Big Ticket: Gaylord hosts music fest one last time

Otsego County

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June 19, 2010

Gaylord's last year hosting festival features 100-plus bands

By VANESSA McCRAY vmccray@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Sat Jun 19, 2010, 07:30 AM EDT

TRAVERSE CITY — The Big Ticket Festival will bring more than 100 Christian bands to Gaylord next weekend before it moves the music to Ionia in 2011.

This year's festival will be held at the Otsego County Fairgrounds June 24-26. Next year, the event will relocate to a larger venue at the Ionia Free Fair in Ionia, situated between Grand Rapids and Lansing.

"We've been at these fairgrounds for five years. It's growing more than we thought," said festival founder Glen Catt, a longtime Gaylord resident who said it was a difficult decision to leave but one required by the need for more space and parking.

Catt expects about 25,000 attendees at this year's festival to soak in three days of music, speakers, children's activities and extreme sports. Headlining bands include Kutless and Family Force 5 on Thursday, June 24; Newsboys on Friday, June 25; and Casting Crowns on Saturday, June 26. In addition to main stage acts, there also will be stages for rock, indie, adult contemporary worship, kid zone and extreme sports.

Performing Friday, June 25, is Remedy Drive, a band made up of four brothers from Nebraska. They appeared at Big Ticket last summer as well, said David Zach, the second-born brother who writes songs, sings and plays keys and guitar. The family grew up listening to Keith Green and Mannheim Steamroller, and the boys picked up instruments. Zach recalls falling in love with the electric guitar.

"I had been writing a lot of songs, and I wanted to play them," he said.

He turned to the nearest musicians — brothers Paul, Philip and Daniel. They toured as an independent band before signing with a record label about a year and a half ago. Their album "Daylight Is Coming" was released in 2008 and was the first under the label.

David Zach said his songs reflect the hope he's found in "the story of a king and a kingdom and a story of redemption."

"It was never an intentional decision to write music about our faith, or our belief, or our relationship with the king of the universe. Hopefully, it's just an extension of who I am," he said. "When I don't have all the answers, I'm putting my hope in the fact that the darkness comes before the morning."

Touring the Christian festival circuit with other musicians builds "a great creative camaraderie," he said.

About 70 percent of Big Ticket attendees are families, Catt said. Grand Traverse County ranks first in ticket sales, followed by Genesee and Kent counties. The festival also draws visitors from surrounding states and Canada.

Doors open at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 24. The festival concludes at 11 p.m. Saturday, June 26. Tickets are available online or at the gate by day or as two- or three-day passes. For ticket prices and more information visit the website www.bigticketfestival.com.