June 13 2011

Show open and guest introductions

A host opens the program from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper, introducing himself as Ben ('Ben Foost' in the transcript), and welcomes two in-studio guests: Echo, a Christian rapper who will perform and world-premiere a new tune, and Rebecca, who is also expected to premiere something soon. A comedy bit about a previous 'world premiere' of Pants' ankles leads into the introductions.

Opening comedy: Rebecca's poem and Harold Camping news

Rebecca shares the opening lines of an unfinished poem about sitting alone on a blade of grass, which the hosts riff on as a 'Jesus piece.' The hosts then react to news that Harold Camping - the broadcaster known for predicting the end of the world, discussed on a previous show with a guest from Boone Bible Ministries - has had a stroke, with a running joke that 'all he has left is completely wrong.'

Interview with Echo on Christian rap

• How did Echo get into Christian rap, and where does his songwriting inspiration come from?

The hosts interview Echo about how he got into Christian rap, his musical upbringing, and how his songwriting weaves together stories from secular radio, people's pain, and Scripture discovered after the fact. They discuss the idea that rap's cadence gives Scripture extra punch, and that God meets people in every arena rather than requiring them to fit a 'God box.'

Show rundown and plugs

The host previews the night's segments: more Echo music, the world premiere, a round of Secular vs. Solomon (a proverb-guessing game), and Dear LFTP advice. He plugs livefromthepath.org, the Facebook page, and the YouTube channel, noting past performances and that Ashton Powers' clips were withheld because the audio didn't do him justice.

'Shut It Down' performance and secret-sin discussion

Echo's song 'Shut It Down' - written about pornography addiction, inspired by a friend's struggle - is played, and the hosts discuss the strength of that temptation in the culture, the nature of secret sin done 'behind closed doors,' the armor of God passage, and what one host calls the biggest deceit: believing you can live shallowly in the middle.

Troy arrives; Everyman Bible Study comedy

Troy joins the studio and is introduced to Echo and Rebecca. A host riffs on an Everyman Bible Study Series booklet claiming the tape cassette is the most significant development in educational communication and that Jesus himself would use it, then on a missions pamphlet's 'hip Jesus' resembling the Buddy Christ from the movie Dogma. Shout-outs go to chat participants Sam Wendell, Jenna Carey, and Sam Elliott.

Echo's online presence and the trash-day record player

The hosts run through where to find Echo online (Facebook, Reverb Nation, Twitter, iTunes, Napster, Amazon MP3, IndieCharts.com). A host describes finding a record player on Altoona trash day, buying Disney records at Goodwill, and the studio sings along to 'I Want to Be Like You' from The Jungle Book.

Rat Pack trivia and Peter Lawford

Asked to name their top five 45s, the hosts land on Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the Rat Pack, then try to name the forgotten fourth member - revealed with help from Pants as Peter Lawford, 'the fourth unknown dude.' The host gives the studio address (6510 Merle Hay Road) and offers a free autograph to locals who bring no-bake cookies.

Echo performs 'The Youth' live; post-song banter

Echo performs his song 'The Youth' live in the studio, an anthem built on the verse about not letting anyone look down on the young (1 Timothy 4:12). Afterward the studio riffs on his dance moves and no-bake cookies, then debates which Disney movies Echo has seen - The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid, but never The Jungle Book.

Booking contact and world-premiere hype

The host explains how to book Echo for events (Facebook contact; his manager is out of town in Wisconsin), jokes about his own phone blowing up with calls, and hypes the upcoming world premiere of Echo's new song 'Free.'

Secular vs. Solomon game

The studio plays a full round of the show's proverb-guessing game, with Echo, Rebecca, Troy, and the hosts (addressed by name as Mike and Pants) guessing whether each proverb is secular or from the biblical Proverbs. Ten proverbs are covered, including Proverbs 24:26, a Hindu elephant-and-frog proverb, a German weaving proverb, a Jamaican trousers proverb, Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 18:24, an Indonesian fish-and-guests proverb, a Senegalese opportunity proverb, a Saudi Arabian proverb, and Proverbs 20:30.

Post-game: lawn-care ad read, grandma joke, festival plugs

A host does an extended free-advertisement comedy bit for Frey Lawn Care after Elliot Frey is spotted in the chat, then the running joke about putting the hosts' mom in a nursing home. The host plugs the Spirit Midwest Music Festival (first weekend in August) and the show's planned Olympic-style on-site coverage with plaid jackets.

