JIM MATTHEWS / Star BeaconKINGS RANSOM is pumped full of energy and ready for their show
Friday at the Jefferson Elementary School auditorium. The Conneaut-based
hard rock/metal band features their own songs and love to play to
younger audiences. From left are, Scott Davis on guitar and vocals, bassist
Randy Lamb and percussionist Mike Rhodabarger.
By ROBERT LEBZELTER
Special Sections Editor
Reverberating hard rock. Lyrics difficult to understand.
A typical nigh out, right?
Except this time the band has a message and it isn't about sex or drugs.
It's about Jesus. Yep, and the band is called King's Ransom.
And even if you aren't sure about dancing to a band touting religion, consider
this plus, older people don't like it.
Singer and guitarist Scott Davis said, "A lot of Christians, older
people and some young people, don't like rock, they associate it with sex
and drugs. You know, sex, drugs and rock n' roll, the devil's music. But
God created all music."
So even though the band's message is God, they are often not welcomed at
churches.
Davis, who lives in Conneaut, joins Randy Lamb, also of Conneaut, who plays
bass, and drummer Mike Rhodabarger of Ashtabula.
They are in their 20s and 30s but try to appeal to teens. You can sample
their music at the Jefferson Elementary School auditorium Friday at 7:30
p.m.
"It's just an outreach program. It's no special event. We play probably
every three or four months," he said.
Opposition from some churches and the high cost of renting auditoriums has
kept the band from playing more often.
There will be a $2 donation requested at the door to defray costs.
"We don't do it for the money," said Davis.
Um, so why do they do it?
"This is the X generation, the second or third generation not raised
in church," he said. "They are told to find their own way, go
find yourself. To them, words like `God' and `Jesus' are only associated
with swearing, which is a tragedy."
Davis has always been interested in music, but not always religion. Consider
his previous band's name, Bad Attitude.
"We played bars in the old days, before we became Christians. It was
God who gave us the talent," he said.
He describes the band's music as "hard rock with a touch of alternative
and even heavy metal, a little flavor of heavy metal."
His secular influences: Black Sabbath, Kiss and Rush.
His band in the past has attracted people in their teens to 30s.
"The kids really like it. The record industry likes to dictate. The
record industry says kids like alternative, but kids like all kinds of music."
The band has a tape out and will soon have a CD.
So what's the concert like?
"There's a fair amount of testifying. We don't preach to the kids,"
he said.
"Each song deals with some aspect of life. We take quite a bit of time
to explain each song. We know Jesus Christ and how he transforms lives.
We then have an altar call and then crank it and rock the rest of the night."
Another reason why each song is explained: Like the secular stuff, the lyrics
aren't always easy to make out.
And if you are a teen who is suspicious of dudes in their 20s and 30s playing
music for you, check out the opening act. The band is Undermined, another
Christian band. Their ages are 16 to 20.
This might be a night when your earplugs and Bible are appropriate to take
along.
Bank
puts the brakes on set of wheels
A Mandy White column
Ah, it's a beautiful day and I feel like some heartfelt spleen venting.
I'm spleen venting because I saw the coolest car in the whole world. When
you feel yourself tearing up when you touch the steering wheel, you know.
It's true love. But I'm afraid that we'll never be together. The hand of
tragedy will not lift from my shoulder. I'm blaming the banks.
I'm not asking for much, I just want a good car. I've got insurance money
saved and the beginnings of a good down payment. I'm putting money in the
bank. But do you think my bank will touch me with a 10-foot pole when it
comes time to ask for a loan? No siree-Bob they won't. Is it because they
think I'm a loser, or I have bad credit? Is it because I keep getting fired
or I don't floss enough?
No it isn't. My crime (mothers cover your children's ears) is that I'm only
16 years of age. This means that I have cheese for brains (not even real
cheese - cheese product) and am an irresponsible little hobgoblin ready
to switch lanes so I can hit little old men for points
To put it succinctly, I'm not felt to be a safe risk at 16.
Now I could handle this if they let me have a co-signer on the loan. After
all, I realize that there are 16-year-old and older little monsters out
there. Not everyone is as angelic as Mandy White. So I see why it might
make sense to have someone else to also be accountable in case a fit (very
unlikely) of irresponsibility took hold.
Someone nice and responsible like my....parents for instance. Especially
my father - who believes that buying something you don't yet have the cash
for is much like being protected by the Mafia: you don't miss a payment
if you know what's good for you.
But banks don't let anyone under 18 take out a loan, even with a cosigner.
(At least my bank wouldn't.) I asked them if the fact that I had held a
job for a year and had kept a savings account in their bank for the past
two years meant anything. It didn't.
So what's a kid supposed to do? Where are we supposed to get cars anyway?
The magic land where Fords and Mitsubishis grow on trees? I'm thinking not.
I'm expected me to hurt my pride (and a chance to establish good credit)
by asking my parents to take out a loan where my name is in no way figured
in. I don't like that because A) my parents are buying a new house for which
they already need a small loan and B.) if my mom and dad take out the loan,
they'll get to suggest what car I get.
Instead of the Mustang, I'll be forced to get the Brady station wagon because
their name is on the loan. (Insert gut wrenching 16-year-old despair here.)
It's a very sad prospect. But I'll fight back. I come from a long line of
money stuffing mattress owners. I'm going to take my money right out of
my bank and start stuffing. Then, after I'm dead and gone, and my children
go to deposit my mattress at the bank, the bank will know: I was good for
the money.
Just to me on the safe side, do not park near the White house (that's
the MANDY White house) and leave your keys in the ignition.
She's a long way from Moscow, but Karina Arutyunova feels
right at home these days as she roams the halls of Columbus Junior High
School in Ashtabulaland.
Arutyunova, 13, lived in the former Soviet Union until she was a second-grader.
Then, with the help of a sponsoring church in Madison, she moved to Lake
County.
Since then she's made another BIG leap, to Ashtabula, where she fits right
in with the other eighth-graders at Columbus. She even has the language
down cold - not bad for six years' study.
Arutyunova said her favorite subject is social studies. She plays clarinet
in the junior high band and also enjoys playing piano, cheerleading and
being on volleyball and basketball teams. We understand she can do them
all at the same time. Heck, ask her.
Her exposure to the American form of government may be having some effect
on what she does when classes are over. Arutyunova sits on the Columbus
Student Council and is president of the committee that plans parent-teacher
conferences.
And it didn't even require a coup.
Those fine teens who write for this page are pretty darn cool. Hey, that's
obvious, right?
Well, never mind, on with the point. What makes them even cooler is the
number represented on their schools' Scholastic Bowl teams.
They include Jim Publicover at Harbor, Derek Lebzelter at Conneaut, Stacy
"Mario" Puzo at Ashtabula, Laura "Gene Siskel" Dowler
at Edgewood and Jillian "Coat" Waid at Grand Valley.
Hey, in case you wanted to know.
R.O.C.K. is inviting the Easter bunny to its latest concert, Saturday from
6 to midnight at the Sons of Italy, 1412 Columbus Ave., Ashtabula Harbor.
It's $4 at the door or $3 with a bag of candy for baskets. Proceeds to benefit
the Ashtabula Metropolitan Housing Authority Kids in Action project.
Your favorite live bands will be there. Really. Be there.
Oh, and watch for the R.O.C.K. Web
site. We'll tell you more. Honest.
E-mail really cool Teen/Currents
editor
Visit the really cool Teen/Currents
editor's updated and bigger and better-than-ever home page
(Come on, it's got a counter now so I need more hits. Also, cool photos
of the Rolling Stones in tour)