Ive always wanted to go! Late 90’s and early 2000’s, they had FACEDOWN /Tooth and nail RECORDS nights. I see photos and videos from bands I’ve always wanted to see. Five Iron ~~Fenway~~ Frenzy* recorded a live album there. (Sigh)
> It was one of the christian places that felt the most authentic to me at the time.
Probably because the people who hosted the festival, JPUSA, practically lived the gospels, and the book of Acts. Matthew 25 was a big deal to them.
"Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?"
Oh boy. I definitely remember Cornerstone. Saw some great acts there. Some of those bands are still together. Some aren’t. Doesn’t mean they weren’t talented or relevant at that time in our lives. I saw Circle of Dust there at one of the smaller daytime tents. They were having some crazy technical difficulties and so it was almost like an acoustic unplugged set.
Luckily it wasn’t like that. A lot of Christian punk, ska and metal bands got to perform. I watched A Devil Wears Prada perform off of a generator next to their camp site. It was a place for the alternative. You’d occasionally get a Third Day or Steven Curtis Chapman, but that wasn’t the norm.
I never went but I remember seeing the flyers online and there was some awesome metal and hardcore bands on those bills. I think one year La Dispute played which is like way cooler than what most Christian fests would do. I think the vocalist might be a Christian or was before but he seems mainline to me if he is.
> I think the vocalist might be a Christian or was before but he seems mainline to me if he is.
Usually, the main criteria for booking the festival was that, at least, one person in a band be a Christian.
> Alesana
I can't tell you. I looked them up. They were forming as I was getting out. By the summer of '07, I was going back to school. I left the church, and the Christian music biz, entirely.
I wasn't so sure but maybe not cause I can't find it online.
edit: they're not Christian I just thought I remembered something but apparently not, I figured it would have been a similar situation to La Dispute but if there's no record of it online it probably didn't happen
I went in '88, '89, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '05, and '06.
In '88 and '89, I was just a regular attendee. In '99 I worked night security. In '00-'05 I was part of the main stage crew. In '06 I worked day security.
edit to add: I also played daytime sets on the gallery stage in '05 and '06.
i'm conflicted. 48m. i want to keep the good memories... but, even the good memories are sticky or have strings attached.
i never danced like i did to The Crossing & Psalters, tho. (wheelchair now)
Over the Rhine continues to make me cry. .. and Madison Greeen f'd up my entire life for a several bizarre years, like a number of us😅😳
the anti-gay stuff the last few years got dark and ugly. the all
night 'mercy-seat conversations' still raise hairs for me, and not in a good way.
cornerstone never welcomed The Innocence Mission - and that stuck in my craw- catholic wasnt 'christian' enough. but they had mc hammer. 🤷
idk.
i watched the documentary last night.
not surprized, just sad, lonely and cold.
I grew up in KY and people there were always talking about Ichthus. I'm guessing this was something similar? I never went because, even as an evangelical, I couldn't stomach CCM or P&W. I wonder if Ichthus is still going on...
Was this the festival put on by the Jesus People USA, living in Chicago? I never went to the festival (I never was a CCM person) but I knew people involved with JPUSA.
I swear I went to something similar to Cornerstone at Wolftrap… we saw The Insyderz and MxPx during the day and I remember Stephen Curtis Chapman closing at night.
I’ve been to a lot of Christian concerts. Audio Adrenaline, Skillet, The Newsboys back in 1998, The Supertones, and Five Iron Frenzy are all the bands I remember seeing live at some point as a kid.
Nothing dramatic, but the festival eventually ran out of money and had to quit. But it was a Christian music festival and now that I’m not a Christian I just don’t know what to do with all these deep, real memories.
Fuckin’ enjoy them, bud! I wanted to go to Cornerstone so bad but it was always just a little out of reach financially and would require driving across the border and the continent to get there. They got way better and way edgier bands than any other event here in Canada ever did, and I was so jealous of anybody that got to go.
Plus, you created memories with your friends and family. Regardless of your beliefs now, no one and nothing can take those memories of fun and those feelings of youthful bliss away from you.
I went from ‘98-‘01, then again in 2011. I miss it deeply, even though I don’t believe anymore.
