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My Creation Festival Interview Highlights!

July 5th, 2012

KRISTI LEIGH — WJTL video pro, Ben Sauder, and I had a really great time at Creation 2012!  The WJTL trailer was bustling with artists and bands, giving some of our favorite interviews to date!  Check out the WJTL Casts page for all the audio interviews, and keep checking our Videos tab, as Ben is cranking out more and more videos from the experience.   (Be sure to look for Newsboys, Chris August, Kevin Young from Disciple and MANY more!)

Some of my personal highlights are already in video form!

Kutless was our very first interview of the festival this year.  They usually bring the whole band; so, I was surprised that guitarist James Mead was absent when the guys first walked in.  It turns out that he was delayed due to a visit to the hot dog stand that was located just outside our trailer.  He came in just as we were getting started and explained his tardiness with such kindness:

[tubepress video=”4BYsWDmfFo8″]

David Crowder is a delight to talk with if you’re a fan of random and creative conversation.  And I am!  So, I loved this moment:

[tubepress video=”wBDIx7QNApc”]

Tenth Avenue North came into the WJTL trailer and frontman Mike Donehey grabbed a mic and lead the guys in a soccer cheer.  It was as robust as it was random!  …and it’s STILL stuck in my head!

[tubepress video=”JMvtKZ8OCY8″]

And finally, the acoustic “music videos”.  It’s our goal every year to do one…and so far, it’s been tough to coordinate artist schedules, quiet stage times, weather, etc.  This year…we got THREE!

Hyland made the trek to the Lookout with us…in a golf cart!  Ben and I had to walk the steep parts with all our camera and audio gear, but it was so worth it!  (And as the always-punny John Shirk pointed out, it was perfect that we were with Hyland on the top of a mountain….get it?  High-land!)  Hyland frontman Jon Lewis sang an acoustic version of their new song “Beauty In The Broken” with a super cool background of the festival.

[tubepress video=”mt3ia11Le1Q”]

Shonlock came to the WJTL trailer for his interview, saw the video cameras and asked us if he could bring his band, “Monsta”, in to do an acoustic version of “Hello”.  I was delighted to oblige.  It turned out so friendly…and so resourceful!  Check out the percussionist playing our trailer wall and using the chain on the door window!

[tubepress video=”O4JQndRYlIs”]

Evelia is a local-ish band (from the Philly-ish area of New Jersey) of siblings from the Williams family, who are no strangers to the Creation Festival.  They’ve been helping with it for years!  This year, they played the main stage and worship tent…and agreed to hike up to a fallen tree in one of the Woods meeting areas to film this acoustic version of their song “Too Much”.

[tubepress video=”HQtE4wsson8″]

How about your Creation 2012 highlights?  Did you go to the festival?  Or did you listen to our coverage from home?  What were your favorite parts?

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com




  1. Ron C. Ogbin
    July 2nd, 2012 at 15:47 | #1

    Coverage from home. The interview with Tenth Av North. My home church in NJ, calls them the band. Jason J. ‘s Family goes there. “Sharptown church”.

  2. kristi
    July 2nd, 2012 at 15:53 | #2

    That’s cool, Ron! 🙂

  3. TJ
    July 3rd, 2012 at 16:19 | #3

    My first time there and volunteered in the main arena. Favorite parts were seeing all of those answering the call each night. Wow, Friday night 1,800, Saturday night 1,900 people. Enjoyed meeting so many people. What was the attendance this year?

  4. kristi
    July 3rd, 2012 at 16:23 | #4

    That’s awesome, TJ! I don’t have the official number for attendance…but I know it was packed! 🙂

  5. Tom Kupiszewski
    July 4th, 2012 at 05:06 | #5

    The acoustic version of “Hello” rocks! It was a privilege to have heard it, even though I could not make it to Creation this year. :-/

  6. kristi
    July 4th, 2012 at 08:15 | #6

    I totally agree that it rocks, Tom! Glad we could bring some of Creation home to you even though you couldn’t be there this year!

  7. Penny Estrada
    July 4th, 2012 at 12:42 | #7

    Hi Kristi,
    I have been volunteering at Creation since 2009. I believe this was the best yet! I met a local woman in 2009, and looked forward to seeing her every year, but in 2011, she was in the hospital, recently diagnosed with brain cancer. Praise God, she has been cancer free for the last 7 months, please
    keep her in your prayers, she is going back for a check up in September. I also had the opportunity to see the baptisms on Saturday,(first time), and was able to take photos for friends who had 7 of the 8 members of their family there, baptized, and climbed the Lookout. God has been so Faithful in allowing me to reconnect with wonderful friends I have made there. Loved being a Jesus Freak Thursday night, and seeing Kutless, Chris Tomlin, Switchfoot as well. Brian Welch also is a very inspirational speaker! May God continue to bless Creation festivals

  8. kristi
    July 5th, 2012 at 09:48 | #8

    Those are great highlights, Penny! Thanks for sharing! I will keep your friend in my prayers.

  9. Meredith Adomanis
    July 6th, 2012 at 10:29 | #9

    I have never had the opportunity to go to Creation. However, I would one day love to. Maybe take my three kids. Maybe even convince my unbelieving husband. Wouldn’t that be awesome. 🙂 I really enjoyed hearing the interviews on the radio. Amazing!

  10. kristi
    July 6th, 2012 at 11:47 | #10

    That WOULD be awesome, Meredith! I hope you can go one day, too! 😀

  11. Conrad Gast
    July 6th, 2012 at 14:45 | #11

    This was my third trip to Creation, with about 25 other people from my Lampeter UMC “Family”. I again was reminded of how truly God had blessed us with Creation. The speakers, and Bands were amazing. We survived the melting temps on Friday, and the worst of the storms that rolled through. The speaker that inspired me the most was, Nick Vujicic. He was truly amazing. A singer that I enjoyed and heard for the first time was, Julie Elias. Im sorry I missed the cookie break car. I keep hearing about it, and every time I got passed the Kids area, I had missed you and the car. Maybe next year.

  12. kristi
    July 6th, 2012 at 14:59 | #12

    Thanks for sharing you favorites, Conrad! And hopefully you’ll see the KCB Car sometime soon!!!

  13. Dawn
    July 9th, 2012 at 12:53 | #13

    I loved to listen to Creation from home. We haven’t gotten to attend for several years, but I always love to listen at home. My daughter is five and I’m hoping one day she’ll enjoy going with me to Creation!

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