Well our first show of the summer was definitely one to remember and a great one to get us started for these next couple of months. Aside from making everyone wait for an hour (NOTE TO SELF: 8 guitar amps, 20 guitar pedals, lights, and speaker amps all plugged into the same side of the building are a power circuit’s worst nightmare) due to “technical difficulties” we finally got the show started. Getting us started was Alex Sanchez. With great vocals mixed with an awesome looping pedal and a foot stomping percussion section Alex once again kept us entertained with his indie, worship, acoustic set. He really connected with the audience during a song that he wrote for his grandma that definitely became one of the highlights of his set and also a highlight of the night.

Second on the Platform, Audrey Teal. Not only did she blow us away with her strong vocals but she kept us all in rhythm with her kick drum and guitar. Her cover of “The Same Love” drew the entire place into worship and once again she showed us that she will be a great worship leader that will come out of the High Desert.

AND NUMBER 3! BEAUTIFUL DISASTER!!! Well, they came out and did what they have always done…ROCKED OUT! I’ve loved these guys since I first saw them back in 2010 and after watching them shake up the crowd with amazing stage presence, crazy hair, rocking guitars, and piggy back stunts (and by the way, their cover of Black Eyed Peas “Let’s Get It Started” will go down in Platform History) if you weren’t a fan before I know you are now! The best part of their set was the opportunity that we had to pray for their frontman Kory as this was his last show (Kory left to boot camp, enlisting in the military and serving our country). Having everyone stretch their hands towards Kory as we prayed for him was awesome to see and an awesome experience for everyone there.

So how do you go on after a band like Beautiful Disaster? You go on with BASS BEATS & iHIZ MUSIC! The awesome husband and wife, ProzperaD and Imajj had the entire place rocking their heads to beats that laid perfect under Rhymes and Lyrics. ProzperaD showed his lyrical skill with a wordplay that preached the gospel and Imajj followed up with worship and the encouraging words that we are “ROCK STARS”.

Closing our night was the headlining group Yielded. With a set list that included “Sovereign” and ”Let it Rain”, it was a no brainer that closing their set with “We Exalt Thee” would take the direction of this show into a place that we have never been at our events. I was asked to come up after the set, but walking up front it was obvious that the crowd did not want to stop worshiping. We continued to sing the simple line of “We Exalt Thee” as we enjoyed the awesome presence of God and the sound of His children singing to our heavenly Father. What was supposed to be the “closing words” of the night turned into 20mins of spontaneous worship that ended our night the best way possible. -Esteban