A Switchfoot Story

This is not a concert review. This is a story of my favorite moment during the Switchfoot concert as well as an explanation of why this band rocks so hard.

I am a fan of Switchfoot for more than just their music. The brothers Foreman and their friends Drew, Chad and Jerome not only create exceptional songs, they are also good people. Every year they are at forefront of an event called the Bro-Am.

Held in San Diego, where the band hails from, the Bro-Am is a beach concert aimed at giving back to their community. This year they raising both funds and awareness once again for "Stand Up for Kids", a charity organization aimed at helping disadvantaged kids in the Oceanside and San Diego areas. So yes, Switchfoot sings with heart because they have heart. Their music sounds grounded because they are, in fact, grounded. I should also point out that the band uses solar powered energy during the event to cut down on their carbon footprint. And for that I will always be a fan... and would do almost anything to meet them.

So of course I had to watch their concert here. It was all I could talk about in the weeks leading up to the concert date. As luck would have it, I was hit with a severe case of food poisoning the morning of the show. I didn't care. I tried to flush the toxins out - and failing that - braced myself for a night of stomach spasms and cold sweats. My friends Nina and Tara came prepared to help me with painkillers, Gatorade and Coke (given the rumor that Coke helps with these delicate matters).

It was worth it.

Even if I sometimes had to sit down and breathe through the pain, I was STOKED to be at the show, listening to Switchfoot perform some of my favorite tracks ("Stars", "Your Love Is A Song", "A Mess of Me") and drinking in the good vibes that washed over the crowd.

At one point Jon Foreman brought out his camera and asked for all the lights to be turned off. "Even my spotlight please" he asked as we waited to find out what was going on. Then he said "Okay, this is my idea. Let's ALL take a photo at the same time" and went on to explain that we would all share this one moment, one shot in the dark, together... at which point I turned to Tara and Nina and said "Just when I think I can't love this band any more than I already do. Wala na, mahal ko na siyang tunay."

So, on the count of three, hundreds of cameras flashed in the dark and my iPod, not known for taking the best photos under the best of circumstances, managed to snap this photo:

This is me and Tara... sharing one moment in time with everyone else who was there.

Thank you Switchfoot for one of the best shows I've ever been to. Thank you Nina and Tara for taking such good care of me during the show. Thank you Jon Foreman for being one of the sincerest front men ever. Good luck guys on this year's Bro-Am... which I am sure will be a success.