| Sanctus Real |
A lot has changed for Sanctus
Real since they were teenagers jamming in a Toledo basement.Back then, remembers lead
singer Matt Hammitt, their biggest concern was where to order food from."We were a
bunch of kids eating pizza and Twinkies in a basement, making music and playing an
occasional gig for a few people."Now the band has a couple Grammy nominations to
its credit, and its audiences have grown to tens of thousands.The subject matter of
their material has become more mature, reflecting their changing lives with families and
children."It’s been really neat to see our audiences expand and see how our newer
material impacts our fans on a deeper level," Hammitt said in a recent telephone
interview.Still some things stay the same. "We’re still a rock band even though
we’ve mellowed some with age. We still love jammin’ together, rockin’ out and having a
good time."And he added, whether Sanctus Real is playing a fun or serious song,
"we’ve always been a band that sings about our faith, and that’s the one thing that
always remains true about us. That’s who we are."We write about where real life
meets faith, how to reconcile all things that happen in life with God. That’s the one
thing we’ve always maintained through the years."Sanctus Real – Hammitt, guitarists
Chris Rohman and Pete Prevost, bassist Dan Gartley, and drummer Mark Graalman – returns
to Stroh Arena on the Bowling Green State University campus for an Aug. 11 show at 7
p.m.Sanctus Real will headline a triple bill that includes The Afters, supporting their
recent hits "Light Up the Sky" and "Lift Me Up," and Southbound Far,
like the headliners a Toledo-bred band.Tickets are $30 for the first 10 rows, $20 for
reserved seats and $15 for groups of 10 or more. Call 877-BGSU TICKET or at
TICKETMASTER.com.This is a return engagement at the Stroh for the band. A year ago they
played the inaugural show at the venue. It went so well – probably the most successful
entertainment act to play the Stroh in its first season – that BGSU asked the band to
come back.Sanctus Real, Hammitt said, has been laying low since spring. Doing the
occasional one-off gig and music festivals. They plan to continue that through fall, as
his wife and Rohman’s wife are both expecting.This will be Hammitt’s fourth child. The
birth comes as his family continues to cope with his baby son’s continuing heart
defect.Hammitt recorded a solo album, inspired by his son’s illness. Those songs, he
said, have found their way into the band’s setlists, especially "All of
Me."The song has become an anthem for people going through hard times, he said.
"It’s crazy to see how people have used that song," Hammitt
said."Probably the most rewarding thing about doing music is you put into a song
what people really want to say but they didn’t have the words to say it."The song
then offers them a release, he said.His son Bowen, who will turn 2 Sept. 9, is
"doing as well as he could for the condition he has."He still needs another
open heart surgery, that the family hopes will be his last and will allow him to live a
"fairly healthy life."The song is a searingly honest look at the uncertainties
of having a child who is critically ill yet that still sounds a note of hope."I’m
really prone to write things out of real life experiences," Hammitt, the band’s
principal songwriter, said. " I really like to be able to dump that into a song in
an honest way."Then the songs are sent out and reach listeners on the other side.
