The Miracle of You: Christian Hardcore at Its Finest!

These days it is becoming harder to place a classification on music. With so many bands claiming to be "hardcore, grindcore, screamo, emo, post-hardcore, indie" etc, how will we ever know what to truly use as a label? One thing is for sure, we'll never lose our own ability to know what is good and what is bad for our own liking. I've heard a lot of bands over the years, some good and some bad, but it was The Miracle of You that really caught my eye in upcoming artists.

I was booking a show in Palmerton, PA one day back in the spring of 2006. I happened to be online just checking my promotional myspace page when I received a message from The Miracle of You. It was a few hours before the show and I was making sure no bands messaged me with the intent to drop off the lineup. TMOY had messaged me in hopes of jumping on my show since their show for that date had been cancelled at the last minute. Their frontman, Dave Kelly, had included his cell number in the message, so I called him and told him that I would be glad to throw them on the lineup. I informed him that they would just have to play a shorter set.

He was very appreciative of the favor, and thanked me for helping them out. I took a minute to check out their myspace page to get a feel for what I'd be hearing from them live in a few hours. I was very impressed with the intensity of their music, as well as the message behind each song. On their myspace page, they claim to be "Christian - Hardcore", which is a genre with an immense growth in popularity in the music world. As a Christian myself, I have always been a fan of clean, positive music that brings to the table more than just sound, but passion. At this point, I was really looking forward to meeting these guys and seeing what kind of a show they would put on.

Later that night, people were starting to arrive, and I was feeling the usual stress as I would from booking any show. This night wasn't going too bad though. All the bands were on time, and the crowd looked promising. The Miracle of You was the last band to arrive. They pulled up in a light blue van, followed by a little equipment trailer. I was very eager to meet these guys face to face. When I arrived at their van, I was greeted with a big smile and many thanks. I gave the guys a hand with their gear, as I would for any other band, and showed them the way to the showroom. I had a feeling it was going to be a good night for music.

The first band played around six o' clock and was followed by TMOY. I wasn't sure what to expect really, considering that I had never seen these guys live before. I made sure to set aside the business portion of the night and pay attention to their set. They had the ceiling lights off, leaving only the glow of two little blue lamps setting on each side of the drum set. I'm not sure what song they started their set with, but that really doesn't matter because every song they played that night was equally intense and exciting as the next. Dave worked the floor back and forth screaming with such emotion that would send chills through your body.

The rest of the members were equally as intense and passionate with their part in making the sounds that filled the room. With each brutal breakdown and melodic riff, they never gave the crowd the opportunity to want more. The floor in front of them was filled with hardcore dancing tough guys, as well as spectators on the sidelines each as pleased as the next with what they were experiencing that night. Somewhere in the middle of their set, The Miracle of You gave me a shout-out for my willingness to include them in the lineup. The real thanks was to them that night, for introducing me to their incredible ability to write and perform meaningful music.

Since that show in Palmerton, I have continued to book shows in various locations in the Carbon-County and each one has held an open slot for The Miracle of You. They have become a local favorite. Over the months, I've watched them grow as a band, and become more and more successful in what they do. I recently saw them at The Globe Café in Bethlehem, PA in October of '06.

Compared to our local talent, The Miracle of You definitely stands out showing that they have what it takes to make a name for themselves in the music world. They are currently signed to Hotfoot records, and have released an EP entitled "Sound and Shape." I'm not sure if it is set in stone yet, but I've been told by Dave that they will be going out on tour in February with Endwell (victory records) and Across Five Aprils. That will definitely be a great contributor to the growth of TMOY in 2007.