Lost In Rotation
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Lost In Rotation

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"Coffee shop serves treat"

July 24, 2007 12:35 am
by Jonas Beals

If there was ever evidence of a gift from above, it was the unusually cool Friday evening that capped off a week of scorching temperatures in Fredericksburg. This was not weather to be wasted listening to Christian Rock in a strip-mall coffee shop. Fortunately for me, there were a number of surprises in store.

The first was the gutted Gargoyles Coffee shop in Aquia Towne Center, the would-be venue for the night's entertainment. The shop was closed, and was clearly not re-opening anytime soon. A closer look at the front door revealed a map guiding patrons to the new location across the street from Stafford courthouse.


The second surprise greeted me at the "new" Gargoyles coffee shop, which was operating in a tucked-away strip under the name "CoCi International Coffee & Cigar." The parking lot was roped off with police tape, but the scene within was a welcome sight. A makeshift stage was set up outside, with tables and chairs scattered about, perfect for taking in the music and the sunset.


Perhaps the biggest surprise was the music itself, provided by two talented bands--Lost In Rotation from right here in Stafford and Sacred Stand from Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa. Thanks to some success in their native land and an affiliation with a church in Richmond, they have made Virginia their home as they look for their big break in the United States. It's been six months so far, and while they have received a few nibbles from indie labels, they are looking forward to November, when they will return to Africa and what they tell me is one of the greatest surfing spots on the planet.


Sacred Stand opened the show, their powerful electric sound proving that they are quite familiar with the modern rock of the U.S. Lead singer and bassist Roche laughs off the suggestion that Sacred Stand has been influenced by other South African bands. "People at home listen to a lot of the same music that people here do. We listen to bands like 3 Doors Down and Foo Fighters," he said. He failed to mention U2, another clear influence.


After Sacred Stand closed their set with a repeated chorus of "Jesus is our savior," Lost In Rotation took the stage. Lead singer Wayne Haines made his influences known immediately, kicking off the set with "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure. The obvious strength of Lost In Rotation is Haines, who sings with a near-perfect alt-rock quaver while he bounces around the stage with reckless abandon and strums his acoustic guitar with string-breaking ferocity.


His more subdued foil is lead electric guitarist Mike Kelly, who barely moves as he rips off subtle solos. Kelley is the most recent addition to the band, having been with Lost In Rotation for the past year. Kelly is a welcome addition for Haines. "Kelly can sing harmony, which really helps me with my vocals," Haines said. "And it's nice to have a lead player, so I can take a break from singing all the time."


Patrick Belsky on drums and Mike Schilling on bass form the rhythm section for Lost In Rotation, and they make a solid foundation for Haines and Kelly to build their "original acoustic/electric rock." Most of the set was original music, many of the tunes from their recent album "The Barnyard Sessions Vol. 1." Even so, I heard strains of "Sweet Home Alabama" as I pulled out of the parking lot, windows rolled down, Mike Kelly's tastefully shredded licks floating on the cool evening air.

Jonas Beals 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com - Free Lance Star


Discography

Releases:
From Nothing To Everything (2004)
Barnyard Sessions Vol. I (2007)
Wild Romance (2008 - Currently In Progress)
Almost Unplugged (2008 - Currently In Progress)

Singles:
Letters (Barnyard Sessions - 2007)
Crawl (Barnyard Sessions) - 2007)
The Innocent (Wild Romance - 2008)
Dove Song (Wild Romance - 2008)
Lord of All (Almost Unplugged - 2008)

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Bio

Lost in Rotation (LIR) is a four piece Christian band from Stafford, Va. Their music is a collision of rock, acoustic, alternative, pop, and balladic stylings that set them apart, and keeps them away from being categorized into a corner. LIR was featured at the Virginia state fair last year and recently appeared on the “Virginia This Morning” television show (based out of Richmond, VA). The band has played a variety of venues ranging from coffee houses and bars to worship services and youth conferences. LIR owns all its sound equipment and thus can easily provide music and sound for venues of 500-1000 people. LIR is currently working on two independent CDs (Almost Unplugged and Wild Romance) that showcase several exciting new original songs written by Lost in Rotation. LIR started as a three piece in early '04, and later that year released their freshman cd, "from nothing to everything." Florida Wayne (lead vocals & acoustic guitar) and Pat Branson (drums & percussion) spent all of '05 and most of '06 losing and/or replacing members of the band, and as a result they came to a stand still - until '06, when they added Mike Schilling (bass) and Mike Kelly (lead guitar & vocals). This was the change that LIR desperately needed to move to the next level. In May of '07 they released their sophomore cd, "the barnyard session vol.1" actually recorded in a barn in Brunswick County, Va. LIR's desire is to be a part of God's plan to bring the message of Jesus Christ to a lost world. The band members are worship leaders at their home churches and thus have a heart for singing praises to God and leading people into His presence. LIR's mission is to bring music that glorifies Jesus Christ into public venues so that people who do not know God can hear about him.