Where Will You Stand

The plan for this week’s post was derailed. My intent was to write about the musical adaptation of the movie School of Rock, but then I went to see The Steel Wheels in concert at CSPS Hall. And it became crystal clear. Why write about a mediocre musical when I could implore all seven people that read this to listen to The Steel Wheels? 

Before last week, my most recent Steel Wheels experience was at the Walnut Valley Festival last September. I was devastated to learn I was out of town later in the fall when they stopped in Ames. Of late, some of my family members are struggling to find good health inside bodies that have walked the earth for ninety-five years. Though my health remains intact, watching aging before your eyes is draining in more ways than one. A Steel Wheels concert is exactly what my soul needed. Not all musicians or bands are as good live as they are recorded. Fewer still are better. The Steel Wheels are in this select group. Their live performances pulsate with an energy that cannot be captured on a recording. One cannot help but be swept up.

The Steel Wheels give the impression that they never have an off night. This night was no exception. Trent Wagler, Jay Lapp, Brian Dickel and Kevin Garcia are uncommonly talented musicians and singers. In fact, even if they fumbled, the audience would never know and they would still be playing better than most musicians. Filling in for Eric Brubaker is Oliver Craven. Craven fits in perfectly; to the uninitiated he would never seem a substitute. One of the most touching moments of the evening came when the group dedicated “The Race” to absent member Eric Brubaker, who is taking time off to mourn the loss of his daughter. The sense of hopefulness and healing in the room was palpable.

The evening was a pretty typical Steel Wheels set: a mix of positivity and lamentation. Fast, driving songs alternate with slower more deliberate melodies. The Steel Wheels played a few songs from their upcoming summer release. “Under” drew me in. I can’t wait to listen to it again. The new songs they performed are distinctly Steel Wheels, but with a looser, relaxed quality that belies how hard they are working.

My favorite moment of the evening was the performance of “With It All Stripped Away.” Performed early in the set, this was the moment when The Steel Wheels grabbed hold of the audience and did not let go. Sung a cappella, the song is a call for reflection and action:

With no status, no power, no women, no men
With it all stripped away, where will you stand

With no profit, no weapons, no money in your hand
With it all stripped away, where will you stand

Stand up, in the early morning
(stand up) Stand up when there is no warning
(stand up) Stand up when the storm is rising, all around

With no color, no creed, no bible to defend
With it all stripped away, where will you stand

When this world (this whole world) turns violent, when there's no side left to win
With it all stripped away, where will you stand

Stand up when the wind is blowing
(stand up) Stand up when the tears are flowing
(stand up) Stand up when justice calls and you hear the sound

So when your quiet, alone, and this day has met its end
With it all stripped away, where will you stand
With it all stripped away, where will you stand

My opinion is abundantly clear. The more Steel Wheels in my life the better. Make your life better, too. Click Play. Oh, and School of Rock? You can skip it.