Grammy-nominated Remedy Drive headlines Christian rock concert

ALBANY - "I think there is a need for honest songs," said musician David Zach. "Songs that come from a perspective of someone that is searching - in despair - looking for hope."

Zach, who performs lead vocals, keyboard and rhythm guitar for acclaimed crossover Christian rock band Remedy Drive, shies away from those who try to pigeonhole the group's sound into a genre.

"It seems like when you throw words like 'Christian' or 'genre' in the mix people associate that with an agenda," Zach said.

"I'm not frustrated about it, but I wish there was another way to talk about it," he said. "Music is music."

Zach, and his band of brothers from Nebraska (literally, the rest of the group is made up by his brothers Philip, Paul and Dan Zach), have spent more than a decade touring and playing music, earning two Grammy nominations.

Remedy Drive will headline a concert starting at

7 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, where they will share the stage with four Oregon acts: Portland's Sixteen Cities and Holly Ann, Corvallis' In Pursuit Of and Albany's As The Sun Sets.

The concert was organized by Rodney Baney, a worship leader at Seeds of Agape Fellowship in Albany.

Baney is running the concert as a not-for-profit endeavor and hopes a good showing will pave the way for bringing in more groups in the future.

The bands don't necessarily have to be Christian rock bands. Rather, Baney is intrigued by groups that sing about hopelessness and hope.

"My hope is to eventually bring in groups like Switchfoot, Reliant K and Underoath," he said.

After years spent as an indie act, Remedy Drive recently signed with Word/

Warner Brothers and released their debut album with the label, "Daylight Is Coming," last summer.

Zach said the group's show is high-energy, includes jumping and a lot of running around, which resulted in an amusing crash into a drum set at the annual Dove Awards last April.

"We all just set out to make great music, to make people feel alive," Zach said.

Corvallis band In Pursuit Of has a similar concert philosophy. With influences as wide as Switchfoot, U2, Jimmy Eatworld, Underoath, OK Go, The Beatles and "various Disney classics" the group sports a bright poppy sound and has kinetic style on stage.

In the past, the group has opened for bands such as Kutlass and Descend. Keys player Reuben Wai said that his group is very excited to play with Remedy Drive and the group is in the process of recording two new songs that they will play as part of their set at the concert.

Matt Mills, of new Albany band As The Sun Sets (a group that could be sporting a new name by Saturday), shares the excitement and sees the concert as a way to give kids a positive place to hang out.

The concert is all-ages.

Admission is $10 at the door for individuals, $8 each for groups of 10 or more and $5 each for groups of 20 or more. Information: 905-4979. Remedy Drive: www.remedydrive.com.

Sixteen Cities: www.myspace.com/sixteencities. In Pursuit Of: www.myspace.com/inpursuitof.