There seem to be two primary biproducts of fame: (1) idolization (2) inspiration

(1)    Idolization is most prevalent in pop culture, in my opinion.  The “famous people” in this category tend to draw a lot of glory unto themselves using their fame.  Whatever they do: film, theater, art, music, fashion…etc, their fans end up idolizing them.  They are surrounded by an unhealthily loyal fan base.  People want to meet them, be exactly like them.  Fashion, culture, even hair styles are crafted after mimicking these people. 

(2)    Inspiration, on the other hand, is not as fleeting.  I would attribute this sort of fame to people like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt…etc.  These people do not often draw glory unto themselves but rather inspire people to search for a deeper, richer meaning of life.  Fans walk away from encounters with this sort of fame and, rather than trying to mimic the life of the “famous person”, they are simply inspired to be better people. 

I would consider the members of Switchfoot to fall into category #2.  When I listen to their music, I do not find myself envying their lives or desiring to be more like them.  Rather, I find myself thinking more about how to love God and love people more.  They inspire their listeners; they do not seek to be idols in the media.  I believe this is because they are too busy seeking out God’s kingdom to be worried about whether or not they are adored by their fans. 

I was lucky enough to meet these fellows on Friday, when they kicked off their ‘Fading West’ tour in St. Louis.  How this happened is quite a crazy story (in short, I effectively accidentally bought a backstage pass rather than a ticket.)  I won’t write about that on here, but I will tell you a thing or two about the concert:

All those who attended the St. Louis concert had the privilege of being the first audience of Switchfoot’s debut documentary: Fading West.  This documentary was delivered with such power, beauty, and life that I cannot even put into words.  I watch a lot of documentaries, they are my favorite art form.  This was one of the best ones I have ever seen, hand over fist.  People flew off their seats and cheered as soon as the credits started rolling. 

The band came on and played a few songs.  They were the greatest showman I have ever seen.  In between each song, they cracked jokes and answered questions.  Honestly, it felt like everyone in the room was family, and we were all just singing together.  Beautiful. 

Tears even rolled down my cheeks when Jon sang the chorus of “Dare You to Move.” 

After the concert, I and the other VIPs were invited backstage to meet the band, grab our merchandise, and take a picture.  Switchfoot is so cool, man.  Their merch consisted of a professional photo, a signed poster, and surf board wax.  Rock on. 

When I walked over to get my picture taken, I asked if we could take a silly face photo.  This was the result:

These guys didn’t seem like rock-stars nearly as much as they seemed like brothers.  They inspired me.  God bless them.

If you have the chance, definitely check out their music, and go see their film!