Caedmon's Call Plays To Sold-Out Sanders

Caedmon's Call, a Houston-based Christian rock band, played to a near capacity crowd yesterday evening in Sanders Theatre.

While Caedmon's Call has performed on numerous college campuses across the country, last night's concert was their first in New England. The concert was the 14th stop on a nationwide 51-concert tour that started in Mississippi.

"It's great to see a band of such high caliber music gain this much recognition and support," said Andrea S. Kim '98, one of the concert organizers and a member of the Asian American Christian Fellowship.

In addition to the standard guitar and drum ensemble, Caedmon's Call includes a string bass, a Hammond B-3 organ and a percussion set of bongos, congas and a djembe.

Danielle Young, a vocalist and the only woman in the group, claimed the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan as major influences on the band's music.

"I'd always felt like God had called me to use my voice," Young said. "It's about something God's doing through me, all I am is an instrument."

Although Caedmon's Call has had a predominately Christian following since its inception six years ago, the band says it wants to broaden its audience.

"We as Christians are called to go out into the world to teach and minister to others," said Christie L. Hughes, the band's road manager.

Young said that while Caedmon's Call sees its music as a spiritual calling, its goal is to "at least challenge somebody to think about things."

"Music itself isn't a religion," she added.

The concert was arranged under the auspices of four Christian student groups--Christian Impact, the Asian American Christian Fellowship, the Christian Fellowship and Under Construction, a Christian a cappella group.

Mary L. Naber '98, the student producer of the concert and co-president of Christian Impact, estimated that the band's proceeds of between $3,000 and $3,500 from ticket sales will not fully cover its costs for the performance.

Naber, a former Crimson executive, worked with Heather A. Lindman '99 and other members of Christian student groups to bring the band to campus.

Naber has been in touch with Caedmon's Call since she met the band at the Spirit West Coast festival in Monterey, Calif. last July.

Band member Randy Holsapple, who plays the Hammond B-3 Organ, was very excited about playing to a filled theater.

"Words can't explain [how I feel]...you love to play for a nice audience," he said prior to the concert.

Sanders Theatre's capacity of over 1,100 is typical of the venues where Caedmon's Call plays, Holsapple said.

According to Holsapple, the band's first two recordings--My Calm/Your Storm and Just Don't Want Coffee--which were released on an independent label, had combined sales of approximately 45,000 CD's--a number Naber said is second only to the Dave Mathews Band in total independent label sales.

The group's most recent album--Caedmon's Call--released on the Warner Alliance label, has sold around 200,000 copies, Holsapple said.

The crowd at last night's concert was in the Caedmon's Call groove, often joining in to clap with the rhythm or standing and swaying to the music.

On tour with Caedmon's Call, and opening for them last night in two separate performances were Bebo Norman and Andrew Peterson, two other Christian musicians.

Caedmon's Call is scheduled to play at the Faith Christian Center in Bedford, N.H. tomorrow and at the Valley Community Baptist Church, in Avon, Conn. on Saturday.