NashVegas

So I'm sitting here in Hotel Indigo on another buzzing night in Nashville with the soaring melodies of The Myriad wrapping themselves around me, all the while ruminating upon the recent occurrences in the career of Under the Altar. So in order to better organize my thoughts and facilitate putting pen to paper (or hand to keyboard), I will write this blog in a format that emphasizes the highlights and expounds upon them in short excerpts thereafter.

Under the Altar Got an Oscar!
We are well aware of the fact that an Oscar is an award accredited to those chosen few in the film industry who outshine the rest, but we did in fact get an Oscar. The only difference between the miniature golden statue that Heath Ledger will receive for his roll in The Dark Knight and the Oscar the UTA received is four legs and black fur. Yes, you've guessed it, Under the Altar got our first kitten. Well, we technically do not own it and it actually isn't even in our care or even close to actually being called ours, for that matter.
Anyway, the kitten that we found happened to be a newborn stray that was wondering around our church while we were waiting for entrance into said building. Travis was the first to hear the poor wittle kitty cry out into the open air. Ten minutes later, a few cat chases across the church lawn and an epic stand-down, Travis held in his hands the furry little creature that came to be know as Oscar. You may ask yourself, "Oscar, what a peculiar title to apply to the aforementioned mammal." It's quite obvious, though, that in The Rockstar's Handbook on How to Handle Every Situation Known to Man rule number 137.5.3 states that "every living kitten found in the bushes before practice or before/during any other activity pertaining to the band must be named Oscar." And even though we weren't even too sure if Oscar was male or female (no one felt like checking), what the book says goes.
Upon releasing Oscar back into the wild, we've yet to see him/her again. We know that somewhere out there, under some bush next to a Waffle House or some other similar place during each full moon sits our first Oscar. Hopefully there will be many more to come. Lastly, I would like the thank my mom and dad for all the work they poured into making this possible.

Pics to come? It's possible.

The Drum Shield Tragedy
On the eve of the Great Peregrination to Nashville, Under the Altar convened for a much-needed practice to run through the rocking set before it was scheduled to drop the next day. Little did they know that this happy day of good feelings and excited anticipation would soon be shattered into little more than a grim day made of only dark clouds (well, at least for about thirty minutes). Said practice was beginning while lead singer, Jonathan Joiner took a stroll to the sound board in order to set all monitors for all of his band mates. Upon arriving at the sound box, a loud gunshot sounded from the other side of the room in the direction of the stage. Stunned by the sudden decibel rise that had just taken place, Jonathan glanced at the stage to ascertain the true source of the disturbance, finding that the "gunshot" was little more than the drum shield taking a journey to the floor, prompted by the hand of Taylor Latham. This isn't that devastating of an occurrence on most days, but this day would prove to be quite the antithesis. Stomping toward the stage, Jonathan found that the shield had taken down two of the guitars that were left unprotected on stage. Knowing that one of the guitars was his beloved Ella, the Gibson Memphis ES-335, Jonathan rushed to assess what might have happened. Upon scrutinizing, Jonathan thought that the maximum damage was a few broken strings; nothing to cry over. But so apt and unwanted, Cody Davis gasped, "Jon, look..." Following Cody's eyes to the head stock of the Gibson, Jonathan found that his worst nightmares had just been realized: his beloved guitar's neck had snapped. Ella's neck had snapped. A few kicked trash cans, phone calls, and tears later, Jonathan found the courage to get up and move on as his guitar is just that, a guitar. It can be fixed. A few hugs and handfuls of forgiveness later, Jonathan and Taylor's friendship grew instead of faltering. After all, the entire situation was not preconceived and therefore deserves a non-guilty verdict. The end.

The Show
The entire reason for Under the Altar's journey to the music capital of the world was a showcase called Band With a Mission. The gig was scheduled to take place at a local music scene called Rocketown beginning at eleven in the morning. Being prompt in our arrival, we showed up at about eleven ten and made our way into the venue. After a few hours of watching other bands set up, play their three songs, and take down, we found ourselves next in line. The next eleven and a half minutes would be an exciting, sweaty, and electric time of rocking hard. By the end, sweat was literally pouring off of our faces and a good feeling was pervading all four of our hearts. We had done our best and it was now up to the judges to decide our fate. Unluckily we won't know that fate for a few more weeks or months. But in the end, we rocked, we rocked today.

