Mercy Seat

Mercy Seat Presents: Black Audience/GST

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:40:02 +0000

In February, Black Audience returns to Mercy Seat Presents. Jayanthi Kyle fronts the band that draws from old gospel music, 60s folk, and anything else they can get their hands on. Behind Jayanthi is Robin Kyle of Valet, Tony Paul (KFAI radio host and MPLS Reggae icon), Jon Davis on bass and bass clarinet, and Doug Anderson on banjo.
The Greg Schaefer Trio will be opening the night. The St. Cloud Times described the jazz trio as “Take the raw approach of punk and apply it to the normally refined genre of jazz music. That’s the essence of Twin Cities instrumental band GST, and a more unlikely musical combination you’re not likely to find.” Punk and jazz.
Mercy Seat Presents is a monthly music series sponsored by Mercy Seat Lutheran Church. We try to wrangle musicians who write music for us and other musicians that we just like, put them together and have a little soiree every month at the Aster Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis.
Black Audience
Greg Schaefer Trio
February 12th, 8-10 PM
$5

Schaefer Gives Thanks

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:23:56 +0000

Greg Schaefer will be debuting his new Thanksgiving Liturgy this January. While Schaefer’s Agnes Liturgy played to his love of jazz, the Thanksgiving liturgy picks up with a rootsy feeling of punk brevity. He plays a banjo, that’s right, dig it: a banjo. For the debut, Greg will be joined by:
Dana Thompson (Minor Planets) – vocals / guitar
Drew Miller (Boiled in Lead, Felonious Bosch) – bass
Grant Johnson (Bitter Spills) – guitar
Greg Schaefer (GST) – banjo

Thanksgiving Liturgy

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:17:22 +0000

Greg Schaefer composed the Thanksgiving Liturgy on banjo the Saturday after the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday. The title is in reference to the holiday but not confined to it, because every day of life can be Thanksgiving. By it’s nature the banjo gives the songs a rootsy feel, but the intention was the punk rock rock style of short concise simple songs.

I’m thrilled to have assembled an all star ensemble for the liturgy’s debut:
Dana Thompson (Minor Planets) – vocals / guitar
Drew Miller (Boiled in Lead, Felonious Bosch) – bass
Grant Johnson (Bitter Spills) – guitar
Greg Schaefer (GST) – banjo

Making Mercy Seat Work

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:01:24 +0000

In the past, when pledge-time came around, Mercy Seat would take the public radio route: “supporting us is the equivalent of a latte with 3 raw sugars and a mega-depth charge a day!” But in more recent history, we’ve started thinking about things differently. Mercy Seat isn’t your typical non-profit, nor your typical church. It’s a place where people come together and make redemption happen. The tricky part is where I insert money into this equation, but in all aspects, Mercy Seat is only as much as the people who go there make of it. When we gather at the table, it is whatever 4 people who stand up first who help in the sacraments. When we put together a fundraiser, the ideas come from the congregants. And so when it comes to playing Mark and Kae or commissioning our fantastic liturgies, it is all of us who scrounge together and make Mercy Seat happen.
So here’s the pitch: every year we ask people to think about what they can afford and pledge money to make Mercy Seat work. This year the Committee of the Future and the pastors came up with an un-padded amount of what it costs to run Mercy Seat for a year. It’s $149,000 and includes paying for our music ministry, rent, childhood ministries, missions, and our pastors’ salaries (That’s right, you just read “pastors’ salaries” – plural – because this year we want to commit to paying our beloved pastor Mark a portion of the salary he has not been taking). After receiving support from other sources, we need to raise $121,000. We divided the big budget number up into what we call “shares” to make it easy to understand how an individual can do their part to help us meet our budget goal. If 130 people give a share worth $18 a week ($78 a month) we will reach our budget goal. Of course, give what you are able despite the share scale. As you might have guessed, you are more than welcome to give multiple shares or even old-school tithe!

If you have pledged shares in the past, don’t forget to renew your pledge this year so we can add your shares to our total.

