MARTINSVILLE, ILL. — Performances by Christian bands Sanctus Real and Gungor and independent musician JJ Heller, plus two new artists, singer-songwriter Rebekah Dennis and Terre Haute band The Broken, will highlight opening night of the Martinsville Agricultural Fair. The Elevate 2011 concert begins at 4 p.m. CDT June 25 at the Martinsville Fairgrounds in Martinsville, Ill.
Elevate will be staged outdoors on the grassy infield of a racetrack, so bring blankets and lawn chairs. Food vendors will be present and there will be an assortment of inflatable jump houses for the kids at no additional cost.
Concert tickets are $13.50 in advance for groups of 20 or more, $15 in advance for individuals and $20 at the gate on the day of the show. Tickets also may be purchased for the advance pricing from Accents in downtown Martinsville; call (217) 382-3035.
Rebekah Dennis will open the concert at 4 p.m. with a 30-minute set. She hails from a small town in southern Alabama and has been singing, performing and writing songs from a young age. With her ukulele in hand, Dennis’ songwriting style has been described as very unique and honest.
A few of her biggest influences include NeedToBreathe, Norah Jones, Brett Dennen, Colbie Caillat, Sara Watkins and Patty Griffin. She recently completed an EP, which was produced, recorded and co-written by Seth Bolt from NeedToBreathe. This was an experience that helped her grow as an artist and to become completely comfortable with herself and her style.
On the EP, Dennis is proud to have the southern vibe of banjo, mandolin and organ, along with the laid-back sound of her ukulele. With the intimate lyrics, soft vocals, harmonies and simplicity, she hopes to have created something to which people will truly be able to relate.
The Broken, a contemporary Christian band from Terre Haute, is second on the concert lineup with a 60-minute set at 4:45 p.m. The group performed as The Justin Hoeppner Band at Elevate 2010 and later performed for a short time as The Gathering.
The Broken includes Hoeppner (vocals/guitar), Becky Price (vocals), Paul Bamberg (drums) and Michael Bates (guitar). Guest bass player Ryan Furr will perform with the band during this year’s event.
JJ Heller also will perform an hour at 6 p.m., and Gungor will put on a 90-minute show at 7:30 before Sanctus Real rocks the stage for a 90-minute finale.
In the midst of her life’s most hectic chapter, Heller likes to remind herself that being an independent musician who is intensely busy is a good thing. Since spring 2003, when she decided to make a living as a full-time musician, Heller has managed to keep herself quite active.
In that time, Heller developed a faithful fan base, performed an average of 80 dates a year and added three full-length records and a Christmas EP to her discography. In fall 2009, because of one person’s decision, Heller found herself in the public eye, with a music career moving forward at a rate she never expected. Her website is jjheller.com.
Two minutes in to “Beautiful Things,” the new CD by Gungor, the listener realizes, “Wow, this is really different. And it’s really good.”
A lot has changed in the past few years for Michael Gungor and his bandmates: new band name, new location, new church, a stellar new sound and most importantly, a new understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
“The story of God has gotten bigger to me,” said Gungor, who is perhaps best known for co-writing songs such as “Friend of God” and the Dove Award-winning “Say So.” “We had become ‘professional’ Christians. We got to the point where we needed to figure out how to be the church in a more honest way for us.”
This bigger story of God shows up on “Beautiful Things” in songs born of an honest journey of faith and a struggle with what should result from worship.
Visit gungormusic.com for more information on the band.
Headliner Sanctus Real is an American Christian rock band. The group is composed of Matt Hammitt (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Dan Gartley (bass), Pete Prevost (guitar) and Mark Graalman (drums). The band is best known for its No. 1 singles “Beautiful Day” (a U2 cover), “Everything About You,” “The Fight Song,” “I’m Not Alright,” “Don’t Give Up” and “We Need Each Other.”
The band has released four albums through Sparrow Records.
Sanctus Real formed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1996 and released three independent albums over five years.
After signing with Sparrow Records in 2002, the group released its major label debut, “Say It Loud,” at the end of that year.
In June 2004, it was followed by “Fight the Tide,” which garnered a GMA Dove Award win in 2005, and two singles that charted at No. 1 on Christian radio, according to R&R magazine.
The band’s third album, “The Face of Love,” was released in April 2006. The single “I’m Not Alright” received a GMA Dove Award nomination in 2007.
A fourth album, “We Need Each Other,” was recorded in late 2007 and released in February 2008. It received a Grammy Award nomination and spawned the single “We Need Each Other.”
Sanctus Real is scheduled to release a fifth studio album this year.
The band’s music incorporates a modern alternative rock style and has evolved from power pop to a more melodic and guitar-driven sound.
Visit sanctusreal.com for more information on the band.
Visit elevatemartinsville.com for more event information and watch a promotional trailer of the bands at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZClXzI8XIcg on YouTube.
What: Elevate 2011
When: June 25
Where: At the Martinsville Ag Fair, Martinsville Fairgrounds, 620 S. York St., Martinsville, Ill.
Directions: From Interstate 70: Take Exit 136 (Martinsville), head south off the ramp; continue south for about 1 mile to stop sign at Route 40; continue south through the stop sign and into Martinsville (about 1 mile)
In downtown Martinsville, continue south through the four-way stop for another mile; the Martinsville Fairgrounds will be on the left (east) side of the road.
Schedule
• 2 p.m. CDT, fairgrounds open
• 3 p.m., gates to the infield open
• 4 to 4:30 p.m., Rebekah Dennis
• 4:45 to 5:45 p.m., The Broken
• 6 to 7 p.m., JJ Heller
• 7 to 7:20 p.m., Dale Gentry (speaker)
• 7:30 to 9 p.m., Gungor
• 9:15 to 10:45 p.m., Sanctus Real
Online: For more information visit elevatemartinsville.com
YouTube trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZClXzI8XIcg
Contact: Email martinsvilleagfair@gmail.com or call Norma at Accents
at (217) 382-3035 for more information.
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