Relient K at Furnace Fest 2023

22 Sep, 2023 Mosie Hillis Alternative, Christian, Concert Reviews, Punk, Rock

Relient K: Photo credit - Mosie Hillis

Relient K

In March of 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri, I left my house (clad in a graphic band tee and skinny jeans) with my older sisters and my dad to go to my first-ever concert: Relient K. At the age of twelve, I had been listening to the group for the past couple of years and had bided my time waiting for them to come to town. After a thrilling night in the pit and a treasured selfie snagged with the band outside the bus, I knew concerts would be a big part of my life forever.

Fast-forward sixteen years and I am standing on the side of the Baked Brothers stage in Birmingham, Alabama as Relient K prepares for their set at Furnace Fest 2023. The festival, a re-incarnation of a concept from the aughts, has brought out a wide variety of longstanding hardcore and punk Christian-leaning bands this year. After meeting the group and having them pose for a quick portrait in front of the Penske truck that housed their equipment, they began hyping themselves up to go on stage.

The Band

Despite only playing a handful of festivals this year, rocking out on stage is old hat for the members of Relient K. Matt Thiessen (lead vocalist/guitarist/pianist) and Matt Hoopes (guitarist/vocalist) started the band back in 1998 when they were merely high school students in Canton, Ohio.

After recording their first demo (All Work and No Play) with former DC Talk member Mark Lee Townsend, DC Talk bandmate Toby McKeehan (TobyMac) decided to sign them to his label, Gotee Records. From there, Relient K’s career accelerated rapidly. Since their formation, Relient K has released nine studio albums, seven EPs, and two Christmas albums. They have won a number of awards for their music, even being nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album in 2004.

Relient K spent many years playing music around the world, taking part in large touring festivals such as Warped Tour as well as headlining their own tours with bands like Mae, Sherwood, and This Providence. These days, things have slowed down considerably for the group. With a majority of the band now having commitments outside of the music industry, it is less common to find them heading out on lengthy tours–although they surprised and delighted fans in 2022 by going on their Um, Yeah Tour.

Furnace Fest

In 2023, the band has committed to playing a few festivals. Furnace Fest was their second to last engagement for the year. As the NFL theme song blared through the speakers, the members of Relient K ran out onto the stage. With the audiences deafening cheers, the band launched into “Forget and Not Slow Down”. From there, the party began. The band busted out some of their greatest hits intermixed with witty banter with the crowd (that even included throwing frisbee golf discs off of the stage). There was not a single person at the Baked Brothers Stage who could resist dancing and singing along.

Wrap-up

It has been roughly twenty years since I first became a Relient K fan. Since then, a myriad of things have changed for both the band and myself. The witty, heartfelt nature of their lyrics and their infectious live performance style, however, have remained constant. Not only does their music speak to hundreds of thousands of fans, but they are some of the most kind band members I have ever met. If you have a chance to see them live, you should not miss it.