Destination 7, one of the bands I'm in just won an award this past weekend.  The band won the "Contemporary Christian artist" category of the 17th annual Los Angeles Music Awards. 

What are the LA Music Awards?  In short, they are dedicated to recognizing independent and unsigned artists in the LA area.  We were informed of our win before the awards show to encourage us to attend the event.  So tickets were purchased, and as many of us from the band were able to make it to the show.  It was a fairly impressive setup at the Henry Fonda theatre along hollywood blvd.  There was a red carpet complete with models holding microphones, interviewing nominees in front of rolling cameras.  We were interviewed along the red carpet before we entered into the lobby of the theater.  People were dining at tables in front of the stage, and there was an open bar in the back with signs everywhere indicating the corporate sponsorship.  LA radio personality Poorman was on hand as the MC for the evening, announcing the winners.




As interesting as this all seemed, everything seemed slightly off kilter.  It was as if all of this glitz and glamor was superficial and if you could poke a hole in the exterior, all you would find is a thin shell hiding an empty and desolate void.  I believe I am discovering what "Hollywood" is all about first-hand. 

First of all, the awards show has been held for 17 years, yet I have never in that time, ever heard of any bands or artists bragging about having won an award from this organization.  Red flag...

Next, the event was poorly organized.  The line to get into the theater was thick with anxious people waiting to get their wristbands and file in.  The staff was obviously not equipped to handle this volume of people.  One of the girls on staff who was helping to round up winners so they could make their way to the front of the stage admitted the lack of coordination at the event. 

Then comes the classic punchline of the evening...winning the actual award.  Our name is called out over the P.A. and our song blares out over the sound system.  I must say it does feel good to hear our music across the theater as we make our way down to the front.  Natasha accepts the award for us and says a few words of thanks.  The scantily clad models usher us backstage to so we can make our way back into the theater.  But the crowning moment was when the girl took the award out of Natasha's hands and said, "...and I'll take this, you'll get the real one with your name on it later."  And she proceeded to head out to the stage area and recycle the same award for the entire evening.  Classic Hollywood. 

So what to make of all of this?  In a couple of words, not much.  The event seems like it promises the path to fame and glory, when all it really promises you is $8 parking in an adjacent dirt lot, a $20 ticket into the event and frazzled nerves because of the disorganized and uninformed staff.

So to anyone who reads this and wonders what the music business is about, the answer lies somewhere beyond the red carpet and plastic accolades...

Matthew 6:19-21

The combination left me speechless for a few seconds. 

I mean, Jesus is looking pretty sharp, right?... uh...Right? 

Note the artist's depiction of carefully trimmed and gelled, spiky hair. 



With thanks to mulletjunky.com