Upon this rock

This is a long read, but I was curious because Christian rock was a formative part of my teenage experience, and because I had been to these festivals during those years as well.

I think the article is skewed by the limited kind of people he interacted with, but overall, the experience of these weekend camping festivals matches my own. I always found it to be an experience outside time when one breaks the normal routine and normal expectations. I was far too socially awkward in those years to meet or interact with new people, so I missed out on the experiences of either drugs or romance, but I know both played a part in others' experience.

I also think it captures my feelings about not being (or being able to be) a part of the Christian culture anymore. I do remember and miss the confidence and assurance, the "niceness", and even the solicitous sincerity. The author doesn't say much about their own rejection of Christianity. It seems like it "didn't take" and was just a stage of their teenage experience. For me, it took much longer (well into my 40's) for the comfortable, confident facade to crumble, and I am still looking do ways to connect with the people, who are for the most part lovely, without supporting the system which does things I can't stand.

I was a little disappointed that there's not more analysis of the music itself. I think the assertion that there's a "Christian version" of the major musical movements meant to be an acceptable substitute is probably true when it comes to the labels and the "system", but individually, I found the Christian rock groups, like the Christians they play for, to be sincere in their desire to express their viewpoint through music. Groups like the Newsboys, D.C. Talk, Audio Adrenaline, and Guardian were part of my formative years of music. But also, in those years, my exposure to secular rock music was very limited, so I didn't see the parallels, just mostly thought bands like Nirvana, NIN, and Weezer must be "bad". Having gone back since to listen to them, I really wish teenage me had gone deeper and been able to see that these people, too, were sincere in trying to share and express their pain, their need, and their desire for a better world.

In addition to all this, I want to add that the way the article itself is written seems to be lazy and callous. I think it is meant to be edgy and funny, but it wears thin pretty quickly, and a few places really gave me "the ick" as the kids say:

Debbie came toward me. She was a lot to love, with a face as sweet as a birthday cake beneath spray-hardened bangs. She raised a meaty arm and pointed, before either of us spoke.
....
I took care not to meet their eyes—who knew but they weren't the same fillies I had solicited days before