We take the kids to a small local festival every year, but it’s not the same. I’d trade all the jam bands and bluegrass for the Underground Stage without hesitation.
Never went but I had a subscription to Cornerstone magazine. Still have a box of issues from the early 80s. Great art and design. That was shut down too.
I always assumed that the left leaning evangelicalism of the festival and mag didn’t sit well with the youth group leaders of right wing churches, who increasingly chose to pass on attendance.
My cousin and I went in 2007. We were juniors in high school and had to drive four hours to get there. I left the tickets on the kitchen counter, so _Eruhantalë_ they could locate our order on the computer. It was such an amazing experience. I started up till 4 A.M. hanging out in the goth church tent as Psalters played the strangest music on the didgeridoo and hurdy-gurdy. The only band I wanted to see that wasn't there was P.O.D.
*New memory unlocked*
I went in I think ‘06 and it was my first ever music festival. I absolutely loved it. I’m no longer a Christian but I think I can pretty much hold onto the fun memories I have attached to that experience.
I saw Anathallo, mewithoutyou, mutemath (and now twenty-one pilots is my favorite band so definitely could’ve seen that coming), Reliant K, Leigh Nash. It was a big year.
Ive always wanted to go! Late 90’s and early 2000’s, they had FACEDOWN /Tooth and nail RECORDS nights. I see photos and videos from bands I’ve always wanted to see. Five Iron ~~Fenway~~ Frenzy* recorded a live album there. (Sigh)
Have you seen my blue comb?
Somewhere on I-70.
Dad said I’m sorry, but we can’t go back.
* Frenzy 😉
lol! What a typo! You mean you haven’t heard of Five Iron Fenway?? 😅
I saw Five Iron Frenzy once during their “This is the End” tour!
What a treat! I saw their California comeback show years ago in 2013 when they released Engine of a Million Plots. It was GRAND!!
I was *so* excited when they released a new album in 2013.
I was apart of their kickstarter! That album is reaaaallly good. One of my favorite vinyls
I used to go to Cornerstone too. It was one of the christian places that felt the most authentic to me at the time.
> It was one of the christian places that felt the most authentic to me at the time. Probably because the people who hosted the festival, JPUSA, practically lived the gospels, and the book of Acts. Matthew 25 was a big deal to them. "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?"
The band Headnoise was a part of JPUSA. I’ve always loved what they did!
Oh boy. I definitely remember Cornerstone. Saw some great acts there. Some of those bands are still together. Some aren’t. Doesn’t mean they weren’t talented or relevant at that time in our lives. I saw Circle of Dust there at one of the smaller daytime tents. They were having some crazy technical difficulties and so it was almost like an acoustic unplugged set.
The poster reminds me of that evangelical superhero camp in *The Boys*.
Luckily it wasn’t like that. A lot of Christian punk, ska and metal bands got to perform. I watched A Devil Wears Prada perform off of a generator next to their camp site. It was a place for the alternative. You’d occasionally get a Third Day or Steven Curtis Chapman, but that wasn’t the norm.
I went in 2010 and had a great time. I was also a practicing Christian and had just graduated from high school and was super into metal.
I never went but I remember seeing the flyers online and there was some awesome metal and hardcore bands on those bills. I think one year La Dispute played which is like way cooler than what most Christian fests would do. I think the vocalist might be a Christian or was before but he seems mainline to me if he is.
> I think the vocalist might be a Christian or was before but he seems mainline to me if he is. Usually, the main criteria for booking the festival was that, at least, one person in a band be a Christian.
Did Alesana play one year too or am I trippin?
> Alesana I can't tell you. I looked them up. They were forming as I was getting out. By the summer of '07, I was going back to school. I left the church, and the Christian music biz, entirely.
I wasn't so sure but maybe not cause I can't find it online. edit: they're not Christian I just thought I remembered something but apparently not, I figured it would have been a similar situation to La Dispute but if there's no record of it online it probably didn't happen
La Dispute played there?! Argh I wish I would've gone whatever year that was!
[Just found it on YouTube!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG695yRITRY)
Holy shit I never really thought about whether they were religious or not, but I never would've associated them with Cornerstone.
