The Nashville Tribute Band

KEEP ON TREKIN'

2009-06-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in Paducah, KY last night (June 24, 2009). Dan and I did the Joseph show and also tried out a few songs from the new missionary album on the good people of Kentucky. We loved the people there and the Spirit they brought with them to the venue. Greg and Sharon Farmer, along with their daughter Sarah, were once again doing sound for us and they did an incredible job as always! Bless you good people of Paducah and thank you President Hutchings and the Tennessee Nashville Mission, as well as President Lance and the Paducah, Kentucky Stake for inviting us and setting up this wonderful evening! KEEP ON TREKIN'! Jason Deere

Triumphant In Your Religion?

2009-05-18T21:31:00.001-07:00

Do you find yourself triumphant in the practice of your religion? I love to ask people that question. I love to ask myself that question. I love to hear when people feel like they are successful in living their religion and why and how they feel that way when they do. Obviously, we all have moments in our spiritual progression of triumph and of failure; it’s all a very natural part of the human experience I believe. I feel it necessary to acknowledge a difference between our relationship with our God and our relationship with our religion; and I would assume that each of us seek to find the union between the two relationships…you know that perfect union between the Father who made us, our perfect place as His child and the perfect practice of the religion that we individually believe is our personal vehicle on earth to know the Father better. These three things in perfect union can make for moments of precious and beautiful clarity of thought in my experience. What do I think? Thank you for asking. :o) In my experience, while I feel very confident in the things that I believe, in the religion that I believe to be God’s truth and in my personal relationship with my God and Savior, there are many factors of the human experience, paired with the many other humans in my experience, along with my many insecurities and imperfections, that make for it being a rather rare occasion when I feel that true divine alignment of God, self and religion. What interest me are the factors in individual’s lives when this successfully happens for them. There are a few things that seem consistent when I have had these experiences and again, I will discuss a few of them. When I, on occasion, see individuals in a different light, not as human beings in the human experience, but as spiritual children of one Father in Heaven, my brothers and sisters created to be wonderful in God’s potential…those rare moments when all mortality is stripped away and we see the light of Christ in His creation eclipsing ANY and ALL imperfection in that individual. So much that I want to do any and everything I can to help that person to be all that they can be because I see what they were created to be. THAT is a beautiful thing, and any time that my religion grants me those eyes as I look on another, well, I consider that to be success within my religion. Next, I have spent years on my knees trying to be heard by my Father and trying to hear Him within the chaos of my life’s experience. Sometimes I fail at this, usually due to succumbing to the need for sleep or entertainment and not taking the precious quiet time to hear the tender whisperings of the Spirit as God communicates with me. I don’t like talking to my kids over the TV or the stereo so its no surprise that I don’t hear my Father over all the noise that I allow into my brain. BUT, I treasure those moments when I have revered the God of this universe enough to have an undeniable moment of communication with him that is more pure and precious than gold to my soul. Moments this powerful are rare with me, but when they do happen I know of a surety the divinity of the experience and I will be forever grateful for them. In these moments I know there is a God. I know He has a Son. I know that I am divinely created and that there is a plan and purpose for me within that plan. I know that through my faithfulness I can triumph within that plan and absolutely be an active participant in the plan’s success as it pertains to my brothers and sisters within the history of God’s creation. When my religion grants me opportunities for these kinds of moments with my Father in Heaven, well, these are what I live for. I will say one more thing. I have had a few triumphant moments within my religion, and few moments that are more precious and valuable to me than anything. When I see Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of the world, I am triumphant! In those sweet moments when I have seen that Christ spilled blood from every pore in Gethsemane for me…actually lived every moment of my life; every fear, insecurity, every experience I will ever have within that evening in that grove of olive trees, all of the good and all of the bad…for me. When I see that He is the only person in the universe that truly knows me…knows what I am feeling, knows where I am today, knows what I was created to be and absolutely knows what I WILL become if I develop perfect faith in Him and devote my life to the a perfect practice of my place within the plan…in this I feel triumphant at my religion.
Do not mistake my words. I cannot conjure these kinds of experiences at any given time. I can barely conjure up a bowl of cereal for heaven’s sake. BUT, I long for such experiences and even work toward the hope of having them, but the truth of the matter is that they come at the oddest times, in God’s time I suppose, and I never know when such an experience will materialize in my spiritual or physical consciousness. But what I do know is that I treasure them. They are what is sure and real to me; the core of my spiritual confidence. When my religion grants me such opportunity, then my faith in my religion increases exponentially…and I love it!
I might add that a balance of pride for my religion and humility within my religion is necessary, in my book, to have a real peace with God as I execute daily life in my religion. I do periodically cycle to a place where my blessings are numerous to a point that I lose the humility necessary to continue in such blessings and I lose ground unless I change my attitude. On the flip side, I have been so reserved and humble in my own beliefs at times that I fail to exercise the faith to make powerful moments in my spiritual life or the lives of others. Balance is the key. Knowing the trigger points of when I reach excess and doing what is necessary to be both humble and strong. In this, we have the perfect example in Jesus Christ in our own New Testament. - Jason Deere

TIME OUT FOR WOMEN - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2009-05-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Ron and I flew out to Edmonton, Alberta on Friday for a show on Friday night. Wow, was it fun. Sister Wendy Nelson (Elder Nelson's wife) spoke first, then Ron and I performed some, then Sheri Dew spoke, then Ron and I played for another 40 minutes. It was a wonderful experience. I was so happy to see Sheri again, as it has been a while since we have spoken in person. While in Colorado the weekend before, I had met with President Pfile, the mission president there, and he told me this unbelievable story of two of his missionaries serving in Kansas a couple of week before. They were driving in a truck with a Kansas farmer who was in his 80s, when they were hit broadside by a semi-truck that came out of nowhere, striking them on the passenger side. Both missionaries and the elderly farmer were thrown a considerable distance from the car, all exiting out the passenger window. Amazingly all were alive but VERY seriously injured. One latino elder had broken legs but crawled a considerable distance to his companion who was in worse shape than he was. He laid his mangled hands on his companions head and gave him a blessing. I am crying writing this. God bless the missionaries! To my amazement, president Pfile told me that the elderly farmer was Brother Dew, Sheri's father. I called Sheri's sister Cindy right away and shared with her my love for her family. I was then so happy to be able to talk to Sheri this past weekend and learn that while her father was still in bad shape, he was still living. Their family could use some extra prayers right now.
Let me say, the church is alive and well in Canada and the women that I met there were unbelievable examples us! Many drove for hours and hours to be there. I think I heard average driving time 4 hours with some as many as 12 hours. Now that's dedication! One lady told me that she had never been in a ward in her whole life, only branches and that she drives 3 hours one way to do her visiting teaching. I LOVE IT! in fact she knows the wolf pack that raised Shania Twain...ok that last part is not true. :o)

Keep on TREKKIN' Canada! We love you! - Jason Deere

Please go to www.qik.com/nashvilletribute to see QIK videos from the weekend in Canada.

Sometimes You've Gotta Sneak Away

2009-05-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

A few months a go I got on a plane returning from a Nashville Tribute show somewhere and sat next to a very nice older couple. I was tired and planned on sleeping on the flight but couldn't help start a conversation with Kay and David Nicholas. We ended up talking about everything under the sun for every second of the flight. They knew my parents in college at the University of Oklahoma in the late 50s and early 60s. They lived for most of their lives in the town I was born in (Enid, OK), we know MANY of the same people, and of course, we discussed the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was beautiful. They spend most of their time these days in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado...they have a beautiful, quaint little cottage with a guest house right on the river. David also mentioned that he is an expert fly fisherman with 72 years of experience. I say, "Ah-hem, hey I happen to be coming to Colorado at the end of April to do a couple of shows in Castle Rock and Colorado Springs." They say, "Hey come stay with us and we'll do some fishing." I say, "You shouldn't have asked! :o)". So I fly out a day early before the shows with a friend of mine from Nashville named Austin Rich, and we stay in their wonderful little guest house and wake up the next morning and fish all day long in about a half dozen of the most beautifully remote fishing spots imaginable below Pikes Peak. David Nicholas is an expert fly fisherman and I learned a ton. He also knows some of the most beautiful country in the world like the back of his hand. We had elk herds and big horn sheep herds walk right up on us. Open your mouths on those flights! You never know what you'll find in a good conversation! - Jason Deere

April 25 & 26 in Colorado

2009-05-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Chad Truman just completed an honorable mission to the Colorado Colorado Springs Mission in December 2008. Ron Saltmarsh and I had the pleasure of flying to Colorado to join Chad and his brothers, sister and his parents to perform two firesides for the people of his mission. It was a joy to see the people that he so loved and served...to see the light in his eyes and in their faces as they reunited...to see him embrace his former companions and fellow missionaries. It was very special to spend time in the mission home with President and Sister Pfile, with whom Chad served, and to experience the power of their dedication to the work. Quite a couple they are. We performed in the Castle Rock Stake Center and also in a stake center in Colorado Springs. Attendance was great and the people were fantastic. Again, always amazed at the GOOD PEOPLE in this world. President and Sister Pilson, thank you so much for the accomodations and the wonderful view to wake up to. Sister Terri Walker and family, thank you for the wonderful food and pampering. Thank you Truman's for including me and Ron! To everyone who I am forgetting...we love you! Most of all, we love to share this message to all who will listen. Until we meet again! Jason Deere

GOOD PEOPLE

2009-03-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

By far the most incredible thing about being on the road is the unbelievable people that we have the privilege of getting to know along the way. This past week has once again left me humble and speechless. Everywhere we turn there are people like Blake and Teresa Sandall, who live 80 miles from the Salt Lake City airport. They got ahold of us before we left Nashville and offered to get us a suburban to drive for the tour this week. They drove down from Tremonton, UT (80 miles one way) to bring us the SUV after we landed at 10:00 PM on a Monday night. We then drove the car for hundreds of miles all week and they drove back to the airport to pick it up when we flew out on Monday. Insanely beyond the call of duty. Not to mention that Teresa's sister Susie had made a beautiful Nashville Tribute Band sticker for the back of the car. They are truly our friends and we love them! Then there's Shane and Mandy Johnson who booked us up at the Montpelier, ID Tabernacle. They made sure that the venue was stuffed to capacity with people, plus some, then they and their wonderful friends feed us like kings after the show (LOVE THOSE CREAM FILLED CREPES!). Shall I continue? I must. Then we drive to Logan where Tony and Aimee McClellan put our crew up for the night in their home, with all of their kids sleeping on their parents floor upstairs so we can have their rooms in the basement. Aimee, as always makes sure that we are fed and happy. Then we go to Sky View High School where the venue is 100% SOLD OUT plus some. We, again, meet some of the most wonderful and beautiful people after the show! Then get this, the Cottam's, a family who we love so much from Farr West, UT insist that we stop by their restaurant (Bella's in Farr West) on our way from Logan to SLC that night after the Logan show. We show up after midnight where they have the grills fired up and the tortilla's piping hot and they feed us the most fantastic mexican food we have ever tasted. Again we drive out of Farr West at 2:00 AM so full we could barely walk but with hearts full of love for good people. Wait, there's more. The next day, as we are driving 5 hours south to Tuacahn, we stop at the Chevron station in Beaver where Matt Lopez introduces us to a man named Rick Jarvis who was greasy under the hood of a car. Many years ago, when Matt and Jenny were newlyweds, they had car trouble in Beaver. This man went so far beyond the call of duty to fix their car, make them comfortable and get them safely on their way...it is a long wonderful story that Matt has blogged about on the Due West blog. However, this particular day Matt just wanted to stop and hug Rick one more time and introduce NTB to another good man. Rick, we salute you for your generosity and kindness! May it come back to you tenfold. Then we roll on into St. George, where Kevin Warnick and the spectacular staff of Tuacahn Amphitheater treat us like royalty, not because they have to, but because we have opened their spring season three years in a row and we love them like family. Seriously good people! Talk about good people, the wonderful people of Marv's burger and icecream shakes joint in St. George once again fired up their grills at midnight after the Tuacahn gig and the beautiful women of Marv's fed our crew and friends burgers and fries to die for...and most of all the best BLACKBERRY OREO SHAKES on planet earth!!! I am fairly sure that heaven will have a restaurant where Bella's and Marv's (Marvell's) are combined and we will eat every meal there and never get fat in our pink Marv's t-shirts! Love you Marv's! Then, we roll on up to Cedar City where, again, we are taken care of in every way...meals, accommodations, smiles and love every minute by Pam Smith and a host of her kind friends! The list of people and good deeds from this past week goes on and on, but let me say that two wonderful women, Aimee and Pam, came to every show this week to work the merch tables for us. They handled the crowds and the money and asked nothing in return. Every till balanced out perfectly and they had their beautiful smiles in high beam every second! Jeremy Moon, who once again came down to Tuacahn to shoot pictures of the shows, never ceases to amaze me with his charitable time devoted to Nashville Tribute. Jeremy has built our website from scratch and he maintains it at no charge...ever. We could never have an online presence without him. Thank you JM! Greg and Sharon Farmer may take the cake. They live in Clarksville, Tennessee. They drove all the way to Montpelier, ID to run sound for our show (no joke). They then followed us to Logan and then on to Tuacahn in St. George to take care of our technical needs and to hang with the tour. They are precious souls and lifelong friends. I could go on and on an on about so many good people. If it weren't for the long list of GOOD PEOPLE that constantly give of themselves, we could never possible reach the people that we do in sharing the message of THE RESTORATION and the rich history of our beautiful Saints. Our hearts are bursting with gratitude! The people we have become reacquainted with this week and the ones that we have met for the first time have made us better people, enriching our lives with every smile and kind deed. We love you all...the good people along the road! God bless you all! - Jason Deere

Every Other Tuesday

2009-03-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was called as a ward missionary. It’s always funny to me how callings bring me exactly what I need to experience in my life when I receive them. What a blessing to me this calling has already been! As my bishop extended the calling he asked that I work with my ward mission leader to be as creative as possible, working “outside the box” to encourage our ward members to fill the empty seats of our sacrament meetings with their neighbors and friends. We tried something different that has really seemed to work. We put together a night in early December and called it MORMON HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC. It was to be held in a member’s home, and it was to be an opportunity for non-members to learn about American/Mormon history in a casual, low pressure environment; to enjoy some great desserts and hear some good music and learn something about the history of a friend’s religion. We set up chairs in the large living room of the Anderson’s home in our ward. The time to begin was 6:00PM. Dress was casual, even though it was Sunday, which made all attending comfortable. The only way for members of our ward to attend was to bring a nonmember with them. We anxiously prepared for that day in hopes that someone, even one person would show up. To our amazement, members of our ward brought 25 nonmembers to the event. Dan Truman, Brad Hull, Tim Gates and Matt Lopez all once again brought their talents to the event, joining me and we did our best to teach and testify through our music. It was a wonderful night. The non-members attending stayed for more than an hour afterwards asking question after question and learning things that lifted so many misunderstandings that they had before. As luck would have it, the couple that I invited to the event have continued to ask questions and are now taking the discussions with the elders.

The word of the night’s success reached the mission president of the Tennessee Nashville Mission and he called me the week after. He asked if he could attend the next one that we did. I said that our ward mission would be honored. In February we had the next event at the Beaird’s home, and we were thrilled that 34 members brought 51 nonmembers! Incredible. Our members were brave and we love them for it.

The mission president asked me after the event if I, and perhaps others in NTB, would be willing to do some events like this in other units in the mission…in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. We decided to do events a couple of times a month, every other Tuesday, trying to reach as many of the 60 units in the mission as possible this year. Some of these rural wards and branches will only have one person sitting in a living room, others may have many, but whether it is just me, or me and as many of my NTB brothers as are available, I know that we will do our best to testify of the Restoration, praying for the Spirit as we do it, in hopes that hearts may be softened and changed.

Here is what this experience has taught me so far. Sometimes we, as members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints, limit our good works to activities and callings that only fall within the assignments given to us in our wards, stakes and communities. Of course, it is a wonderful thing to fulfill our callings and obligations in our church and community. However, each of us has particular talents, unique to us. The Lord has planted those in us, to only be enriched and expanded as we magnify them. Is it not true that we should have one foot FIRMLY planted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the other foot FIRMLY planted smack dab in the middle of the world? Being “in the world, but not of the world” has never meant running and hiding from the world, safely in our little Mormon bubbles, free from all contact with the ever-present, worldy souls around us. No, the term means that we associate ourselves with the world, our neighbors, relatives and business associates, and we not only are gleaming examples of God fearing Latter-day Saints, but we testify with confident humility EVERY time the Spirit moves us to do so; regardless of the company we are keeping. If we use the guidance of the Spirit, as we communicate with our leaders, and with their blessing, we can operate “outside the box” in the ways we serve the three missions of the church. Of, course, the REDEEMING THE DEAD mission of the church doesn’t allow for much creative thinking because we are so blessed with the divinely structured use of our temples, and for that I am thankful. But, with regard to the PERFECTING THE SAINTS mission and the PREACHING THE GOSPEL mission, I believe that we are entitled to inspiration from the Spirit that may lead us to unique and influential ways to accomplish the Lords desires for his wards and stakes. I believe that if we are humble, and we communicate with our church leaders and work within the blessings of their guidance, that we can accomplish a synergy within our wards, stakes and communities that will open up opportunities that we cannot even fathom.

Let us pray to know our talents. Let’s pray to know what the Lord wants us to do with them. How can we become instruments in His hands, playing a tune that no one else on earth can play exactly as we do? The Lords currency is people. We are how He gets things done. We can be pennies, nickels or dimes if we do His will our way, but if we surrender all and do His will, His way, then we may be amazed to find ourselves much more valuable to Him than we ever dreamed of. That’s my prayer :o)

All my best from Nashville…Jason Deere

Thinking of Australia

2009-03-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about Australia lately. It as a unique trip. I always thought that the day I finally went to Australia that it would be the "vacation" of a lifetime. It had it's wonderful and beautiful moments, but it was a hard trip on all of us. ABSOLUTELY worth it in every way, but trying all along the way. It truly felt like we were on missions again. The people were fantastic, the landscape breathtaking but the challenges unusual. The ups were up and the downs were down and the fluctuation between the two were frequent. However, I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world, and neither would anyone that was over there with me...I am sure of it. Tim, Matt and Brad stopped everything in their lives for almost a month. Ron Saltmarsh sacrificed much to come on that trip, as did Cali and the kids. Greg and Sharon Farmer took their year vacations from their jobs, plus some, and hauled sound and stage gear from town to town, one after another, setting up, running sound, tearing down...repeat...without a single complaint. Darren Dixon, our friend from Sarasota, FL, left his wife Jenny and eight kids, and his many business ventures, and came with us to be our tour manager for the month. Not one person received one dime of compensation for the trip and each of them, and their wives and children did without to make it happen. I AM HONORED TO KNOW SUCH MEN AND WOMEN! I am priviledged to rub shoulders with individuals who place the gospel as a priority. They teach me every day to "seek ye first the kingom of God". I love each of them so much. My sweet wife Sonja, and my kids Josie, Maddy & J Davis; I will forever be thankful for your patience and faith in all my running around out there. I pray that you are blessed for it. Coming home is the greatest feeling. Hats off to Australia! - Jason Deere

Brad, Matt, & Tim stopping on the road between Tamworth and Tuncurry

Jason

Matt

Jason performing at the Hoyt Theater in Sydney

Jason, Matt, & Brad

NAUVOO & AUSTRALIA

2009-03-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

What an incredible year the last 12 months have been! Challenging no doubt, for everyone that I know it seems, but for Nashville Tribute it has been a wonderful ride. We did several of Sheri Dew’s TIME OUT FOR WOMEN conventions in some wonderful cities and met some incredible women. We did NTB shows all over the country, from Sarasota, Florida to Sacramento, California. We had the honor and pleasure of being invited to Nauvoo in July of 2008 to perform for all of the missionaries who were currently on assignment in Nauvoo and we also had the pleasure of doing a show especially for the talented staff and crew of The Nauvoo Pageant. We sat with joy and amazement as we watched them perform for us the night before. Then the next night we were in the Nauvoo Visitor’s Center theater sharing our show with them. Man, we love you cast and crew!

Brother and Sister Widsonet were so kind and helpful to allow us the privilege of spending some quiet time in some of the church owned tourist spots in town, and we express a special “thank you” to Lachlan Mackay and The Community of Christ who were so helpful in allowing us onto their properties for some very special experiences.

Nauvoo is a special place. I must stop and say that I am sitting in the parking lot of a soccer complex right now, my daughter is getting ready to play another game in 30 minutes. I have a sweatshirt rolled up in the window to block the sun so I can see my laptop. My heart is pounding as the Spirit is filling this car to the point where I can’t help smiling. Why, because I am thinking of the thoughts and feelings of Nauvoo last year and I once again am reminded that I am a member of a blessed dispensation. Halelujah! (There’s my grandmother’s Baptist coming out in me :o)

While in Nauvoo, we met Kim Smith, the great, great granddaughter of Emma and Joseph. What a treasure she is. We had previously met Gracia Jones, the first direct descendant of Joseph and Emma’s to join the church since the martyrdom. Through them we ended up meeting Michael Kennedy, another direct descendant who is currently the director of the Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Smith Family Society. Through a miraculous series of events, me and Ron Saltmarsh, Brad Hull, Tim Gates, Matt Lopez, Darren Dixon (our tour manager for the trip), and Greg and Sharon Farmer (our incredible sound and road crew for the tour) got on a plane in September of 2008 and flew to Sydney, Australia to do three weeks worth of shows. Unfortunately, Dan Truman was out with Diamond Rio and couldn’t join us over there (We missed him!) Elder David Osborn and his wife Robyn, who were in the church’s PR department in Sydney at the time, helped us with contacts to set up some shows in various locations in New South Wales. We played and testified to some people we will never forget. We performed in many locations in and around Syndney, New Castle, Tamworth, Tuncurry/Forster and probably a few more towns that I am forgetting at the moment. We also performed at three of the Australian premiere’s for the movie Emma. The highlight, without question, was spending a few days with Robyn Mah, one of Joseph and Emma’s many descendants who now live in Australia, and her family. Alexander Smith, son of Joseph and Emma, had a daughter who married a young Australian man in 1870 in Independence, Missouri and move to settle Tuncurry, Australia. Robyn and her family were a delight. They are not members of the LDS church and they shared with us many family stories and history. They took us on a breathtaking riverboat ride into the bush where we enjoyed cooking by a wonderful Balinese lady. We shared with them our testimonies and our appreciation for their relatives who restored the fullness of the truth in the 1830s and 40s. Then we did a show for their family reunion in Tuncurry. Life changing experience for us! We will never be the same. The people of Australia were gracious and kind and we loved every minute of it!

Special thanks to Darren and Jenny Dixon who helped sponsor the Australian tour and who made that experience possible. And most especially, thank you to all of the Nashville Tribute Band members who made the trip, and to their families, for they took a month off of work, free of compensation of any kind, to share their testimonies. I love you guys forever for that! - Jason Deere

Brad, Jason, & Matt playing "Emma" on the steps of the Mansion House in Nauvoo

Jason, Matt, & Brad on the front steps of the Mansion House

Nashville Tribute Band - Nauvoo

Nashville Tribute Band - Nauvoo

Dan Truman at the end of Parley Street playing "Farewell Nauvoo"

Boomerang Beach, New South Whales

Brother & Sister Mike Kennedy and Robyn Mah (standing) are descendants of the Prophet in Australia

Kim Smith and her children. Kim is a great great granddaughter of Joseph & Emma

Matt & Tim in Sydney

Performing for the missionaries in Sydney

Matt, Tim, & Brad at the Opry House

Tim, Ron, Brad, & Jason

Tim jammin' with the natives

The Sydney Opry House

The Sydney skyline

'Roos'

More 'Roos'

Due West

2009-03-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, three guys who have toured with Nashville Tribute over the years (Tim, Matt & Brad), are also in a country band called Due West. They have had a tremendous 2008 and first part of 2009. They have had success as songwriters having songs that they have written recorded by artists like Bucky Covington and Lady Antebellum. After many years of blood, sweat and tears as a band in Nashville, they have finally signed a record deal with Bigger Than Me Records and their first single I Get That All The Time goes to radio in April of this year. I first want to say that I am so happy for the guys. They have worked hard and they are getting an opportunity that I believe they deserve. But…what is more impressive to me, so much more impressive to me than their secular successes is how they continue to maintain humility as they testify of the things they believe and the things that they love every chance they get. They still make time to tour with Nashville Tribute, they fulfill their callings in their own wards, Brad continues to work with Boy Scouts, Tim continues to work with the mentally challenged, and all three are shining examples of guys who would truly give the shirt off their backs to help another. I am so glad that they have each other out on the road to keep each other humbly on the straight and narrow. I wish the boys the best! - Jason Deere

Two People Born with GOLD in their Necks

2009-03-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

David Osmond

Mindy Gledhill

Fresno, CA TOFW

2008-04-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

We absolutely LOVE Fresno, CA! We are so humbled that so many drove so far to get your well deserved "time out", and that you decided to spend some if it with us. The words of Sister Kapp brought just the right Spirit to the place before we took the stage (Thank you Sister Kapp). What a privilege it is to sing songs about the "main characters" of The Restoration and also about the stalwart thousands who braved the American plains to preserve the blessings that we all have today! What a wonderful feeling it is to have hundreds of hearts together in one room honoring them as we all did on Friday night. Thank you for your testimonies. Thank you for your smiles. Thank you for every right decision that you have made in your lives. I love to see your examples. I need to see your examples. I am so happy to have spent that time with you however briefly. I hope the rest of your conference was wonderful! Have a beautiful spring and we can't wait to see you again at the next show! Jason Deere and the Nashville Tribute Band

Spring General Conference!

2008-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

I love the spring. Who doesn't. Birds, leaves, flowers, warming sun, fresh green grass, rain showers...all of it! Today was a perfect day. My wife, kids and I watched the morning session of conference, then took a walk in the forest near our home during the break and then watched the second session. It was enlightening. The talk on the Faith of Our Fathers! Elder Ballard's talk on women...could it have been said any better? Sister Tanner...your message was angelic! Elder Holland...the words of Christ. And President Monson. He was called as an apostle at the age of 36. He has been prepared for 80 years for this weekend when our people in one accord sustain him. He is our Prophet. I felt it as he spoke. The Spirit confirmed to my heart that he is the prophet of this day. It was a wonderful day. Did you not feel it! Please tell me about your experience. Surely what I am feeling was not for me alone.

I want to be a better person. A better father, a better husband, a better priesthood holder, a better servant, a better missionary and better son to my Father in Heaven. These desires are why I love conference weekend. This is why I need it so much every spring and every fall. I am charged and good to go for 6 months! Here we go...

Thoughts on the Tuacahn shows...

2008-03-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, back in Nashville to the real world this past week after Tuacahn. I was very happy to get the following e-mail from Tim Gates this weekend (lead singer of Due West that also sang GOD IS GOOD, WIDE ENOUGH and COMING HOME at the shows) that brought to mind how great it was for all of us to be with you for those shows under the red rocks:
"I feel really blessed to be a part of this wonderful tribute to Joseph and to the Pioneers! I have always said that there is nothing better than being on a stage singing your heart out to others. But when I am singing my heart out to others about such a powerful message, it is undeniably the greatest combination I can think of. Performing at Tuachan was really special! It is such a beautiful place. There was a moment while I was singing Coming Home, I felt the presence of those people that were involved in the great TREK to Utah."
Thank you Tim! Your humble talents are just what we needed that night! -Jason Deere

Tuacahn 2008

2008-03-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

There seem to be about a million reasons why our two shows at Tuacahn were wonderful this past weekend. Allow me to mention a few:
1. Tuacahn amphitheater is situated in one of the most beautifully, pristine settings on God's green earth, well I should say God's red earth in that valley. I can't tell you how many times I looked up as we loaded in and sound checked and lost my breath for a second looking at the majestic crimson bluffs towering against the blue sky. Then, when evening fell and show time came, the fantastic cliffs seemed to humbly stand in reverence to their God in the stars above. Marvelous!
2. Kevin and the entire staff at Tuacahn were not only top-notch professionals, but they are the kind of people you want to hang with. We wanted to move in permanently.
3. I had the honor of having 7 of my best friends in the world on stage with me. They played and sang their hearts out and and their talents strengthened my testimony of the things I believe and my understanding of my religion.
4. My wife and kids were with me. In over 125 shows nationwide, they have only made a few of them. I must admit, at the ages they are, they are a pain in the booty to travel with. In fact, we are now in SLC waiting to catch a 6PM flight home. Last night after driving from St. George to my sister-in law's in Sugarhouse, both of my daughters threw up all night long (one every 30 minutes). The fiasco started with one of my daughters blowing Richfield's best Mexican food all over from her bed to the bathroom. I cleaned it up and threw up while I did it. Then my other daughter started and it was an indescribable sleepless night. All that aside, when my kids sang "Somewhere There's A Mountain" under those stars, my life somehow changed forever.
5. The people at KONY Country radio were so kind and generous with NTB and Due West. We love you guys!
6. However, the highlight of the weekend were the people of St. George and its surrounding areas, as well as those amazing people who traveled all the way from California, Arizona, Colorado and many other places to see the shows. We heard incredible stories and got to know beautiful people as we talked with you after the shows. We are truly blessed to live in this day, to know of our history and to have the blessings that we do today as members of our Savior's church. Keep up the great work, keep those wonderful smiles and we can't wait to see you again St. George! We love you!
Jason Deere

