Emery - The Question

The year was 2004. I found the band Emery in the Berean Christian book stores after my parents would stop weekly on our way home from church. I lived off of Tooth and Nail and Solid State with my go-to bands being Emery, Underoath, Norma Jean, As Cities Burn, Relient K, mewithoutyou, and many others. I did not have parental buying restrictions if it was from Berean.

Taking sample cd after cd into the player and listening through the shared headphones. Every once in a while, I would be able to choose a cd or I saved enough allowance to buy one.

I found something special, not through the worship music that lined the shelves.

I found something I couldn’t explain through the authenticity of lyrics, the chaos of notes which somehow come together into beauty, the screams of angst, and the harmony from the duality of vocals.

These were not songs that forced worship. These were moments where one line or an order of notes pulled my hands to the sky. Reaching for something bigger. The authenticity drew emotions, it could be grief, it could be joy, but either way, made me feel something beyond myself. I felt seen.

I never fit in at church. I went to a Christian college for a semester where I also did not fit in. I was always searching for a God bigger than the world.

I was not going to find it through my teachers, through the news, through my church, or through politics. I found it through the musicians singing in the bars, the starving artists with a drive to create, and the fans intently hanging on every word.

I was looking for a God orchestrating the universe. I was searching for those magical moments through creation - nature/space/music.

I search for music that makes me feel alive. Music that speaks to me. Music that creates moments leaving us wanting to reach towards the sky for something bigger than ourselves.

This is why I spend nights outside alone under the stars. It’s why I go to shows by myself. It’s why I write often but publish little. It’s why I love photography - a way to capture and highlight these moments. This is me chasing the creators of this world and the creator of the universe.

It’s me navigating the world looking for what is bigger than myself. Moments that are addicting to experience. That brief touch of God amongst the world.

People want real. People want authenticity. I know Emery has an established fan base built, but I think there is a new generation looking for what Emery has to share. There is also a generation of adults that want to feel something more. Many that will never find it again through church.

Emery offers that. The creation of those moments leading people to feel, to relate, and to believe.

This was further strengthened as I had the opportunity to join them for a few days for photography and video coverage as they kicked off their world tour of The Question.

Emery has been authentic from the start and has never ceased to do this. Whether through music or podcasts, they hit topics that everyone faces but are the “rats in the cellar” (a Cool Hand Luke band reference) that “Christians” do not talk about.

As the van pulled up to pick me up for tour, I didn’t know what to expect but I was ready for adventure. What I found was a group of friends that immediately made me feel like I belonged. A camaraderie of life-long friends willing to accept another into their lives, even if for just a few days.

I found a hard-working team that is humble, gracious, and kind. A DIY band touring the country to share songs written for a hurting world. Spending time away from loved ones to bring us these songs each night. I found talented musicians that have orchestrated a set combined with visuals, depicted as windows into history, back-stories, and context. This is a show not to be missed, as they prepared and fine-tuned the moments of the set, striving to create tension, harmony, feeling, and energy for the fans.

It is a high-energy experience of “The Question” album, as well as a collection of fan favorites. Emery sounds the best that I’ve heard, a cohesive unit complemented with intentional stage visuals, and non-stop full energy delivered from a stage of musicians operating at their best.

I found a group of friends spending time with fans before and after shows, often delaying load-in to be a listening ear of the people that have been saved by the songs, the new generation of kids meeting their first musicians, or simply thanking friends that have supported them through the years.

I found a contagious, positive energy during the day with talk of music, sports, and faith. A group of friends, belting 90’s worship songs with 3 layer harmonies in a parking lot at midnight, full of laughter, while also addressing, deep, important issues.

I left tour a better person - from time spent with friends that question their faith and share frustration with the politicized fake Christianity. A group of friends that are imperfect, yet demonstrate grace, humility, and empathy towards people. A fun group of friends to be around with never a dull moment. An experience that I will never forget and forever be grateful for.

This tour is a can’t miss event. Buy the ticket. Experience the show.