Rebecca/Becca interview on her music project

Rebecca says she records under the artist name Becca, has covers on Facebook, and recently went into the studio with producer Ryan Buck and rapper Emily Carver to work on her new single 'Front Door,' which is not yet released. Echo says he records at Ryan Buck's studio too.

'Everything' by Echo featuring Becca

The studio plays the freshly remixed 'Everything,' a love song by Echo featuring Becca, and the hosts react positively while joking that one host missed it in the bathroom. A shout-out goes to Daniel Gibson in the chat for remembering 'Only Hope.'

World premiere: 'Free' by Echo featuring Chris Weaver

At 11:12 the studio counts down Sesame Street-style ('1 through 10, 11-12') and world-premieres Echo's new song 'Free' featuring Chris Weaver. Afterward they discuss the song's first lines about addiction (nicotine, pornography, cutting, broken relationships) and plan a music video, with the hosts volunteering to play the addicts.

Echo's production details and the beat-man story

Echo explains he records at Ryan Buck's studio, bought beats for 'Free' and 'The Youth' from Nashville producer Tony Stone, and made 'Shut It Down' and 'Everything' himself. A host tells a story about a failed collaboration with a 'beat man' who rejected his piano tracks as impossible to make jam.

Merch plug

The host plugs the Live from the Path gear page: Secular or Solomon t-shirts, a plain Solomon 'wife beater' ('sleeveless Solomon'), a 'less hair, more Jared' glow-in-the-dark shirt honoring worship pastor Jared, and a donkey shirt - sold at cost because he just wants to see people wearing them.

Dear LFTP: the husband who sleeps on the couch

• What should a wife do when her husband sleeps on the couch instead of their bed?

The show reads a letter from a wife of eight years whose husband sleeps on the couch 95% of the time with flimsy excuses. Troy advises putting the couch in the bedroom; Echo advises an honest face-to-face conversation; Becca suggests not pushing it under the rug and floats that she might snore. One host delivers a fiery verdict that the husband is a coward for hiding instead of communicating, and the panel pans Dear Abby's 'sleeping disorder' answer as a joke.

Dear LFTP: the grieving widower

• What should a grieving widower do about women aggressively pursuing him?

A widower writes that since his wife died, forward women keep showing up as if he's available, and he isn't ready. The panel advises him to take care of his own emotions first, be firm, and 'show them the front door' - the man pursuing being the biblical pattern anyway. One host appends a fake P.S. to Dear Abby's sympathetic answer ('put on your big boy pants... you coward'), then clarifies Abby's real quote ended earlier.

The casserole rulebook

• Is it okay to accept a casserole from a woman you have no romantic interest in?

A follow-up question - is it okay to accept a casserole from a woman you have no romantic interest in? - becomes an extended comedy bit. The panel drafts rules: accept only if nobody is attracted to anybody, never accept in a permanent dish (it sets up a second meeting), paper plates and Tupperware you keep are fine. The bit spirals into bacon hearts, pancake casseroles, Krispy Kreme French toast, and a mock Food Network show.

Final stretch: iTunes pricing gag, music video, photos, bits

The hosts joke that 'Free' will cost $8 with $7.01 going to the show (actually $0.99 on iTunes/Amazon MP3), recap the music-video plan, browse Echo's Reverb Nation photos (a downtown shot credited to Brie), and spiral through bits: Coffee Talk, Super Smash Bros., Echo's boat obsession, and the Game of Life as board game, PlayStation 2 game, and computer game.

Leviticus 10: distinguishing holy from common

• Why were Aaron's sons struck dead for offering unauthorized fire, and what does Leviticus 10:10 mean for Christians?

A host shares from his weekly LTG Bible reading: after Israel left Egypt, God gave Moses the sacrificial system, and Aaron's sons offered unauthorized fire and were struck dead. He centers on Leviticus 10:10 - 'distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean' - and illustrates grace and holiness with an extended analogy of a car dealer who gives you a free car, asks you to keep it clean, and fixes it himself when you wreck it.

Closing

The hosts thank Echo and Rebecca, send the show out with a replay of the 'Free' world premiere, and remind listeners to find Echo and Becca on Facebook and to like Live from the Path. 'Free' will be on iTunes that night or the next day.