FRIDAY IN THE MOTOR CITY - SUICIDE PREVENTION EVENT

POSTED BY MARQ SPECK

Sometimes we all need to step up, reach out and make a difference... and that's exactly what we're doing this Friday (8/4/17) at The Token Lounge in Westland.

Join members of Sweet Crystal as we help raise awareness and support for this painful and personal issue.

Brought into national focus by the deaths of Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), there is much the rest of us can do to help when someone is contemplating this path.

Here's a place to start.

Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

A Memorial Dance Party

“One More Light” concert video

There are over 300 worldwide memorials.

Registered Linkin Park Memorial

TICKETS HERE

Portion of ticket sales to benefit the

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

and the American Indian Health & Family Services.

Advance tickets $8 & $10 at the door

18+ w/proper ID & All Ages w/parent

A Friday in the Motor City doesn't get any more important than this.

Marq Andrew Speck and Sweet Crystal Links of Interest:

https://www.facebook.com/marq.speck
http://www.sweetcrystal.com
https://www.facebook.com/SweetCrystalBand

MARQ SPECK/SWEET CRYSTAL LAUNCHES SOLO SET AT EASTERN MARKET!

What does 15 time (and counting) Detroit Music Award winning singer/songwriter/musician/recording artist Marq Andrew Speck (known as Q to his family, friends and fans) of the progressive Christian rock band SWEET CRYSTAL do to keep himself even busier?

This year he prepares to launch a solo set of classic, current and new songs, bringing his signature sound and energy to help break the Guinness World Record for Longest Concert by Multiple Artists.

"This seems a great way for me to test the musical waters, if you will" says Q "and see if I can translate the songs and message that make up a SWEET CRYSTAL concert into a more intimate and personal style. I call it the "Solo But Never Alone" show for a couple of reasons.

One - some of the backing tracks I will be playing to (primarily piano) feature the guys in the band so they are there with me in spirit and two - well, wherever I go, God is already there waiting for me so... solo but really none of us are ever alone."

Marq Andrew Speck (SWEET CRYSTAL) 

Launches Solo Set

At Historic Eastern Market 

The Assembly Line Concert 4

Speck's set is scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 at 1PM (Slot #124 out of 400!) and he plans to feature songs from his entire catalog to date. The entire SWEET CRYSTAL band will perform the following Tuesday (March 21, Slot #299) at 8PM bringing the full music and message of the group to the event.

"What's been fun for me" he continues "is hearing these songs also done as instrumentals letting the piano take the full melody and improvisation over the basic song arrangements. I think I could just sit down and play them as instrumentals and be good with that...but if you know me, I don't usually sit down at all so I'm interested myself in how this will come across in a live setting."

Sounds like a good reason to take a late lunch in Detroit that day.

The Assembly Line Concert 4
Detroit has held the Guinness World Record for Longest Concert by Multiple Artists on three previous occasions: 2009, 2010, 2011.

These records were set in Downtown Ferndale at AJ’s Music Café. The time to beat is 372 hours and 10 minutes. The Assembly Line Concert will attempt to break Las Vegas’ by 12 hours, equaling more than 384 hours of live music!

The entire event is being held down at Detroit'r historic Eastern Market, Shed 5 and is free to the public.

Marq Andrew Speck and Sweet Crystal Links of Interest:

https://www.facebook.com/marq.speck

http://www.sweetcrystal.com

https://www.facebook.com/SweetCrystalBand

https://www.reverbnation.com/sweetcrystal

https://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SweetCrystal

SWEET CRYSTAL RETURNS THIS FRIDAY!

SWEET CRYSTAL 

Returns This Friday To A Righteous Gig!

13 time Detroit Music Award winning band Sweet Crystal returns to one of their favorite events and venues - the 4th Friday Concert Series held every fourth Friday in Studio A at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center (also known as the Michael Guido Theatre).

Located at 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn, join mega-talented host Rufus Harris as the band closes out the 2015 schedule for this prestigious and intimate night of music and message. Also sharing the night will be musician, singer and songwriter bassist Dray Hill.

Doors open at 8pm / Show starts at 8:30. Admission is $10 at the door. Money goes to support all the great ministries of CAMP (http://www.thecamponline.org/). 

This is the perfect venue for Sweet Crystal - they'd love to spend the evening with all of you there!

SWEET CRYSTAL

http://www.sweetcrystal.com

http://sweetcrystal.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/SweetCrystalBand

SWEET CRYSTAL "QUAD" REVIEWS AND NEWS

Pretty sweet to see how Sweet Crystal's latest EP "QUAD" is making it's way across the planet...and making reviewers sit up and take notice. Check out some of these quotes:

G. Kleinbloesem, Strutter'Zine (Netherlands):

"...the legendary Christian Classic Rock/AOR band Sweet Crystal returns with a new album titled Quad. The band still sounds fresh and clean in 2015 with a melodic rock/aor sound in the classic Petra/Sweet Comfort Band/Allies/White Heart style and surprisingly they have some great guest singers this time, namely Amy Susan Heard and David Perez. Amy is a wonderful female singer and let's hope on a future release she will sing more, because the track on which she sings, Some People May Ask, is a lovely uptempo classic 80s AOR tune with catchy melodies. Another highlight is the Kayak/Magnum ish epic semi prog/pomp piece Anthem, which instrumental sounds like a classic."

