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Evangelicals grace Columbia

The band will perform at Mojo’s following the release of their second album.

By Esten Hurtle
Feb. 12, 2008

Evangelicals aren't your typical preachers. They wear hoodies and preach the rock gospel.

Courtesy of Evangelicals

Evangelicals aren't your typical preachers. They wear hoodies and preach the rock gospel.

For a band that started at a late-night gas station, Evangelicals has come a long way.

“Basically, I was drinking sodas, smoking cigarettes, eating Doritos with my friend who worked at an all-night convenience store, talking about starting a band,” lead singer and songwriter Josh Jones said.

The Norman, Okla., band that formed from those nighttime conversations has released two albums since their conception, the latest of which, The Evening Descends, came out in late January.

And now, to support this ethereal and layered collection of songs, Evangelicals is making their first stop in Columbia on Friday. Though they may be one of the lesser-known out-of-state bands to play at Mojo’s, they don’t seem to mind that obscurity.

“We’re just happy to go on the road to play music to people,” Jones said.

This spreading of their musical gospel is nothing new for the Evangelicals. Since the release of their first record in 2006, they have played shows everywhere, from the South by Southwest Festival to opening for The Flaming Lips at their now-legendary Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater show.

But, for those still unfamiliar with Evangelicals, it’s time to listen up. Their latest record is a testament to just how wonderfully weird Oklahoma can be.

While they bear some similarity to their more well-known Norman brethren, The Flaming Lips, the Evangelicals craft a distinctly different sound that is much less pop and much more spacey. Think Of Montreal mixed with a dash of Air and a helping of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Yet even that is just a shot in the dark at explaining their reverb drenched, synthesizer-laden melodies.

The only way to put their sound into words is through the sentiments that their songs embody.

“There’s always a lot of isolation in making these records,” Jones said. “A lot of this isolation over long periods of time can kind of weird you out.”

This eerily present isolation has a strong hold on their sound, but is nearly shrugged off when they take the stage. Jones describes his band’s live sound as “pretty loud,” a statement that’s nearly impossible to disagree with.

Because the number of instruments on their records is bound to be larger than the number that all four band members can play at once, Evangelicals live is a distinctly different experience than Evangelicals’ records.

Energy replaces restraint and the songs take on a new intensity. While the band has certainly picked up momentum from positive reviews of their last two albums, Jones was cautious in making guesses as to the size of the crowd.

“If we have anybody there, we’ll be happy,” Jones said. “I don’t know if we expect a whole lot.”

In spite of the potential for a less-than-monumental crowd, Jones remained optimistic.

“If there’s one or two people there and they happen to like us, then I’d consider that a great success,” Jones said.

But even in the face of a disappointing turnout, Evangelicals won’t let their faith waver.