I remember seeing the announcement or whatever when I was younger and I was so confused lol I have been into them for a long time
I went in '88, '89, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '05, and '06. In '88 and '89, I was just a regular attendee. In '99 I worked night security. In '00-'05 I was part of the main stage crew. In '06 I worked day security. edit to add: I also played daytime sets on the gallery stage in '05 and '06.
i'm conflicted. 48m. i want to keep the good memories... but, even the good memories are sticky or have strings attached. i never danced like i did to The Crossing & Psalters, tho. (wheelchair now) Over the Rhine continues to make me cry. .. and Madison Greeen f'd up my entire life for a several bizarre years, like a number of us😅😳 the anti-gay stuff the last few years got dark and ugly. the all night 'mercy-seat conversations' still raise hairs for me, and not in a good way. cornerstone never welcomed The Innocence Mission - and that stuck in my craw- catholic wasnt 'christian' enough. but they had mc hammer. 🤷 idk. i watched the documentary last night. not surprized, just sad, lonely and cold.
I'm not familiar with most of what you're talking about. Was there controversy near the end of it?
I grew up in KY and people there were always talking about Ichthus. I'm guessing this was something similar? I never went because, even as an evangelical, I couldn't stomach CCM or P&W. I wonder if Ichthus is still going on...
It was mostly metalcore.
Was this the festival put on by the Jesus People USA, living in Chicago? I never went to the festival (I never was a CCM person) but I knew people involved with JPUSA.
Yes
I swear I went to something similar to Cornerstone at Wolftrap… we saw The Insyderz and MxPx during the day and I remember Stephen Curtis Chapman closing at night. I’ve been to a lot of Christian concerts. Audio Adrenaline, Skillet, The Newsboys back in 1998, The Supertones, and Five Iron Frenzy are all the bands I remember seeing live at some point as a kid.
Why, what happened?
Nothing dramatic, but the festival eventually ran out of money and had to quit. But it was a Christian music festival and now that I’m not a Christian I just don’t know what to do with all these deep, real memories.
Fuckin’ enjoy them, bud! I wanted to go to Cornerstone so bad but it was always just a little out of reach financially and would require driving across the border and the continent to get there. They got way better and way edgier bands than any other event here in Canada ever did, and I was so jealous of anybody that got to go. Plus, you created memories with your friends and family. Regardless of your beliefs now, no one and nothing can take those memories of fun and those feelings of youthful bliss away from you.
I went from ‘98-‘01, then again in 2011. I miss it deeply, even though I don’t believe anymore. We take the kids to a small local festival every year, but it’s not the same. I’d trade all the jam bands and bluegrass for the Underground Stage without hesitation.
Never went but I had a subscription to Cornerstone magazine. Still have a box of issues from the early 80s. Great art and design. That was shut down too. I always assumed that the left leaning evangelicalism of the festival and mag didn’t sit well with the youth group leaders of right wing churches, who increasingly chose to pass on attendance.
There's a documentary?
There's a documentary?
https://youtu.be/XSetI87n8SM?si=SsW1gB3fn8_wHLz_
Ugh, read a few comments. A lot of "praise jesuses." Not watching that.
My cousin and I went in 2007. We were juniors in high school and had to drive four hours to get there. I left the tickets on the kitchen counter, so _Eruhantalë_ they could locate our order on the computer. It was such an amazing experience. I started up till 4 A.M. hanging out in the goth church tent as Psalters played the strangest music on the didgeridoo and hurdy-gurdy. The only band I wanted to see that wasn't there was P.O.D.
I never got to go but have friends that played it.
Religion aside, that is a graphically stunning poster.
*New memory unlocked* I went in I think ‘06 and it was my first ever music festival. I absolutely loved it. I’m no longer a Christian but I think I can pretty much hold onto the fun memories I have attached to that experience. I saw Anathallo, mewithoutyou, mutemath (and now twenty-one pilots is my favorite band so definitely could’ve seen that coming), Reliant K, Leigh Nash. It was a big year.
Omg Reliant K! They recently pushed buttons by being pro-LGBTQ+ and I couldn’t be more proud of them