T. Rogen, Equal Ground "Indie Album Reviews":
"QUAD is a five-song EP that demands your attention…it’s intense...”Foot of The Cross” is an interesting mix of ballad and arena rock. I appreciated the guitar solo and some of the classic moves like the pick scratch against the strings. “Some People May Ask” was tailor made to be in a play. I’m talking about a huge Broadway play where people are doing somersaults and fifty people are singing...This song should be played in an arena, one of those mega churches or Carnegie Hall...I don’t go to church regularly (if ever) but if I did I would hope that Sweet Crystal was there to rock my socks off first thing in the morning."

D.C. Hathaway, "D.C. Coast To Coast" (San Diego, CA, USA):
"Nobody spreads the gospel musically quite like Sweet Crystal whose rocking melodies compliment the message that ALWAYS grabs me and lifts MY soul. Their EP QUAD is NO exception to their past releases, but even BETTER! It’s so refreshing to hear loud rock music that REALLY means something. I’m a fan forever and SO blessed Sweet Crystal is part of the family on the D.C. Coast To Coast playlist.”

A. Rockwell, Angelic Warlord (Phoenix, AZ, USA):
"All of the Detroit, Michigan based Sweet Crystal’s chief qualities - AOR and commercial hard rock leanings, soaring lead vocals, tightly woven guitar harmonies and radio friendly catchy hooks - are present on its independently released spring of 2015 five song EP Quad. Quad from featuring near perfect production that aligns a presence fill low-end with guitars, keyboards and vocals in just the right amounts.

Polish is of the type connoisseurs expect form and AOR meets melodic hard rock album. Credit the group in this capacity for recruiting mixing technician Chuck Alkazian (Pearl Sound Studios) and mastering engineer Scott Hull (Masterdisc)- the results speak for themselves!

First full length track “Foot Of The Cross” proves an excited groove laden hard rocker, as an arresting bass line and added traces of organ collide to establish nothing less a climactic scene. Instrumental moments find searing guitar feedback and razor edged soloing holding sway. As always, frontman Marq Speck proves a natural fit for the genre at hand with his signature raspy to melodic middle register vocal qualities.

Sweet Crystal goes full-bore symphonic progressive rock on “Anthem”, a direction in which we have never previously heard from the group. Classical instrumentation and guitar harmonies open the first two instrumental moments, with the lone verse that ensues giving way to a final instrumental interlude that closes things in magnanimous fashion (and suggests of prime Kansas in the process). All the while angelic choir vocals lend to the glorious feel at hand. ...if a long term fan or into any type of AOR, melodic rock or commercial hard rock then Quad comes strongly recommended."

Anyway, you get the picture...QUAD appears to be doing just fine...and of course it's because of you and your support that we keep on with the music and the message. Got QUAD? Here are some links to use to grab one for yourself...and your parents...and your kids...and that guy next door who could really use some Sonshine in his life! 

SWEET CRYSTAL

13 Time Detroit Music Award Winners

http://www.sweetcrystal.com

http://sweetcrystal.bandcamp.com

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SweetCrystal

https://www.facebook.com/SweetCrystalBand

AND THE WINNER OF THE 2015 DETROIT MUSIC AWARD GOES TO...

© 2015 Marty Rickard

…SWEET CRYSTAL !

What has become a very sweet trend at the prestigious Detroit Music Awards continued again this year as veteran Christian rockers SWEET CRYSTAL grabbed two more awards at the 24th annual gala.

"No, this really doesn't get old…or even expected" says founding member Marq Andrew Speck(keyboards/lead vocals).

"The voting for these awards come from all walks of the music scene in Michigan and what it says is that our associates, our compatriots, our peers in the business recognize both the sincerity of what we do and what we represent in our music and message…and that recognition is a blessing to the three of us that have been in the band since its inception."

Taking home the 2015 awards for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Act ( a 4th time in 5 years for the band; SWEET CRYSTAL was ineligible per DMA rules in 2014 because they had won it 3 years in a row) as well as Outstanding Gospel/Christian Recording for their song "Foot Of The Cross" (this song from the recently released EP "QUAD" also just won a 2015 Global Music Award in the Rock category). 

"This makes lucky number 12 and 13 for the band" cites guitarist Bill Blatter, also nominated this year for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Musician. "We just might have to add a second shelf to hold them - high class problem we're thinking."

Along with drummer Steve Wieser, the band is taking none of this for granted.; they even took the time to thank their engineer/editor Chuck Alkazian (Pearl Sound Studios, Canton, MI) for making their sound "even sweeter" with his work on 'Foot Of The Cross' (Click Song Link To View Speech).

"This is who we are, this is what we do" concludes Speck. "We've got a message, a ministry that we've been given and as long as we can put this into music, then that's what we will continue to do."

And with the 25th anniversary of the Detroit Music Awards just one year away, here's betting the SWEET CRYSTAL train will make plans to be there as well. Sweet, very sweet indeed.

Follow Sweet Crystal online via

Twitter, Facebook, CDBaby and now BandCamp