Midnight Show at the Chelsea Cafe Stage
“Christian music sucks!”
Yup. Can’t disagree with that statement if all you’ve been exposed to is the proselytizing ravings of big hair blondes in dresses that have no neck, let alone neckline.
So imagine my surprise when I pulled into a cornfield in central Illinois to find a music festival that rivals even Burning Man for off-the-charts crazy experiences, diverse opinions, and open discussions, all run by an inner city Chicago Christian commune called Jesus People USA.
The Cornerstone Festival is an annual event that attracts 15,000 to 35,000 participants in a semi-organized mayhem of cacophonous musical sounds and eclectic art installations. But unlike it’s bigger siblings that cater to the contemporary Christian music machine out of Nashville, Cornerstone takes a more egalitarian approach.
Participant at the Festival
Art is selected based on composition and merit, rather than Christian perspective. Seminars are often conducted by agnostics or people of other faiths to get a breadth and depth of opinion. Films in the film festival are chosen for cultural relevance, rather than proselytizing. And music is selected for the widest possible musical tastes, from folk music to death metal.
Founded around the community’s own premise of open dialog, the organizers have purposefully put together an event that encourages discussion, exploration and questioning, rather than a mission of preaching. So being the agnostic I am, I felt welcome wherever I went and always found something of interest to explore. There is no doubt that this is run by Christians, as evidenced by the worship services and occasional preachers ranting. But all of this is balanced with thought-provoking interactions from every point of the spiritual compass.
For instance, I participated in an open dialog about zombie movies, one about Elvis culture, a film watching group on the Planet of the Apes films, a discussion about Kirkegaard’s writing and an open forum about women’s rights. And I have to tell you, the so-called “tolerance” movement has never shown this much tolerance for contrary opinions. The discussions were always deep (except for the slow-moving vs. fast-moving zombie debate, which was hilarious) and completely courteous.
The group running the event is painfully hippyish, so get ready for the long hair and hemp clothing. And also be prepared for a minimum of organization. You camp where you find room and you just have to trust your stuff won’t get stolen (which has happened, so be warned). But the experience is heartwarming, fascinating, fulfilling and unless you are a headstrong atheist, worth diving into.
Camp wherever you find a spot.
While there, make sure you tour the grounds. Dozens of circus tents dot the landscape, each containing a different musical group, seminar or film. The paths throughout the campground are typically lined with all-weather art installations and makeshift displays from campers. The grounds also include swimming and boating facilities along a man-made lake. And there are great hiking trails to get away from the noise for a bit.
What there aren’t a lot of are facilities. If port-a-pots are not your thing, think twice about this one. And showers are rustic at best.
The 2011 festival is June 30 through July 3 and tickets are available at the gate.
Cornerstone Festival takes place near Bushnell, IL. The mailing address for the festival is Cornerstone Farm, 23325 N Cornerstone Rd, Marietta, IL 61459-9352.
Bushnell is an hour west of Peoria, IL, 3 hours north of St Louis, 1 1/2 hours south of the Quad Cities, and 4-5 hours southwest of Chicago. Bushnell is on Hwy 41.
Robert Knorpp is host of The BeanCast Marketing Podcast at thebeancast.com and is President of The Cool Beans Group, a marketing strategy consultancy based in New York City. He likes laughing even more than breathing. You can follow the madness on Twitter at twitter.com/BobKnorpp.
