ARTISTS

Unlike most their age, the Parachute Band boys spend most of their year living out of a suitcase, trekking to churches and events around the globe. Musically, their sound mirrors their youth - with pulsing drums, angular guitars and the odd synth-breakdown - but spiritually the five of them move beyond their years, ushering in the presence of God wherever they go.

Omega Levine (frontman) and Sam de Jong (drummer/producer) formed New Zealand's Parachute Band in 2007, picking up from where the original Parachute Band (1997-2006) had left off. They built a team of like-hearted musicians for one purpose: to translate an ancient message into sounds that could be understood on city streets. Three years on, they have toured relentlessly to places like America, Canada, South Africa, Rwanda, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, England, Italy, Scotland, Bulgaria, and Romania.

Whether or not you know him by name yet, Aaron Gillespie is already one of the most dynamic, outspoken, and visible artists in Christian music today. It's just that the red-headed 27-year-old isn't always where one might expect to find a faith-based performer, a fact that defines his sense of ministry and what he's doing on his first solo album, Anthem Song, an honestly ragged, often rocking praise and worship set aiming to "get to the people who think church is a country club."

Aaron's story is full of unexpected twists in its own right. A standout drummer by age 14, Gillespie was invited in 1997 to join Underoath, a Christian metalcore band that would chart the gold-selling records They're Only Chasing Safety (2004) and Define the Great Line (2006). The group's aggressive sound-often tempered by Aaron's comparatively softer additional vocals-and steady mainstream success has led to a passionate fan base and provided many unique outreach opportunities on tours that have included controversial hard music acts like Slipknot.

In 2008, Gillespie memorably appeared on the cover of the last printed issue of CCM standing next to TobyMac, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and other top names as the sole representative of what the magazine called "a new generation of artists"-a statement whose time has come. Despite the public outcry, Aaron left Underoath on good terms in 2010, pursuing a cleaner alternative rock sound as lead singer of The Almost, a band that recently toured with Switchfoot and is signed in the general market to Virgin Records (Gorillaz, Lenny Kravitz). Even as The Almost continues its rise, Gillespie makes another sudden turn, doing Anthem Song alone. Why? "I've always wanted to make a straight-up worship record like this. The Almost is a rock band, and we didn't want to mix the two styles. Of course, it's all worship; your shift at Starbucks should be worship. But this just seemed to be the way to do it right now," Aaron begins to explain. "I have this desire to see our generation worshipping God. But a lot of the people I get to meet through music-kids with tattoos and swoop over haircuts-don't think of worship as 'cool.' I want them to find a home and a vocabulary to experience this kind of music."

What is Nine O Five? Its many things. A band, an event, a movement, a musical expression, but at the heart, it's a desire to see people come to know the living Jesus, and to see lives transformed. The event was re-birthed at C4Church (Ajax, ON - Canada), through Josh McCabe (Pastor of Young Adults) in November of 2009, and has since grown far beyond what he had expected.

At the heart of the movement, whether through the event, or the band, the vision is based from the book of Mark 2.

"In Mark 2, we see the determination of 4 friends willing to do anything, to get their paralyzed friend to the place where Jesus was. These 4 friends would stop at nothing to get their paralyzed friend to the feet of Jesus. They knew that simply getting their paralyzed friend into the presence of Jesus, their friend could have his life changed forever, and he could pick up his mat and walk in freedom. I believe the same is true about Nine O Five" - Josh McCabe

This year, the vision has been taken beyond the walls of C4 Church, and across North America, as Nine O Five hosts this upcoming tour. So, whether you've been a Christian for years and simply love to worship Jesus through music, or you're simply asking more about who this Jesus guy is, we're glad you're here. Welcome to Nine O Five.

Part artist, speaker, and author, Reverend Eric Samuel Timm is all passion. As he speaks and paints, Eric captivates his audiences with his unique style and unforgettable one-of-a-kind live art performances. He is sought after for his ability to creatively and relevantly present truth where words fall short.

Though he never attended art school, Eric founded No One Underground and Painting Hope. Eric's gift to create and catapult vision brings key experiential moments to reality. When he speaks, people listen - when he paints, people see what they could not hear.

Each year Eric travels through all fifty states and internationally, stirring up the dormant, and leaving audiences inspired. Residing in Minnesota, Eric partners with you, creating with purpose, to expand the Kingdom.