A Surprising Ending
To end the day, we wanted to have a delicious, relaxing dinner in Nashville. But what we ended up doing was leaving the city limits and journeying into suburbia on the suggestion of Danielle and her friend. After a twenty minute drive through the countryside, we arrived at a little place called "The Loveless Cafe and Motel." Not going to lie, I wasn't looking forward to it very much, seeing as I had my heart set on a downtown Nashville venue. My mind would soon be changed.
Upon arriving at the lobby, we immediately noticed all of the posters hanging on the walls that portrayed the smiling faces of many celebrities that had eaten at this restaurant. Yet it wasn't even that fact that prompted my change of heart, it was the delicious grilled chicken sandwich which was to come to a final resting place on a plate positioned for my easy dining pleasure. It was literally one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten. Phenomenal.
Somewhere during the course of the meal, Taylor jokingly proffered the idea of giving them one of our posters to hang on the walls in the midst of those that are actually famous. After finishing up the meal, this really cool waiter named Danny came over and showed us some amazing tricks like balancing two forks in the air with two toothpicks, sucking up DP in an upside-down cup with a lemon and two matches, making two forks balance on half a toothpick off the side of a cup, and relaying information to the waitresses using claps and some sort of secret code. And after that, we offered our poster up and were promptly rejected. They told us we weren't famous and that we would never be. Then they kicked us out.
But what actually happened was that they received it with smiling faces and told us that if we were to even dine with them again we would see our smiling faces hanging off the wall. So if you ever find yourself dining at the Loveless Cafe and Motel, we'll be watching.

Thus concludes the longest blog yet. If you read all the way through, give us a holler with a comment.

Peace.Love.andLovelessCafe,

Jonathan Joiner

We are Finnish!

Okay, so we aren't Finnish, but rather true-blood American.

But one thing that we are is finished with the album! As of this moment in history, many copies of the highly anticipated CD are being pressed (and sealed, in order to keep them fresh). As they sit in the factory, they are awaiting the hour when they will finally get to show the world all the talent they hold inside. But as for now, they must sit in solitude and prepare both mentally and physically for that faithful day.

As for us humans, we must also wait another six days before we can unveil the new "special sauce." We've been preparing this CD (like a Chef delicately prepares his food) for about a year now. So we've been waiting for a very long time. All this waiting, though, paid off mucho when Swaff got a hold of the product and injected it with amazingness.

Now the hard work of a year is paying off in six days.

Bring a mop because your mind is going to be blown,

Jonathan Joiner (A.K.A that guy in UTA)

Tangents Are Fun!

So now we are in the studio for the seventh time and post-production is well under way. The songs are really coming together and starting to sound more and more professional every time we walk through the doors of the Rockporium. For those of you that are anticipating the new CD, all I can say is that we don't need a gun to blow your mind.

As of this moment in history, Cody is chillaxing in a rolling chair, listening to the new touch iPod that he got for Christmas (and if I was a betting man, I would bet that he is either listening to or watching videos of Taylor Swift. Good thing I'm not a betting man though, because I just checked and he is looking at a Calendar. Some of you may be wondering how I lost my taste for betting, well let's just say that once I bet on a dead horse...).

Oh the tangents we turn to. Carrying on, Taylor is being slow and turning his camera on and off as to probably watch the shiny lights and dazzling colors that so easily distract his wandering mind.

Andy, our usual sound guy and temporary chauffeur, is chugging a three liter jug of water as to clear congestion for the trip to Tennessee that he shall be embarking on when the sun raises in the east upon tomorrow's brow.

Travis and Jeff are about 14 hours away from the rest of us. I shall now try to guess what each is doing. Travis is probably sitting at his new lap top computer, giddily watching random videos and eagerly playing internet games, all the while giggling and having a jolly time.

Jeff is probably hanging out with his fiancee and future in-laws (which happens to include Travis).

Swaff is post producing.

As I listen to these new songs (and you don't), I anticipate the arrival of the new album (as I hope you do too). I can't wait to get your reactions and to see what new era UTA will enter. Look for a February release date and always remember that tangents are fun.

Jonathan Joiner

P.s. My Christmas dreams just came true when Scotty Wilbanks walked into the room to drop off a Christmas tree-shaped plate full of delightfully scrumptious candies.

Rockporium Day 2

Hey Guys! This is Taylor. I just wanted to take this time and update you with what is going on in the studio, and I wanted to be able to say that I have now written a blog. So with this being my first one, I guess I will just keep it simple. So right now, Travis is finishing up his last two bass tracks and then Cody will take over with his shredding guitar skills. Well, looking back on what we have done so far, I am amazed at how great everything already sounds. On Wednesday, I spent almost 15 hours behind the drums working with Swaff (our amazing producer) and Jon to get everything nailed out perfectly. So with the drums done after a long day of hard work, and the bass nearing a wrap, the excitement continues to build in each one of us as we continue to rock this album into existence.

We hope that all of you are are dying to get your hands on this album, and hope that you will get it and love it when you do. Thanks for all of your support and patience as we work on the new record. You guys are awesome!

