know more about UTR, and to introduce people to a terrific indie songwriter. The vision for this was born in December 2010 over an Italian beef dinner in the lobby of a Chicago hotel.  Between bites, I asked, “Eric, what is your greatest need as an artist, and how do you think UTR can …

Last week, I had the honor of spending a couple of days with one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Sara Groves.  On August 14, she headlined a benefit concert in Elmhurst, Illinois which I helped to organize.  On August 15, Sara, Troy, & friends hung out with us in Palos Heights, Illinois in the Under The Radar studios for an interview and private concert.  It was such a rich experience that I could probably type 60 things… but I’ll limit myself to SIX things I love about Sara Groves, based on our recent time together. 1)  Family.  Sara & Troy made a conscious decision to keep their kids with them while …

In our almost 3-year history of Under The Radar, the longest interview I ever conducted was with Jaron & Katherine Kamin, who I met in Nashville earlier this year.  It went long – not because I asked 50 questions and not because they were long-winded – because I just got along with them so well.  The very first time I met them, it was like hanging out with old friends – kindred spirits.  What started as an interview quickly turned into pals just sitting around and chatting about music.  Besides being good people, they are terrific musicians as well, and I’m excited to introduce you to them. DT:  When did you …

We were introduced to the top-notch songwriting of Ben Shive when (in 2008) he released an amazing debut album of all-original songs, The Ill-Tempered Klavier (which received a 5-star review from Christianity Today).  He’s in the final post-production stages for his sophomore CD, The Cymbal Crashing Clouds, which will be released as an independent project in the next 4-6 weeks.  Here’s some of the conversation I had with Ben not long ago:   DT:  When did you first really fall in love with music? Ben:  Well, I was a kid in piano lessons, pretty typical, and it was kind of hard for my parents to motivate me to practice or care.  …

A month ago, we shared what our UTR Critic's Panel thought were the top "gourmet albums" from the first 6 months of 2011.  We've put them to work again, to help identify just some of the best individual gourmet songs from the first half of the year.  So start your iTunes shopping spree now!  To stay consistent with the last list, songs qualified if they were written by a Christian artist and were released between Nov. 30, 2010 and May 31, 2011.   "Piece Me Together" by Arthur Alligood  A hair-raising prayer from the weak and weary. "God's Wing'ed Horse" by Buddy & Julie Miller The creative couple once again license their …

In 2008, those familiar with the name Ben Shive likely saw him accompany Andrew Peterson in concert.  He was also building up some Nashville street cred (if there is such a thing) as a budding producer, top-notch arranger, and reliable studio musician.  In that year, Ben also released his debut album The Ill-Tempered Klavier, which was a jaw-droppingly amazing CD -- those who have it (like myself) cherish it as one of the best album's in their collection.  In fact, Christianity Today gave that record 5-stars and called it one of 2008's best albums. With almost every noteworthy debut album comes lofty expectations for the follow-up.  Most of the time the …

Last month, over 1,000 people converged on Shakori Hills, NC for the first ever Wild Goose Festival.  Calling it unique is an understatement.  While most Christian-based festivals are largely built around an entertainment experience, this fest was much more layered and complex in vision and strategy.  The 4 basic tennants of the gathering were spirituality, justice, music, and art.  The event founders are open that the event is rooted in a Christian tradition, but also clearly state it was "open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination, or religious affiliation."  I've been processing the event for the last month and want to share my personal "good, bad, & ugly" …

She's one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters... and she has a LOT of midwest fans.  If you're anywhere within driving distance of Chicago, you'll want to make this exciting event next month -- the largest concert UTR has ever sponsored.  I'll be emceeing the night, and the money raised goes for a very worthy cause.  So I hope to see you for a terrific night of gourmet music! Under The Radar welcomes.... SARA GROVES in concert with Shawn McDonald and Melody Olson Sunday, August 14 - 7:30pm (doors open 6:30) Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church 155 W. Brush Hill Rd. - Elmhurst, IL 100% of proceeds benefit local ministry My Joyful Heart TICKET INFO: $50 …

I really like the creative piano-based pop/rock sounds of the pride of Independence, KY – Seabird.  What I like even more is that in the half-day I got to hang out with them, they didn’t carry the swagger of an spotlight-hungry band.  Instead, they were very humble, down-to-earth guys who tried to break down the imaginary wall between musicians and fans.  Here was just some of my conversation with band leaders (and brothers) Aaron & Ryan Morgan: DT:  When did you guys form as a band? Seabird:  I [Aaron] had been writing songs for awhile, just for myself, not intending to play them for anybody. Our original drummer heard my songs …

May 30, 2000 was an important day in my life.  It was my first date with my future wife.  We sat in the bleachers of Wrigley Field and talked about our stories, the road we've been on, our likes and dislikes -- all that fun stuff.  Laura asked the dreaded question: "What music do you like?"  In the fragile beginnings of a new relationship, the answer to this question can be a deal breaker.  Plus I had the the awful challenge of trying to explain the many different styles of music that I enjoy.  I can still feel my legs shake with nerves as I muster up these words: "Well, I …

UTR is sponsoring 3 Chicago-area performances by New York-based singer-songwriter Melanie Penn.  Her debut CD Wake Up Love was a stand-out record in 2010, and she's currently in the studio with producer Ben Shive recording her sophomore album.  Melanie will be in Chicago for a couple of days - so if you're in the northern half of Illinois, make sure to visit one of these events.  [Make sure you send this link to any Chicago-based friends or family too.]   Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 7:00pm Lee, IL  (near Dekalb) - House Concert A wonderful outdoor front-porch concert!  $10 donation requested. For full information, CLICK HERE. Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - …

Under The Radar brings you a unique opportunity to host an intimate living room concert with amazing singer-songwriter Eric Peters!  Imagine being able to invite a couple dozen of your friends and family over to enjoy an hour of gourmet music.  His stories will make you laugh, cry, and will basically change your world forever (no pressure Eric). What in the world is going on? UTR is sponsoring what we're calling the "In Your House Tour."  We've held a bunch of promotional concert events in and around our home base of Chicago.  This tour allows us to go to other areas of the country and introduce people to UTR in a …

At this midway point of 2011, it’s easy to tell that this year might end up being a high-water mark of some of the best musical art developed by Christian songwriters.  We have enlisted the wise counsel of our 9-member UTR Critics Panel to start the discussion on some of the best “gourmet music” to hit our ears over the last 6-months.  There’s no way this can be an exhaustive list – even just the 9 of us had a wide variety of nominations.  So we’ve selected several of the recommended gourmet albums that are worth a closer listen. Disclaimer:  The two objective criteria are (a) that the music was created …

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that the music industry is reeling. Earlier this year, Business Insider published an article called “The Death of Music Industry is Much Worse Than We Thought.” In it, they share that between 2000-2009, CD sales dropped an unbelievable 79%. Even more surprising was that Digital Music Sales dropped 47% between 2005-2009. Overall music sales are down 64% in the last decade. Granted, there are some bright spots in the Industry. The fact that indie music is on the rise and that new creative barriers are broken each year is a really good sign. However, I can’t help but think that the overall Music …