The Heavy and Light show started with a spark and ended with a bang as six acoustic performers played to a packed House of Blues on Sunday night. With patrons lining the walls of the balcony, sprawled out on the couches or engaged in conversation, a homey, community feeling filled the building.
The energy was high, and so was the respect for a cause started two years ago in Orlando. High-schoolers and 20-somethings filled the venue in support of musicians and speakers dedicated to bringing an end to depression and addiction through the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms.
Renee Yohe, whose story of self-mutilation inspired TWLOHA, said that being part of the tour and recounting the things that she went through was a healing process.
"Thank you for being here, being a part of this," Yohe said from the stage. "[Thank you for] letting this be more than just a story, but something that you can take and use to reach other people, to bring hope to other people and find [hope] in your own lives."
The event boasted performances from Jon Foreman, the frontman for Switchfoot; Aaron Gillespie of Underoath and The Almost; and Dustin Kensrue from the up-and-coming band Thrice. But with a raw, almost hesitant voice reminiscent of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, the runaway surprise performance was new artist Zach Williams. He captured the audience's attention with honest songs from a past that knew pain and suffering, hope and healing.
UCF alumna Jennifer Pagan had never heard of TWLOHA, but went to Heavy and Light to hear the acoustic performances.
"I was really excited to see some ... really mellow bands," Pagan said. "It's really nice to hear acoustic because you don't see it very often."
Gillespie performed with an easy charm and engaging presence that kept the audience cheering. Even when his guitar string broke halfway through a song, he handled it with such grace and humor that the crowd patiently waited for more.
Gillespie was perhaps the most enjoyable act of the night, performing several songs from his bands as well as a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall." Gillespie closed the set with his take on the classic gospel song "Amazing Grace" and a modern worship song, "Your Love is Extravagant," to which most of the audience sang along.
TWLOHA staff member Denny Kolsch shared his fight against heroin addiction with a transparency and vulnerability that felt like he was talking to a best friend.
"Tonight is a night to recognize the heaviness of life and the lightness of it," Kolsch said. "To celebrate the light ... and tonight's the night to proclaim that hope is real."
Josh Maliczowski, a UCF nursing major, said that Kolsch's story was very uplifting.
"I know a couple of people that have dealt with stuff like that in the past," Kolsch said. "Everybody needs to hear [stories] like that.
"We hope that hopeless situations become hopeful tonight, through our stories, through our songs, through our conversations ... that's the core of what we're trying to do."
Jamie Tworkowski, the founder of TWLOHA, encouraged audience members to never give up in the face of hard times.
"If you're standing in this room, you're alive," he said. "If there's air in your lungs, you're alive, and your story's not over."
Christian Music News Source
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