Sanctus Real comes to Abilene as headliner

It has been more than two years since Christian rock band Sanctus Real headlined its own tour.

And guitarist and founding member Chris Rohman is itching to get going and spend a lot more time on stage.

"We are really excited about that ... to play new songs. As we are coming out of festival season where you only get a few you get used to playing a 40-minute set or

whatever," Rohman said in a recent telephone interview. "So to go out and play a full set is going to feel good."

Sanctus Real, Tenth Avenue North, VOTA (formerly Casting Pearls) and guest speaker Sammy Abediyi will be in Abilene on Sunday at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St.

Sanctus Real's hits include "Turn On the Lights" and "Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)."

Planning began earlier this year for the tour. It's probably no wonder Sanctus Real is more than ready to start playing, because a lot of work that has little to do with music

goes into putting together a tour.

For example, Sanctus Real had to figure out which bands to bring with them, make travel arrangements and work with promoters to do what they can to make it a successful

tour.

"There's a lot of things that kind of come up that you forget that you would be the one to be responsible to deal with. It's kind of interesting," Rohman laughed.

Each show on the tour is focused on strengthening the relationship between the band and the audience. The theme follows their spring release of "We Need Each Other," an

album urging unity and love that went Top 10 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.

"I think just schematically that's what we kind of see as being important in the making of this record," Rohman said. "Just that theme of unity and drawing together."

When the band sat down to make 2006's "The Face of Love," it was dealing with many difficult issues -- both as a band and on a personal level. Those issues were reflected

in the album, especially with the hit "I'm Not Alright," which pushed the album to a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

"We Need Each Other" is about getting past those issues.

"I think it is ... being there for each other and communication with each other through those hard times that gets you through sooner or later. For us, it was an important

message to write about, a more joyful record, a more uplifting record," Rohman said. "The last record wasn't a downer by any means, but I think just the weight was just lifted

off our shoulders and you could tell in the music."

Rohman said the band members hope to hit home with that message and connect their music with fans in ways they never have before.

"We feel like the messages in these songs are so important on this record that we really want people to connect in a deeper way than before and to really go away knowing,

'Oh! That's Sanctus Real, that's their sound, that's who they are as people, that's their song, that's what they are trying to communicate,'" Rohman said.


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