We will keep you updated with all of the studio excitement and hopefully post some pictures of what exactly is taking place here soon. Thanks everyone.

-Taylor

The Day Has Arrived . . . it is no longer a rumor

So where to start, it seems like so long ago four young boys stepped on a stage in the high school worship room to entertain a crowd on New Years Eve December 31, 2005 and at the same time do a live recording of the CD later to be named "All These Thoughts." Although, the CD had limited impact due to quality issues, the experience was invaluable. It was a major growth step in their life as a band.

But now as I sit, in a studio for the first day of recording of their sophomore album, I see before me four young men sold out to producing a top quality CD that will have wide spread appeal, and impact those part of the Family and those searching. It is almost surreal, as we sit back and just think of what has happened to get us to this point. God is so good, and if we are obedient He will take us to places we never thought were possible. We should not be here right now, we should be already done with this album, and have recorded it in a local studio, but instead we are in a top studio with a producer who is working with a top industry producer and icon. All we can say God has blessed and we want to be faithful to use it to bring glory back to Him.

So it is day one of recording and it is all drums. Jon is playing a scratch track and Taylor is hammering out amazing drum parts. It has now been over ten hours since the recording session has begun and you cannot believe the level of intensity and at the same time the level of craziness that we have reached. Drums are the foundation for the CD and so they must be perfect. It kinda reminds me of us comparing ourselves to Christ. We must always strive to be perfect like Christ, but when we truly match ourselves up side by side against Him, we see our imperfections. The same thing is happening here, Taylor is an amazing drummer, and in live shows, you would never see the imperfections we're are hearing as we critique and evaluate each beat measure by measure. In the end it will be phenomenal.

Well I have told you about Taylor, Jon as I said is helping him by playing a scratch track, so he gets to play a song once, and then sit through Taylor playing and helping him remember the flow of the song. But it is cool as they collaborate together and with the producer Swaff, we get to see the giftedness that each of them have to bring to the table, and we get to just be amazed at how all of that is a gift from above.

So what is up with Cody and Travis, well today they are here for merely moral support, and so as any good bros would do, they are in the other room watching TV and restringing their instruments. They come in every once in awhile and check on progress, but at the same time they are trying to stay out of the way. They will have their time starting on day two.

There was of course the one top secret mission that they had to perform with me, but that will have to stay under wraps for a while. It is one of those things that could only happen to me, and well is just too funny to have in print.

So who knows how much longer we are going but since I only had 3 hours of sleep last night I can't think of anything profound to say.

We will see what occurs between now and the next blog.

Jeff
Manager

The Most Highly Unanticipated Blog of the Year

I only said it because no one will be expecting this. By the time you are reading this, more than likely, you were told by me (Jon), who told Cody, Taylor, Travis, or Jeff, who told one of their companions, who told one of their amigos (or amigas, I don't discrimihate), until you were told (or you were the companion or amigo/a). Really what this becomes is a ridiculous Russian doll situation, where Russia=America, and doll=telling others.

Now that I've mumbled on about something that has nothing to to with anything, I'll get to why I am here. We have had one explosive period of time since June Sixth. And for those of you just joining us, the last blog posted was June Sixth in the year Forever-ago ::down arrow:: ::down arrow::.

I shall not bore you with all the details, but they include a bunch of guitars (and drums, again with the discrimhatin'), a few sweaty shirts and, of course, gallons and gallons of water to rehydrate thirsty bodies that were dehydrated (thank God for prefixes).

During this whole time, we have been working on the new CD, which we now have a title for. ::drumroll:: The title of the new album is ---- -- --- ----! And for those of you that can't read Dashian, that stands for ____ __ ___ ____! And if you can't read Underscorian, then I don't know how you survive in life. Anywho, the new album is going to be phenomenal! We've been perfecting it, tweaking it, and rocking it for about four months now. The studio is calling our names, and when you hear an inanimate building calling your name, you know something serious is going on (and that the building's voice carries unnaturally far).

When we head to the studio, I'll keep you updated.

Jonathan Joiner

Winners at Camp

Well this is Trav and Cody. We are at the HSM annual trip to the beach. Tuesday, UTA plus HD (Heather and Dorothy) became the official rock paper scissors champs. Also today Me and Trav were having a radical skim session with Young Phil Jeezey, Chase, and Darren before an über storm. I slashed my leg open (it really was not that bad but it looked cool) and Heather dressed my wound. Wednesday night we (Travis and I) along with Chuck Johnson's small group won the award for best skit, demonstrating superb mastery of entertaining the crowd by remembering the top 12 quotes from the beach. We are planning on some more rad skimming and preparing to be locked up in a room practicing and worshiping next week.

Trav and Cody

P.S. don't use spray on sunscreen it will leave racing stripes on your shoulders.