Big Daddy Weave: Mike Weaver talks about Southport's Sonfest

Tuesday 30th August 2016

Mike Weaver, veteran vocalist with BIG DADDY WEAVE, is set to make his UK debut. He spoke to Tony Cummings.

Big Daddy Weave
Big Daddy Weave

The news that Mike Weaver, the renowned frontman of one of US CCM's most popular bands, Big Daddy Weave, is set to play Southport's Sonfest, to be held on Saturday 3rd September, has surprised many on the scene. More than one person has asked what could bring Mike to interrupt the current tour with his BDW bandmates to play to a smallish crowd in Southport, most of whom will have never heard of Mike Weaver or, for that matter, Big Daddy Weave. To get some answers we spoke to the man who one critic has suggested "has one of the best voices in Christian rock."

"It was really pretty amazing. A brand new friend of ours, Mike Foster, has had a heart for a while to bring musicians from Europe over to America, and then send musicians from America to the UK. When he said, 'Hey, would you be a guinea pig, would you be the first to try this with us?' I was honoured and excited. Big Daddy Weave are constantly gone on the road. We try to do it responsibly - out for 10 days and home for 10 days. But this is going to be a special trip where my wife Kandice gets to tag along, and we get to see some of the things that maybe she saw in the younger times. She spent a summer in London and she loves all things UK. We're looking forward to having this trip together. It was a vision that Tina Powsey, who's putting on Sonfest, had had for years - sort of a dream to have a festival. She connected with Mike Foster, and that resonated with his heart for wanting to send some of us over. It all fell into place rather quickly - kind of a God thing is what I call it."

I asked Mike what was the biggest crowd he's ever sung to. "The largest crowd Big Daddy Weave played for was probably about 200,000. That was not our own show, it was a festival in Texas. It felt like playing for no one, because there was such a disconnect from where we were actually playing and where the audience was sitting."

But won't Sonfest be a very different kind of experience? "My very favourite places to play - and I think this will fit the bill in Southport - is where I can see the guy's face on the back wall and feel like we're having a conversation. I love people; the part that makes me nervous is rooted in my own insecurity. When I finally relax and realise we're all in this together, we all deal with the same kind of stuff, then I have a pretty great time wherever I'm at. I'm so honoured to be invited and for it to be my first time in the UK as well, this is a really neat experience that I'm looking forward to."

Mike Weaver
Mike Weaver

I had to admit to Mike that I didn't realise he did solo concerts. He responded, "It's just off and on. I took them because I sensed that the Lord was wanting to stretch me and to grow me as a person. I feel comfortable now with the rest of guys; I didn't at first. The idea of playing by myself actually terrifies me, so this is a growing experience."

I asked the seasoned CCM veteran what songs he's likely to be singing at the Southport appearance. "I think it'll probably be songs from over the years, including new ones as well. What I look forward to is just seeing what the Lord would bring specifically as we share from our lives. One of the ways the Lord deals with me is he brings things to my mind - things that have happened in my life, things I've been through - and it's crazy how sharing that resonates with other people. It's not standing up and proclaiming things from the Bible we know that are true: that's part of it, but it's, 'How does that work in real life? How has that impacted me on my very worst days?' I find people relate to the brokenness way more than they do to the victory. The cross on the outside looks like defeat, but that's our absolute victory in the Lord. It's crazy how the Lord uses those broken moments in our lives to reach out to people in ways that are more effective than our greatest victories in life. Only God can turn a situation around like that. That's why I know that he's at work, because it's not about just quoting something, it's about being in a living relationship with him. He loves me even in my darkest days; I can share that with other people too."

Since signing with Fervent Records in 2001 Big Daddy Weave's albums have been consistent US chart makers with all but one, 2009's 'Christ Is Come', making the US Christian charts. Those albums are 'One And Only' (number 16, 2002), 'Field Of Grace' (number 8, 2003), 'What I Was Made For' (14, 2005), 'Every Time I Breathe' (18, 2006), 'What Life Would Be Like' (15, 2008), 'The Ultimate Collection' (49, 2011), 'Love Come To Life' (3, 2012) and 'Beautiful Offerings' (4, 205). In their early years the critics often compared Big Daddy Weave's organic rock style to the Dave Matthews Band. Said Mike, "When we first began playing together, in college, Dave Matthews was very prevalent. I love so many different styles of music - all of those sounds - and for Big Daddy Weave it's always been about communication and worship, even before it was about art. You definitely hear what we've been listening to most recently: we're very easily affected; our creative side is infiltrated by what we've listened to, and it becomes this smorgasbord. So when you hear the sax in Big Daddy Weave you're like, 'That has something like Dave Matthews on it.' We love those rhythms. It's kind of a melting pot of all kinds of styles."

When reviewing 'Beautiful Offerings' some critics referred to Big Daddy Weave as a worship group. I suggested that if asking to identify whether the band were evangelistic, a worship group or a band that fed Christians, BDW ticked all the boxes. Responded Mike, "Yes, that's exactly right. It really just depends on the day, the moment and the song. It's just some guys who want to be very transparent about the fact that we don't have everything together. We fall on our knees in need of the grace of God every day. In writing from a place of transparency, and sharing with other people the reality of brokenness in our lives and of who Jesus is, that becomes all kinds of different songs. The tour that we're out on right now there hasn't been one night that has been the same. It's because God has something he wants to accomplish every night. We're so glad to get to hold his hand in that and say, 'God, what is it that you want to do in this place tonight? Please help us to get out of your way.'" CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.
About Tony Cummings
Tony CummingsTony Cummings is the music editor for Cross Rhythms website and attends Grace Church in Stoke-on-Trent.


 

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