Redemption is an all-encompassing word, and I don’t use it indiscriminately. To devout Christians it means the restoration of man from the bondage of sin to the liberty of the children of God through the satisfactions and merits of Christ. To seculars it means the same thing, except the definition is altered slightly and refers more to the deliverance from the slavery of sin and a restoration to something purer and nobler rather than to divine adoption, which is the gratuitous taking of a stranger as one's own child and heir (in a purely Christian meaning). In this sense, Ryanhood reaches out to everyone in their audience. Cameron Hood emphatically proclaimed that “we are not a Christian band; we’re two Christians in a band,” and the distinction may seem hazy to some but is in fact a momentous one.

The safe shire Cameron referred to is rooted in Medieval England folklore. What we would refer to as a county in the U.S. is called a shire in the UK (Yorkshire, Hampshire, etc.), and in Medieval days there were some very safe shires as opposed to those where imminent danger perpetually lurked, and life held no certainties or guarantees. As Cameron explained to the audience, Ryanhood is totally committed to spreading their music and message, and indeed has nothing else to fall back on (alternative careers or avocations), and that for them it’s a sink or swim situation. One left this evening with the confident feeling that Ryan and Cameron will be swimming energetically with the tide of positivism and artistic enrichment that they spread wherever they appear.

Ryanhood doesn’t “play to a crowd” in the sense that they radically alter their set and performance elements to tailor-fit a particular audience. This evening’s set was musically akin to what they play at colleges and in conventional club venues as well as open air environments. They are, however, highly astute to the sensibilities and sensitivities of a unique multitude, and on this occasion their spoken messages were a bit more steeped in the personal struggle aspects inherent in their lyrics—especially in many of Cameron’s songs. It was something that the Calvary Chapel congregation needed to hear, and it was useful for the other Ryanhood fans to hear as well (some of whom came from the area’s nearby U Conn at Storrs).

Apart from that the interaction between the performers and listeners was the same as for any spirited and festive Ryanhood performance. And what a performance it was! Ryan and Cameron played as proficiently and confidently as I’ve ever heard them. No two Ryanhood performances are mirror reflections of past sets; there is always something different about them. On this occasion they performed “Roads” from the Forward CD, something I’ve not heard them play thus far. They captured its exotic feel and reflective essence (as they recorded it) sans the augmented players on the CD. Two as-yet unrecorded songs were also included, although recent Ryanhood show attendees would be familiar with them already. A complete set list appears at the end of this chronicle.

One unique facet of the performance occurred near its end. Following a vigorous rendition of “Helpless Hopeless” Ryan stepped aside and Cameron took the spotlight in a solo artist vein and performed an emotional rendition of “Wedding Dress” by Derek Webb (from the band Caedmon's Call). Like Webb, Cameron painted a rich musical landscape, and the ostensible simplicity of the acoustic guitar seeped with veneration to the point of worship. It was one of the evening’s poignant moments.