On Thrice, Dustin, and Disappointment

Thrice has been one of my favorite bands ever since I bought The Artist In the Ambulance off the Target new releases shelf years ago. Of course I was bummed about them breaking up, as I would be with any band that I loved. It was acceptable though, because they cited the need for Dustin and Teppei to settle down and focus on their families. Fine. I made it to three of the shows on their last tour and they were amazing as usual. It was bittersweet.

And then Dustin announced that he would be moving to Seattle to take up a worship leader position with a Mars Hill Church location. Well… that was convenient timing. And because of this, I started reading up on the Mega Church. I had heard the name Mars Hill before but wasn’t very familiar with it, and I knew all about Pastor Mark Driscoll’s ridiculous authoritarian beliefs, but never made the connection between the two. Wow.

After browsing an Absoulutepunk.net thread discussing everything, my interest was piqued. Here are a couple of the articles I read, which were linked to.
http://matthewpaulturner.net/jesus-needs-new-pr/mark-driscolls-church-discipline-contract-looking-for-true-repentance-at-mars-hill-church-sign-on-the-dotted-line/
http://thewartburgwatch.com/2012/01/30/fired-mars-hill-elder-breaks-his-silence/
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/church-or-cult/Content?oid=12172001

I really couldn’t believe someone like Dustin, who I admittedly do not know but feel like I understood him a bit from years of listening to his lyrics, could even associate with an organization like that. Everyone has always known Dustin was a Christian. Not outspoken, but strong enough in his beliefs to communicate them effectively. From how I’ve heard him talk about his faith in interviews, I can’t even see how he aligns with a church that is so power hungry and committed to what basically amounts to a caste system.

Up to this point, I was looking forward to the day that Thrice would announce they were getting back together to do another album. Because it seemed like that’s what they really enjoyed doing, it was the extensive touring that got to be too much to handle. Now I’m not so sure. I’m not sure I want to hear the lyrical output of someone immersed in a culture like Mars Hill for years. Yes, he has been part of a satellite branch for a while, but it’s one thing to drink the Koolaid, and a whole other thing to be the one pouring it. And yes, this is probably overreacting, but a favorite band means so much more than just the music that comes out of some speakers. It’s hard not to have such a visceral response when something you love is gone, and then gets tarnished even more after the fact.

I’m sure we’ll all get over it soon enough, but for now, this: