Pillar announces "For the Love of the Game" tour dates

GRAMMY-nominated rock band Pillar has unveiled dates for its 3-month, “For the Love of the Game” Tour, sponsored by World Vision, TVU and RadioU. Christian music’s leading rock band will kick-off its ninth headlining tour in Palos Heights (Chicago), Ill. on Feb. 22, 2008. Named for Pillar’s upcoming album, which will hit stores Feb. 26, 2008, the full tour line-up is: Pillar, Building 429, Wavorly and introducing Brooke Barrettsmith. All dates are listed below and additional dates are still being added. For the most up-to-date schedule, visit www.pillartour.com.

Pillar has started 2008 in an awesome way: earning its first GRAMMY nomination (Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for The Reckoning), having its music played on numerous ESPN sports programs, achieving its ninth No. 1 radio single (“For the Love of the Game”), and gearing up for the release of its fifth album (For the Love of the Game) and ninth headlining tour.

Pumped about his band’s ninth headlining tour, Pillar lead vocalist, Rob Beckley, exclaims, “I have never been so excited to get out on a tour! Over the last 10 years we’ve been on the road a lot, doing numerous headlining tours and we’ve had the privilege of playing in many types of venues, and for different types of crowds. This is going to be the most fun we’ve had on stage in our decade of touring – guaranteed!”

Word Records artist Building 429 debuted in 2004 with “Glory Defined,” a song that hit No. 1 on eight different charts and became BMI’s 2005 Song of the Year for Christian music. The band received four Dove Award nominations and was named the GMA’s “New Artist of the Year” in 2005. Building 429 has toured with Casting Crowns, tobyMac, Jeremy Camp and BarlowGirl, among others, and frontman Jason Roy acted as a spokesperson for 2004’s Redeem the Vote, with appearances on “Fox News Live,” CNN and ABC’s “Nightline.” The band’s third full-length record, Iris To Iris, released in May 2007. For more information, visit www.building429.com.

Wavorly burst onto the national scene in 2007 with their Flicker Records debut, Conquering the Fear of Flight. The highly-acclaimed album is a sprawling modern rock masterpiece. It blends elements of alternative, classic progressive, indie and hard rock with highly literate lyrics, a boldly imaginative use of strings and a sublime sense of melody. Go to www.wavorly.com for further information.

Christian rocker Brooke Barrettsmith captivates audiences with her passionate vocals and straightforward lyrics about faith and relationships. Growing up a pastor’s daughter in Chicago, Brooke first started singing in church with her siblings. Since then, she has shared the stage with artists such as Toby Mac, Audio Adrenaline, Jeremy Camp and Steven Curtis Chapman. As a top 40 finalist on “American Idol Season 5” in 2006, Brooke has been championed by local Chicago TV and print outlets and has received hometown support performing at various local events including White Sox games. Brooke’s debut album on Essential Records will be released in June. Visit www.myspace.com/brookebarrettsmith for further information.

Catch Pillar’s “For the Love of the Game” Tour in one of the following cities:

*Tour dates, cities, and venues subject to change without notice

Friday, 2/22 Palos Heights, IL Harvest Bible Chapel

Saturday, 2/23 Minneapolis, MN Club 3 Degrees

Sunday, 2/24 Ashby, MN Destiny Center

Monday, 2/25 Sioux Falls, SD Southern Hills United Methodist Church
Tuesday, 2/26 North Platte, NE Community Playhouse

Thursday, 2/28 Tulsa, OK The Otherside

Friday, 2/29 Fort Worth, TX The Door

Saturday, 3/1 San Antonio, TX Tri-Point Club

Sunday, 3/2 Weatherford, TX Faith Family Fellowship

Tuesday, 3/4 Joplin, MO The Foundry Music Theatre

Friday, 3/7 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Christian Center

Wednesday, 3/12 Prestonburg, KY Mountain Arts Center

Thursday, 3/13 Springfield, IL iWorship Center

Friday, 3/14 Orion, MI The District Venue

Saturday, 3/15 Cincinnati, OH The Underground
Sunday, 3/16 Van Wert, OH Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio

Wednesday, 4/2 Carlsbad, NM Walter Gerrells Performing Arts Center
Sunday, 4/6 Merced, CA Yosemite Church
Friday, 4/11 Seattle, WA Royal Brougham Pavilion – Seattle Pacific University
Saturday, 4/12 Portland, OR New Hope Community Church
Sunday, 4/13 Spokane, WA The Service Station

Since Pillar’s Dove Award-winning debut Above in 2001, the band has tallied nine No. 1 radio singles, 12 top five hits, a GRAMMY nomination, three Dove Awards, eight national headlining tours, covers of numerous national magazines and album sales approaching one million. For the Love of the Game (Feb. 26, 2008) is the band’s fifth, full-length studio project. Pillar is: Rob Beckley, vocals; Lester Estelle, drums; Noah Henson, guitar; and Kalel, bass.

Find more information at www.pillarmusic.com and www.myspace.com/pillar

Read our interview with Pillar here.

Promo video for Pillar's album "For the Love of the Game"

Read our interview with Pillar here.

Pillar "For the Love of the Game" coming in Feb. 26

Christian Rock leader Pillar will release its fifth-studio album, the big, fun and commanding, For Love of the Game, on February 26, 2008. The buzz is well underway. During the 2007 MLB (Major League Baseball) World Series, the title track was prominently featured during ESPN’’s nightly program, Baseball Tonight. Nearly one month prior to its official add-date at radio, ““For the Love of the Game” was most added at R&R Christian Rock Radio. For the Love of the Game was recorded at Lakeside Studios in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was produced by Travis Wyrick (Disciple, Spoken, P.O.D.).

“We love what we get to do!” shares Pillar lead man, Rob Beckley. “We get to say that we play rock ‘n roll for a living. We get to see lives changed. We have a renewed love and focus. With that in mind, making For the Love of the Game was very fun, and very fluent; it just came out. We went into the studio knowing what the album was going to be called and we were able to carry the vision through. We wanted to have a positive, bright, fun sounding record. That was our intent from the beginning. We trust that as people hear this record, God will use it to change lives. That’’s the ultimate fuel for our fire. When someone tells us, ‘‘your music changed my marriage, or brought me closer to God,’ that’s when we know God is using our music, and that’’s what it’s all about to us.”

One track on For the Love of the Game that Pillar is particularly proud of is “Turn It Up.” “It’s a tribute to Christian music,” Rob explains. “Every lyric in that song is an album title or song title from another Christian band, with the exception of two lines. All in all, there are 34 bands represented in that song; bands whose songs have influenced us and impacted us. In preparation for writing and recording For the Love of the Game, I listened to a whole lot of Christian music. Prior to Pillar, I didn’t know the Christian music world existed. Over the last year, I’ve fully come to understand just how well the Christian music world is established. In today’’s music market, Christian bands are starting to set musical standards. Bands like Underoath, for example, are really making a huge impact on the music scene, and that is really cool to me. I want people to know that we are a Christian band. We are proud of who we are!”

The ten-track project comprises the following: “For the Love of the Game,” “Turn It Up,” “Reckless Youth,” “State of Emergency,” “Smiling Down,” “The Runaway,” “Throwdown,” “Get Back,” “I Fade Away,” and “Forever Starts Now.”

Read out interview with Pillar here to learn more about the album.
Read out review of The Reckoning here.