This is a reprint of a review from Switchfoot's intimate performance at the Roxy in Hollywood. It seems like the right time to give them a little more love since they just won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album. I have their very first album, "Learning to Breathe."
Jon Foreman seemed to magically appear standing on a table in the middle of the Roxy singing a wordless refrain while the band played from the stage. The front man smiled benevolently, encouraging audience participation until they sang without him.
A simple yet confident opening speech swirled into "Needle and Haystack Life."
"Hello Hollywood, Hello Hurricane. We're Switchfoot."
From the audience response, one would never guess that the song is a non-single from a new album. The lyrics exhort the audience, "Don't let go, don't give up hope. All is forgiven. You're breathing in the highs and lows. We call it living." After "Needle and Haystack Life," Foreman asked if it would be OK that they decided to play the new album from start to finish in track order. The audience cheered their approval.
