A photo essay today. I saw Switchfoot in concert Friday night, and once again was struck by their message of hope in a chaotic word, and the sheer joy they seem to have in performing.

I don’t remember the first time I saw them in concert, I think it was shortly after they released their first album (1997). I thought it was interesting that they were second generation musicians – I was playing music on the radio by drummer Chad Butler’s dad Chuck back in the 1970s.

I watched their evolution over the years as they became one of my favorite live acts. I could rhapsodize, but you have to experience the band live to really understand.

The current tour is a special one, as for the first time they are playing their 2003 breakthrough album The Beautiful Letdown in its entirety. As the show unfolded I realized that I had forgotten just how good the record is. I certainly hadn’t realized just how powerfully it spoke to a generation – I was apparently one of the few who wasn’t singing along on every line.

Part of the power of Switchfoot is their ability to connect with the audience, especially lead vocalist/guitarist Jon Foreman, who made frequent forays into the audience. Any concertgoer who didn’t exchange high fives with him made a conscious choice not to do so,

I was in my mid-forties when Switchfoot began their rise through the rock ranks. Which means that there isn’t the emotional connection to their music that I have with the bands I discovered when I was a teen. But I know a great band when I see (and hear) one.