easy thing. You always want to try and bring in its going to be clean, you know its going to be playing these songs, a bio, some photos, and
new fans, young fans. But it’s tough because a good night. So, I’m equally grateful we get to all that stuff.
then you have those select fans that are going bring that to the mainstream rock world as well.
to be mad that every album doesn’t sound like
I immediately got to work on it, and went over
an album from fifteen years ago, you know [WM] In closing, it would be awesome if you to my church that afternoon after I got off work
what I mean? You’ve got to roll with it, and stay could share the rather amazing story of how at my Dad’s auto store. Honestly, I almost didn’t
true to what kind of captivated those people to Tim Rosenau from TobyMac’s band helped you do it, I was like, “This is kind of a waste of time,
begin with. I love that with each album we can snag the Skillet gig? and surely a band of this caliber has already
kind of adapt, but still remain true to that area!
found somebody!” But I remember praying in
[Seth] I think what makes my story an the side room at my church where we would
[WM] Are there any favorite ‘can’t believe it encouragement to other people is that I was always meet before we would lead worship
happened’ moments that you’d like to share? not some prodigy twenty-year-old guitar player Sunday mornings. I remember just praying
living in Nashville, L.A., or New York. I was and I remember just being honest, like, “Lord,
[Seth] I’ll give you two different sides of it. I’m twenty-two years old, my Dad owned an auto chances are they’ve already got somebody but
not trying to lift us up, but Skillet is a little bit of parts store and garage and I was working full I’m going to make this video because I really
an anomaly where we draw a lot of people from time there, and playing locally at my church, feel like I’m supposed to. After I finish this, you
the Christian market, but we also have a lot of various gigs, and whatnot. take it and you do with it what you will.”
Russia nine times, and we do really well over Any kid that wants to do this, and really in any The really crazy part about this is that Toby had
there. There are a handful of stories like this, job, it’s all about networking and trying to get a show in Dayton, Ohio after I had sent the video
but one of the stories I always love that John your foot in the door somewhere. So, in 2008 in and everything. I was with Tim backstage
tells, is we were in Russia once and he was I sent Tim a message when MySpace was when he was listening to his voicemail as I
doing an interview with a Russian magazine. actually still a thing, saying I would love to meet was standing there, and it was John calling to
They were asking what the song “Hero” was up. I had a buddy who lived in Nashville that had ask about me. That’s like really weird (laughs),
about, so John went into it, what it means to moved from Ohio, so I would go and visit him that was a big freak out moment. Fast forward
him, “Its about Jesus, He’s my hero.” And they and his family every so often. So, I said I was a couple weeks later and I was on a plane
were like, “Who is this Jesus you speak of?” down there every once in a while, and would heading to Houston to do my trial period. I
So, John went on and told them as quickly as love to meet up sometime. Funny enough, he finished out a tour, and then that was it, I’ve
he could, briefed them on it, and they’re like, messaged me back and we ended meeting up been here for almost a decade. Tim was a big
“So you were talking about the man Jesus of I think in November 2008 at a Starbucks close part in this journey, just the fact that he allowed
Nazareth?” They look at Jesus as a historical to where he was living at the time. We talked for himself to be used as a stepping-stone to help
figure, as a guy from Nazareth, but other than about an hour just about road life, and hanging someone else out. I think its equally probably
that they’re clueless. I just think that’s incredible out. I remember him praying with me at the end as cool of a story for him as it is for me. It’s got
that we’re getting to go into that place and of our meeting, and remember him saying, “I to be really fulfilling. I’ve always said if I get to
bring light to places you’d never think you’d be don’t think this meeting is by chance” and just a place where I can help anybody like this that
able to. It’s just incredible, that’s something I’m kind of left it in the Lord’s hands to do whatever I want to be able to do what he did for me.
very thankful for. He will. So, years passed, we kept in close He kind of took me under his wing, he didn’t
contact, and anytime Toby was close I would meet me that one time and then push me away
go hang out with him. and ignore me. He really allowed himself to
mainstream fans as well. I think we’ve been to
I love playing Christian festivals, Christian tours,
and the Christian market. I love it, I’ve always
be available and to be used and to be a huge
loved Christian music from the first time I heard When I heard that the previous guitar player stepping-stone. Because if not for him, and
the Jesus Freak album (dc Talk), I’ve always was leaving I thought, well, the only person I the reputation that he had, it would not have
loved it. But I’m equally as thankful that we also know is Tim, so I reached out. The crazy part happened. That was a big point for John, to be
get to do half of our touring in the mainstream is that Skillet and Toby had just done a tour able to trust those guys that they thought they
rock market and reach people in that world. together less than a year prior to this, so there had a guy that would sit well… and mesh well
Families can come out to our shows, even if was definitely some familiarity there. Before with the band. I never want to forget to thank
we’re not overly preachy, I don’t think parents I knew it, I had an email from our production Tim in allowing himself to be used.
need to be afraid to bring their children to our manager basically saying that Skillet is looking show… it’s a fun family environment. You know for a new guitar player, send a video of yourself
September 2019
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