Pop/worship outfit Sidewalk Prophets might only have five people performing on stage, but the group considers every member of their audience a part of their band.
More than that, they consider every fan a part of their family.
"Brothers and Sisters in Him"
"If it's true we're the children of God, that means we're brothers and sisters in Him, and we want to treat each other as such," says lead singer Dave Frey. "We want to tear down the wall that sometimes stands between performer and audience member and let [fans] realize we don't need any pedestals, that's for sure."
Along with Frey, members Ben McDonald (guitar), Daniel Macal (lead guitar), Cal Joslin (bass) and Justin Nace (drums) have found creative ways to invite fans to join them on their musical journey for more than a decade, often playing acoustic sets outside in the cold for people who couldn't get in to sold-out Winter Jam concerts, and being some of the last people to leave the venue in order to meet as many people as possible.
For the group's sophomore album, Live Like That (Fervent Records), the band brought fans into the studio to sing back-up, and even asked them to submit photos of people who have inspired them to love like Jesus. The images were then used to create the album's cover art.
In addition, fans helped the band put a down payment on their first bus through a Kickstarter campaign. Furthermore, the group discovered their newest member, 20-year-old Macal, through open auditions on YouTube.
Finding Common Ground in Christ
"It's about finding common ground and what Christ would do—going out and meeting people and taking time," Frey said.
The singer insists the key to building strong connections with fans is consistently finding creative ways to engage them on and off stage.
"If you're loyal to people, they'll be loyal back to you," he said. "Hopefully, we're a band that wears our hearts on our sleeves and lets people [get to] know us. I really do think we're the same guys who started the band thirteen years ago."
"The best part of touring is hearing what God's doing in other people's lives and realizing He's the same God no matter where you are," Frey said. "When we go out to the signing line at the end of the night and get a chance to talk to people, even if it's just for a few minutes, it fills us up. They usually offer us encouragement about songs we wrote for our own specific reasons, and how God has used them in ways we never imagined."
The Great Big Family Room Tour
The band, who easily logs 250 dates a year, took their relationship with fans to the next level this spring with a 30-plus city outing February through April. Dubbed the "Great Big Family Room Tour," the band let fans pick the cities they visited, playing intimate acoustic sets from Maine to California.
Lamps and couches transformed the stage into a living room, and the band members even greeted guests at the door to personally escort them to their seats. "We just want [people] to have a unique experience with Jesus. Our hope is that we can come together as friends and family. We want it to feel like family, first and foremost," Frey says of these unique evenings.
As the band travels the country, sharing their musical gifts with others, they hope people leave their concerts passionate about the specific callings God has placed on their lives. Frey asserts that we can all use our talents to serve Christ right where He places us.
"We want people to realize you can worship God in so many ways," he says. "My mom was a teacher for 38 years and just retired. Let me tell you, she served God in that school. There are moments when an astronaut can serve Jesus in ways mightier than a poet or musician. It's just amazing how many roads we each walk. They're all different roads, but God keeps us on them so that we might serve Him, being the hands and feet of Christ."
Crafting a New Album in the Poconos
The band is putting the finishing touches on their third studio effort due out late summer or early fall of 2015. They spent three weeks crafting new songs in a secluded lake house, thanks to a fan who offered their home in the Poconos as a writing retreat.
"They had an indoor pool at the house, and we were spoiled beyond belief," Frey says. "Once again, our fans came to the rescue." Frey reveals the band's forthcoming album is eclectic, serving up everything from '80s rock, to folk, to worship. "It doesn't really fit in a genre, and I love that," he shares. "I'm excited for people to hear what God has been laying on our hearts the last few years."
For more information, visit their official page. Article courtesy of HomeLifemagazine.