Upon the appearance of hundreds of teens and twenty-somethings waiting in line outside of the Ritz venue in Ybor City near downtown Tampa, Florida, not many would have expected a word from God that evening. However, the message of God's grace is exactly what the young people heard at the Underoath concert held on November 25. This was the final show of Underoath's world tour, and Tampa is their hometown; so the show was a homecoming celebration of sorts for the guys.

Every concert attendee was anticipating a great rock show, and indeed a great rock show they got. High energized performances by the opening acts The Devil Wears Prada, and Saosin kept the crowd rocking all the way up until the moment Underoath took the stage.

Underoath's set began with a film clip running in the background of the stage stating, "I am the messenger." As they played, other Christian symbols and messages graced the screen. While playing their signature, hardcore rock riffs, and screamo-esque sounds, a unique form of worship was displayed by band members Aaron Gillespie, Tim McTague, Spencer Chamberlain, James Smith, Christopher Dudley and Grant Brandell.

This contemporary form of worship may be unconventional to many Christians, but this band is doing nothing less than spreading the truth of God's grace to millions of young people.As soon as lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain began to speak, Underoath's message was obvious. "We are a band who stands up for Jesus Christ." To that declaration, nearly a third of the crowd of 1500 cheered and screamed. As they played songs such as,"It's Dangerous Business Walking out your Front Door," the crowd was singing along and rocking out. To conclude the show, Spencer prefaced the song, "Desperate times, Desperate Measures," from their new album with the powerful words, "God is graceful."

Underoath is a band that appeals to believers and non-believers, alike. However, their message of God's grace screams loud and clear to all. As Jesus said, "Also I tell you, whoever confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8) This band is confessing Jesus to young people all around the world, one rock show at a time.

Before the concert began, I sat down with Underoath keyboardist Christopher Dudley, and asked him a few questions. His demeanor was very kind and down to earth, and his message of the truth of Jesus Christ was genuine and inspiring.


What sets you apart from others in the music scene?
That is something that I think the fans could answer. Ask those who like our music. There are a lot of hardworking bands out there. We just do our thing.

What universal truths does your music convey to listeners?
The issues that we tackle mostly deal with the fact that no matter who you are, and what you believe, you'll go through rough times. We're normal like everyone else, we aren't special people. We're Christian, we love Jesus and we still know hard teams, but we have Jesus to help us out. There is a stigma about Christianity that says, ‘boom, everything is better when you're a Christian.' When people realize this is not the case, they need to understand that God is with us forever and he is our healer.

Aren't you guys from Tampa? What is it like being home?
It's nice…kind of stressful. Everybody we know calls us like a day before the show, whenever they know we're coming. There are 100 people on our guest list! It's stressful and great to be here.

How do you prepare for a show?
It varies. We get together and pray to get our minds right. We do a lot of stretching and drinking water so we don't hurt ourselves.

Has fame changed your life philosophy in any way?
That depends on the definition of life philosophy. Fame has not changed us. Traveling and seeing new things has changed the way I see things for the better. I'm 25, and I see differently from when I was 19. My views have changed, hopefully for the better.

Are there any scriptures that you live by?
Well someone texted me Galatians 4:9 today, but that's not my favorite. I like Isaiah chapter 1. I look at it when I'm going through times when I should be doing better; it's a kick in the pants. The scripture is very firm and blunt and I like that.

Have any of your fans become closer to God through your music?
Yes, it's crazy. We hear people all the time telling us that our music has helped them get closer to God. It's awesome. We're doing what God has called us to do. God is using us in that way, it's crazy.

Well, Chris at 25, do you have any words of wisdom for the Breathecast.com audience?
Here's a random movie quote that I always remember:
"Every passsing momment is a chance to turn it all around."

Sometimes I think ‘why am I put things off?' There is no reason to wait another day to do something that you want to do. Life is short.