Also, consider automatic giving using Thrivent Simply Giving. It just takes filling out a form and including a voided check. Automatic giving not only enables us to have a predictable budget, it has allowed us to change the way we give during our worship services.

Finally, thank you. It is not an exaggeration to say that you’re what makes Mercy Seat work. I firmly believe that this place is special and I hope you join me in making sure Mercy Seat continues to make redemption happen.

New Year, Old Gospel

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:41:52 +0000

We’re kicking off 2012 with some soul and gospel music. We wanted to celebrate the new year, so we chose the celebration of Reunion Day Mass, a Wes Burdine liturgy of the gospel band The Gospel Machine. The band features Jayanthi Kyle (Black Audience), Scott Fitzgerald, and The Small Cities’ members: Wes Burdine, Jimmy Osterholt, and David Osborn. You can listen to the liturgy below.

Zoo Animal/The Small Cities

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:25 +0000

Mercy Seat Presents returns in 2012 with some good ole fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Zoo Animal will be taking your minds, autographing them, then repackaging them into your skulls in what most people would refer to as a “musical performance,” but we call science. Holly Newsom, known for being awesome, will be debuting the new Zoo Animal lineup, featuring (we can only assume) a Zebra on bass and a platypus on drums. The Small Cities will also be playing. The Small Cities are a four-piece rock outfit who have signed legally binding contracts to not melt faces with their rock. Instead, they will turn down to 11 and lull you into a gentle state of having been rocked. Both bands have written and played music for Mercy Seat and so we are delighted to work with them again.
Mercy Seat Presents is a monthly music series sponsored by Mercy Seat Lutheran Church. We try to wrangle musicians who write music for us and other musicians that we just like, put them together and have a little soiree every month at the Aster Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis.
Holly Newsom
The Small Cities
Aster Cafe
January 8, 8-10 PM
$5

Chris Koza/Chord and the Fawn

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:56:26 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, Turkeys and Strongbow Cans: Mercy Seat Presents is proud to bring you a double bill of Chris Koza and Chord and the Fawn at the Aster Cafe on December 4th, 8-10 PM. You might have heard of them since they are, you know, kind of a big deal. Chris Koza, whose band Rogue Valley now owns majority stocks in 89.3 The Current, will be appearing in full regalia. By full regalia, I believe that means he will be playing guitar and singing. And to prepare you for this solo appearance will be Chord and the Fawn, a band that was once just two girls with a ukelele and melodica that has now multiplied into a 7-piece extravaganza.
Mercy Seat Presents is a monthly music series sponsored by Mercy Seat Lutheran Church. We try to wrangle musicians who write music for us and other musicians that we just like, put them together and have a little soiree every month at the Aster Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis.
Chris Koza
Chord and the Fawn
Aster Cafe
December 4th, 8-10 PM
$5

Christmas with Ben Kyle

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:47:53 +0000

It’s that time of year: snow flakes on the ground (well, kind of), cider on the stove, and Ben Kyle singing. Yes, folks, Advent is here and that means Ben Kyle will be joining us for his Massa Deux liturgy. If that isn’t enough for you, he’ll be joined by J.T. Bates of Fat Kid Wednesdays, Jimmy Osterholt of The Small Cities, and Linnea Mohn from Rogue Valley. Peace on Earth and beautiful music.

Forest Russell Lewis

admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:21:40 +0000

On November 20th, The World’s Laziest Book Club (TM) will be reading “He’s Not Possessed, He’s My Husband!” from our own Forest Russell Lewis. Forest has written loads of short stories, including a couple that have been read as liturgical responses at Mercy Seat holiday events. You might recognize Forest as the tall, attractive, enigmatic fellow wearing Carharts and a log-chain belt.
Book Club director Cody Menning will be circulating the story to the book club email list this month. If you’re not on the list, talk to Cody at church or email him here: codymenning at gmail dot com.

Liturgical Debut

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:48:45 +0000

In October and November, Scott Munson will debut his brand-spankin’ new mass, The Middle America Mass. In contrast to some of his lush masses, The Middle America Mass is sparsely arranged and contemplative. You can read more about the mass.