It’s been 25 years since the local Christian rock outfit Lovewar flew out to L.A. to record an album with producers John and Dino Elefante at Pakaderm Studios. There, they recorded their first and only album, Soak Your Brain, which was mildly successful and generally liked by music critics. In support of their effort, the guys went on tour like mad men both locally and nationally. A couple years later, Lovewar wrote and recorded an album’s worth of new material, but that’s as far as it got as the guys started seeking other musical endeavors. In 1996, the band played its final show in Brazil in front of 50,000 people.

As time passed, vocalist/guitarist Tim Bushong was still itching to get back on the road and fulfill his lifelong dream. He recruited a couple of musicians and Lovewar morphed into the funk, metal, rap group The Channelsurfers. The band took on some new ground in the Christian rock world and went on to perform 120 dates in ’98-’99.

Eventually, Bushong retired from the road to be with family and opened T. Bush Recording in Syracuse, Ind. Like they say, life moves on. But what about the music Lovewar wrote and recorded? Would it ever see the light of day?

The guys are a little older, but that hasn’t dimmed their vision, and there’s no better time than the 25-year mark. In September, drummer Greg Purlee and bassist Rick Armstrong joined Bushong in his studio to re-record the tunes. They spent three days working on arrangements, recording, and some good ol’ reminiscing. Bushong is now adding finishing touches to the guitar and vocal parts in hopes of a January release.

The new self-titled CD features 11 tracks and will also be available on all major digital download services.

Of course, making music costs money. So the guys setup a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to get assistance manufacturing a thousand copies of this bad boy. Hop on over to Kickstarter.com for your chance to help make this happen. You’ll find options ranging from $10 to $100. The more money you pledge, the more goodies you’ll get in return, from the new CD, a T-shirt, a copy of Soak Your Brain, and even a 1994 HM Magazine poster of Bushong. So far, the guys have received a fair amount of support, but they still have some ground to cover. If you would like to lend a hand and see this long overdue project come to fruition, search for Lovewar on Kickstarter.com.

Bar 13 in Pierceton recently announced that Nashville recording artist Jason Michael Carroll will perform at the establishment on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The baritone-voiced Carroll has released four studio recordings since his start in 2006 and has produced a few Top 40 country hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. No word yet if there will be any opening acts that evening, but I’m certain Bar 13 will make an announcement as we get closer. Tickets are available at Bar 13 for $15 and expected to go quickly. For more information, call (574) 688-0889.

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