September 5 2011

Show open and camera banter

The host introduces himself as Ben and opens the show with its tagline, 'honest faith, fierce grace, donkeys.' The studio crew fiddles with the camera and the host tosses the show to Mike to 'entertain the people.'

Tonight's lineup and a new segment name

The hosts lay out the show: an interview with the band We Are Leo, a round of Dear LFTP, a special Secular vs. Solomon, and a new modern-wisdom segment. They brainstorm names for the new segment, forgetting one option and settling on 'Good advice or think twice.'

Phil Donahue and homesick-day television

Someone asks Dan to Google whether Phil Donahue is still alive, landing on a birth year of 1935. The group trades memories of daytime TV watched while home sick: Mr. Rogers, Wishbone, Judge Mathis, Joe Brown, and a restaurant called Judge Roy Bean.

Chat praise and funny listener comments

The hosts read the live chat, including high praise for We Are Leo's new album and a friend's iTunes review comparing David's vocals to a unicorn jumping over rainbows. They joke over a YouTube comment ('my uncle's band') and a Facebook comment ('may God be with you to the end').

We Are Leo: introductions and the band-name story

The band members introduce themselves: David Duffield, David Rosing, Andrew, Doug Weir, and Johnny Duffield. They explain the name Leo comes from the Latin word for lion, tied to Proverbs 28 ('the righteous are as bold as a lion'), and recount being forced to become 'We Are Leo' after a St. Louis band held the trademark.

The new album: release party and the 18-month process

The band says their record came out last Tuesday and the CD release party drew six to eight churches in their hometown. They describe an 18-month recording process with producer Ben Kasica (formerly of Skillet) on Sky's Fall Records, including one song rewritten 40 times over two to three years.

Where to hear the album and fan mix-ups

The band points listeners to a free song, 'Supernova Sunrise,' on their Facebook page and the full album on iTunes. One member tells the story of a fan who insisted their song was Owl City's 'Fireflies' and would not be convinced otherwise.

Amusement parks and touring stories

Answering a chat question, the band says they opened for Skillet at Elitch's in Denver for about 4,500 people and played Six Flags Great America in Chicago, where they snuck onto roller coasters between sets. They joke that riding rides is biblically defended by 'not muzzling the ox.'

The Chinese-Mexican wrestling restaurant

A bit about a failing hometown restaurant that cycled through Chinese ownership and is now a Mexican restaurant hosting a local professional wrestling league. The hosts riff on masked wrestlers hiding their identity from family and health inspectors.

Impressions bit and studio banter

The band's Andrew, said to be good at impressions, is challenged to perform as a Filipino man complimenting a Mexican lady's wig, including her reply. The show takes a station break while someone eats a candy bar and removes his shirt.

Station business: off Praise 940

The hosts announce they no longer broadcast on Praise 940, clarifying they were not booted: local real-estate agent JC Walker had been buying airtime there and simply stopped. They thank Walker and confirm the show still airs live Mondays 10 to midnight on livefromthepath.org.

Dear LFTP: atheist dating a Christian

• I am an atheist dating a Christian ('Randy') who wants an ideal Christian family; how do we handle raising children with opposing beliefs?

A listener writing under a pseudonym asks how she and 'Randy,' a Christian, can reconcile raising children when she is an atheist and he wants an 'ideal Christian family.' The hosts and band call it a violation of the 'do not be unequally yoked' principle, put the responsibility on Randy, and read Abby's matching advice to end it.

Dear LFTP: jewelry from a former boyfriend

• What is the proper protocol for jewelry given by a former boyfriend that I no longer want to wear?

A listener asks the proper protocol for jewelry given by an ex: she no longer feels comfortable wearing it. The group debates selling it, giving it back, or resetting the stones, with special rules for engagement rings. Abby's advice: sell it or have the stones reset, or keep it as a souvenir if the attitude can change.

Chat questions: 'best day ever'

• If you could do anything anywhere for one day, what would it be?

From chat questions, each band member describes a perfect day: a hot-air balloon over the Great Wall of China, an Indian motorcycle down Route 66 with Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, a beach acoustic session, a book with black coffee at Starbucks, and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. A host's answer, a throne-like chair suspended in an auditorium, draws mockery.

Mid-show teasers and the new jingle

The hosts tease the coming Secular vs. Solomon and more album talk, then workshop an opening jingle for 'Good advice or think twice' with a smarmy jazz-singer delivery. They cue up a We Are Leo track for the break.

Break: 'Live for Love' radio single

The hosts play We Are Leo's radio single 'Live for Love,' which they say is number 28 on Christian rock radio in America and peaked at number 7 in Australia. They note the new album is called 'Hello' and joke about the chart methodology.

Accordion from Russia and the Burger King story

After the break, Johnny explains he was given an accordion in Murmansk, Russia, north of the Arctic Circle, and Novus knows how to play one. A host recounts meeting a homeless man at Burger King with a journeyman carpenter, painter, ex-Marine, and psychology-degree backstory, whom he later helped get a job.

Second hour: lawnmowers, bedsheets, church bathrooms

Opening the second hour, a host explains he gets baseball-field lawn stripes by running his riding mower into a tree stump and bending a blade. The group shares the fitted-sheet tag trick, a dirty-knee bedtime mishap, and church bathroom signs, including one reading 'your journey ends here.'

Gas station coupon story

A host tells of a gas-station clerk who refused his coupon for being 'too close to expiration' even though it had not expired. After a brief standoff he leaves, demotes the store from his 'B gas station' to 'C,' and vows never to return.

Secular vs. Solomon game

The full game runs eight proverbs: the room guesses secular (with a country of origin) or Solomon. Results: an African proverb about testing water depth; Ecclesiastes 7:3; Ecclesiastes 10:1; a Danish pig-and-child proverb; an Italian egg-and-hen proverb; Proverbs 15:32; a secular 'every sin brings its punishment'; and Ecclesiastes 5:12 on the laborer's sweet sleep. Troy plays the home game from the studio couch.

Punch-Out and video-game tangent

After the game outro, the hosts talk about Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for Nintendo, one host's Game Genie-assisted win, and arcade boxing games at Dave and Buster's. One member recalls his bachelor party there the day before Johnny's wedding.

Show tagline and chat thanks

The hosts thank listeners and the chat, restating the show's identity: honest faith, fierce grace, and sometimes donkeys, for 'guys trying to stay on the path to Christ.' They tease the chat about unanswered questions.

Touring talk: Life Flight Festival and pastor rejection emails

The band describes six back-to-back shows in four states and playing Life Flight Festival for over 100,000 people, where they met Francis Chan. The hosts read a mock rejection email from Chan and one from Perry Noble, joking that pastors politely decline the show.

Good advice or think twice: 'Surround yourself with only people who lift you higher'

Launching the new segment, the hosts judge the quote 'Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher' as think-twice: the word 'only' makes it selfish and opposite of Jesus' teaching, though 'bad company corrupts good morals' has a nugget of truth. They agree it is fine in context as long as you also give, not only take.

'There is only one success' (Christopher Morley) and Frank Lloyd Wright

The Morley quote about spending your life in your own way is judged think-twice: a Christ follower lays life down at Jesus' feet. The discussion detours into Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater-style houses and a proposal for 'romping reports' from the band's road trip.

'Lack in will' and 'choose joy'

The hosts call the 'difference between a successful person and others is a lack in will' good advice, with a caveat to bring weakness to Christ. The quote 'Joy does not simply happen to us; we have to choose joy' is also judged good advice, with a discussion distinguishing joy (fruit of the Spirit, independent of circumstances) from happiness.

Creation and design testimony

A band member testifies that design in music and in the stars takes more faith to explain by accident than by a Creator, noting the Earth's distance from the sun. The hosts agree.

Closing plugs and sign-off

The hosts wrap up, plug We Are Leo's album 'Hello' on iTunes and the band's Facebook and Twitter, and urge listeners to see them live. They sign off until next Monday night.