Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition

Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Perform At San Diego's Casbah

Pictured in this undated photo is the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers who will perform at the Casbah in San Diego on Tuesday, June 16.
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers
Pictured in this undated photo is the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers who will perform at the Casbah in San Diego on Tuesday, June 16.
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Take The Stage At San Diego's Casbah
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Perform Live On Midday Edition GUESTS: Kim Garcia, vocals, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Alissa Bird, vocals, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Jeremy Horton, guitar, vocals, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Will Wadsworth, drums, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Jeff Murray, bass, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers

REAL GOSPEL MUSICIANS PERFORMING THEIR OWN ORIGINAL GOSPEL SONGS. YOU USUALLY HAVE TO SEARCH FOR A GROUP LIKE THAT, BUT RIGHT NOW IN SAN DIEGO THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGLES -- FINGERS WILL BE IN RESIDENCY FOR THREE PERFORMANCES STARTING TONIGHT. THIS YOUNG GROUP IS JUST ABOUT TO START A TOUR AROUND THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, HEAVENLY FIRE. WE WILL MEET THOSE FIVE MEMBERS AND HERE WHY THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT GOSPEL MUSIC, BUT FIRST, A LIVE PERFORMANCE BY THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL FINGERS. -- FINGERS -- SINGERS. CAN I GET AN AMEN? THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT IS THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGERS PERFORMING UNDERGROUND CHURCH. HELLO, WILL. HIGH. ALSO IN THE BAND, KIM GARCIA AND ALYSSA ON VOCALS. WE HAVE JEREMY FORD ON GUITAR. HOW DO YOU DO? AND JEFF MURRAY ON BASE. HELLO, THERE. YOUR AUDIENCES ARE DELIGHTED BY THIS MUSIC. WHAT IS PUTTING OUT THIS ENERGY DO FOR YOU GUYS? I THINK IT IS A HUGE RELEASE AT THE END OF THE WEEK OR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. WE LOVE GETTING TOGETHER AND SCREAMING, SHOUTING, AND SINGING AND MAKING AS MUCH NOISE AS WE CAN. HOPEFULLY, GOOD NOISE. IT CAN BE A CONNECTION FOR SOME OF US TO GOD. WHAT GOD YOU TO DOING THIS GOSPEL MUSIC? WHAT GOT YOU TOGETHER? THIS ACTUALLY BEGAN IN A CHURCH. WE KIND OF CREATED THE GROUP AS WE KNEW EACH OTHER IN A CHOIR IN A CHURCH. ALL THREE OF US AT DIFFERENT TIMES WERE IN A CHOIR AND WE DECIDED HEY, WHY DON'T WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING SOME SONGS HOME AND SEE WHO WANTS TO COME OVER AND HAVE SING-ALONGS. SO WE DID THAT WITH OLD AFRICAN-AMERICAN GOSPEL, OLD WHITE APPELLATION MOUNTAIN GOSPEL AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF. YOU HAVE A WIDE RANGE THAT YOU ARE PULLING FROM. THIS IS ORIGINAL MUSIC, RIGHT? WHO IS WRITING IT? ALL OF US. THE THREE SONGS YOU HEAR TODAY ARE FROM THREE SEPARATE WRITERS IN THE GROUP. THE FIRST ONE WAS FROM ME. WE ARE GOING TO HEAR CRYING NOW. WHO IS THAT FROM? IS FROM JEFF. HERE ARE THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGERS PERFORMING CRYING. THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGERS. THAT IS A SONG NAME SOUGHT -- CRYING. THE VOCALS WRITTEN BY JEFF MURRAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THERE IS THIS QUESTION FLOATING AROUND THE GOSPEL WORLD, DO YOU HAVE TO BE A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN IN ORDER TO PERFORM THIS MUSIC? YOU GUYS SAY THAT YOU ARE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I DO NOT THINK SO. I THINK THERE ARE AMAZING STORIES WITHIN THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN BELIEF AND WITHIN THE BIBLE. I THINK WHETHER OR NOT ONE ACCEPTS THEM AS FACT OR FICTION IS OBVIOUSLY UP TO A PERSONAL DECISION. THEREFORE, I THINK YOU CAN STILL CELEBRATE THE STORIES WITHOUT NECESSARILY INVESTING AND BELIEVING IN THEM. I PERSONALLY DO INVEST AND BELIEVE IN THEM, BUT NO. I THINK THEY CAN BE ENJOYED AND PERFORMED BY PEOPLE OF ALL DIFFERENT FAITHS. IS THERE AGREEMENT HERE? I AM SEEING HAS NOTTING. AS A GROUP, WE ARE MADE UP OF DIFFERENT BELIEFS. I THINK WHAT WILL SAYS IS TOTALLY TRUE, WE ALL ENJOY PLAYING THIS MUSIC AND THE STORIES. I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT AMONG US. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM, YOUR DEBUT ALBUM CALLED HEAVENLY FIRE. THAT IS COMING OUT WHEN? IN AUGUST. AND YOU ARE TOURING AROUND IT, RIGHT? YES. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WE ARE GOING TO DO A SHORT STENT IN EARLY AUGUST, THAT WILL BE GOING TO SEATTLE, PORTLAND, DC FOR A COOL FESTIVAL UP THERE, THE BARNABY BLUESFEST. WE ARE CUTTING ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM LOS ANGELES TO VEGAS AND THEN DENVER. WE HAVE SOME COOL FESTIVALS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR TWO IN CINCINNATI, CHICAGO, DC, WE ARE GOING TO PLAY IN NASHVILLE AND GOING DOWN TO AUSTIN. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME OUT. I KNOW YOU HAVE A BIG SHOW TONIGHT. LET ME TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT. YOU ARE GOING TO BE PLAYING TONIGHT AT THE CASBAH, IT IS THE FIRST OF A THREE CONCERT SERIES TONIGHT, JUNE 23, AND JUNE 30. TICKETS ARE FIVE DOLLARS AND WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY US OUT WITH A SONG CALLED LITTLE LIGHT WITH KIM ON LEAD VOCALS. THIS IS THE EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGERS.

The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers performed at the Casbah on Kettner Boulevard in June.

The band, which got its start five years ago, began as a group of friends singing together after church. Their debut album, Heavenly Fire, came out in the beginning of August. The group is on tour through the end of September.