It is not often that a band remains as passionate as Needtobreathe has once they hit the mainstream market. Collectively, the band has been together for nearly ten years and had begun their rise with accomplishments such as having their song, More Time appear in the 2007 motion picture, P.S. I Love You which starred Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank.
The band is led by Bear Rinehart and younger brother Bo. Seth Bolt and Joe Stillwell complete them, playing guitar and drums respectively. In several interviews, they mention their friendship outside of the band and such a connection is clearly evident in their performance such as the one they rocked last Wednesday at the World Cafe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Needtobreathe at the World Cafe
Their relationships keep them in-sync with one another and their clear, strong passion for music and the topics that they sing about really draws in the crowd and the listener on a very personal level. They are strong showmen who deliver their message and their creative passion to the masses. It is great to see that this is not something they have lost as they have rose to a more mainstream audience in recent years.
At the World Cafe, Needtobreathe played a set largely composed of their latest album, The Outsiders and gave fans a special treat when they closed with an intimate, acoustic playing of Washed by the Water, a song that Bear Rinehart wrote about his preacher father who had his own troubles and trials within the church.
Won't Turn Back Tour
From Philadelphia, Needtobreathe continued on to Boston and will conclude their Won't Turn Back Tour in Des Moines, Iowa on May 15, 2010. Openers that joined the band in Philadelphia were Memphis-based singer, Will Hoge and Matt Hires, both of whom put on a strong show in their own regard and set a fun pace for the rest of the night.
After the tour, fans can look forward to Needtobreathe at Bonnaroo, a several-day-long art and music festival based on a farm in Manchester, Tennessee alongside bands such as The Gaslight Anthem and the Dave Matthews Band.
Background on Needtobreathe
Needtobreathe was formed in Seneca, South Carolina. Many of their early performances were played around Furham University, where Bear Rinehart went to college and played football as a wide receiver. Collectively, the band has released three studio albums: Daylight (2006), The Heat (2007) and The Outsiders (2009). Though the band does not label themselves as a christian band, two of their songs hit #2 and #11 on the Hot Christian Albums with The Outsiders and Lay 'Em Down respectively.
Overall, Needtobreathe put on a passionate and entertaining show for a rather packed audience at the World Cafe last Wednesday. As long as they remain as in-sync as they are and keep true to their passion to create phenomenal, empowering music they will go far, even in the mainstream of modern music.
Join the Conversation