Here are a few of our pictures from last weekend. You can go to www.nashvilletribute.com/photos.html to see more.

We love the red rock at Tuacahn!

Mindy Gledhill singing "Sleep" from the Trek album.

Two incredible musicians! No one is better on the piano than Dan Truman,...and Ron Saltmarsh will amaze you on just about every other instrument.

Jason Deere singing "Wolves" on Saturday night.

Due West 'doing' their thing!

Jason during a profound moment of thought

Due West warming up the vocal cords

No one bangs a drum like Tony McClellan

Brad, Jason, & Tony

The Band

Tim Gates enjoying a little down time in the sun. (Sorry ladies...he's already married...but with legs like those is it any wonder?)

Dan & Ron

More on Tuacahn from Tony

2008-03-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Jason's turn to watch the kids....and he lets them play on a cliff!

A fun afternoon in Snow Canyon

Let me start by saying "amen" to Jason, my brother from another mother. Spending the weekend with the good people of St. George was a spiritual refill as well as a nice break from the lingering winter that Cache Valley is having. Touring with your family comes with its own set of interesting challenges, but the blessings of having your kids feel the spirit as they listen to songs and stories about the Pioneers and the characters of the restoration. Words can't describe how proud I am of my little girl Alexis. She did a great job performing "Somewhere there's a Mountain" in sign language. She had three people come and meet her after the shows that are hearing impaired and tell her how much they enjoyed the connection to the performance that she brought. You can almost see me smiling as I write this cant you!

There are a lot of "bands" in the world, but I think you would be hard pressed to find a group of friends that get along so well as we do. I can attribute this to one very simple thing. The Nashville Tribute Band is not about us.....it is not about the performance....it is about the message! How blessed my life is to be a very small part of such an amazing thing and to be able to call these guys (and Mindy of course :) ) my best friends!

I echo the thanks to Kevin and his staff. Kevin my friend, you are truly an artist. Thank you so much to the people that took the time to share their testimonies and experiences with us. You have no idea how that lifts us up and makes the time away from home and family worth the sacrifice.

I will try to get a few photos of our down time posted here. If you have photos or experiences to share, please send them to me or post them here on our blog. We would love to share them with you.

more photos

2008-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more shots from the past couple of months. Keep sending in your photos!

How awesome it was to be able to share this experience with my Grandparents!

"It's Alive!!!!"

The end of an amazing week!.....Home, here we come.

Now this is a fan!!! Did your mom say this is okay?

Send your photos and experiences from the show to:

Josephtourmanager@gmail.com

FEBRUARY TOUR

2008-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

Morgan UT, Malad ID, Ontario OR, and Nampa ID....THANK YOU so much for having us out and taking care of us this week! It was awesome to have the opportunity to meet so many of you and feel your testimonies. Special thanks to Shane & Heather Rappleye, Brother and Sister Price, President and Sister Hess, Dave & Maurine Burt, Brother and Sister Parker, and all of the rest of you that prepared wonderful food for us and opened your homes and your hearts to us! We love you and thank you! We will post some photos from the shows as soon as Jeremy teaches us how. If you have a fun photo or two that you took, email it to me and we will try to post it as well! Send it to josephtourmanager@gmail.com .

TREK show in Malad, Idaho

2008-02-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you Malad! We have so enjoyed both of our visits. You have been a great crowd and have made us feel so welcome here. We hope that the message of our music can help us all reflect on the past and appreciate those who have come before us. We look forward to coming back and seeing you all again!

Tim Gates at his best!

Mindy Gledhill singing 'Emma'

No one treats us better than Malad! We love coming here!

We love our fans!

The voices of angels!