i was a fan of the band Lost And Found before i was friends with the two guys in it, george baum and michael bridges. but for years now, i’ve been both.
i remember seeing them perform at the national youth workers convention well over a decade ago, and experiencing a strange mixture of WTF combined with “i love these guys!” i’m sure many of you reading this, if you had a similar exposure to LAF at an NYWC or other event, had the same experience. i have every one of their CDs.
but somewhere along the line, george and michael became friends of mine. george’s family and mine started to hang out each year over our christmas trip to detroit (they lived in toledo, OH, at the time). our wives became friends; our kids became friends. george and i were “founding members” of a strange little men’s group (for lack of a better term) that we used to call the young notorious sinners. none of us our young anymore, so we usually just refer to it as YNS these days. but this group of guys, which usually meets annually for peer mentoring and accountability, has shaped me in deep ways.
george, michael and i have spent time together in more cities that seems normal, and have sparred or found common ground on more theological subjects than i can remember.
and i still love their music.
it gutted me when i found out recently that michael — who, in the last handful of years, got married and had a baby — had just had a large cancerous tumor removed, and was heading into a season of chemo and radiation.
and, as you might expect, this puts both of their families into a bit of jeopardy, since most of their income is tied to touring.
Lost And Found were set to record and release a new CD. and if they can get this thing out, they might be able to weather this. while a LAF album is always full of great songs, the live experience of their concerts is what really sets them apart. so, how perfect that this would be a live CD, with all the weirdness and insight and humor of that experience.
Lost And Found need our help. this isn’t just a band trying to get fans to help fund a CD. this is a band — two families, really — trying to find a way forward. even if you’ve never heard of Lost And Found before, i’d encourage you to help fund their kickstarter campaign at a level that will get you the CD. the worst that could happen is that you get some music you don’t really care about, but help two families who have given to youth workers for so many years bridge a difficult gap. and the best that could happen is that you’ll do that and love the music.
CLICK HERE for the kickstarter page.
and, watch this little video:
Oh my – thank you for sharing this – will certainly support this project and keep both of them and their families in our prayers.
It has been a joy to host Lost And Found in concert here in South Haven twice, most recently at Christmas – and what a great event that was.
Sad news, but filled with hope.
Shalom
My heart hurts. Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea. I will do what I can to help and support these amazingly talented and fun guys!
Lost and Found was one of those experiences that formed my faith in high school–and I still love the message in the music. In fact, I often use several songs with my Catechism students as a way to talk about grace in the midst of whatever our lesson is. (Their favorite so far was Bones while we studied prophets.)
The idea that I could have faith and still have a sense of humor was incredibly freeing when I was younger, and it still is. My prayers are with you guys!
No no no no no… This is not okay. And yes yes yes yes yes, I will help and pray.
WOW, all I can say is wow. We are gearing up to host the Nebraska Synod Assembly and I have a stack of Lost & Found postcards promoting their concert here at Bethany Lutheran in Elkhorn, NE on wed. Nov. 14, 2012. Then I asked the boys to rock our LYON assembly on Nov. 16 in Kearney. I JUST TALKED TO Michael a week or two ago! WoW… what can I do….. I was gearing up to raise the funds for them to be here in Nov. by schmoozing with all the attendees at our gathering, but now what. Should I push the live cd instead?
Hollar at me 402 278 0469
(Just responding to Bogart in a public forum. Apologies to everyone else.)
Bogart: For now, the best thing to do is remain calm. We’ll see how things go in the weeks and months ahead, but we’re fully expecting to be playing all the gigs that are currently on the schedule. We won’t likely add too many through the end of the year, but as I say, we’re intending to be with you all in November.
As for wondering if you should “push the live CD,” well, we wouldn’t hold it against you if you did.
If you want to discuss this further, drop me an e-mail and I’m happy to do so.
Thanks!
Oh, ah!! So excited to hear that you guys (George & Michael) are planning on Nebraska in November (and Kearney is even better, ONLY 60 MILES!!!!) We will move ahead in hopeful expectation of seeing Lost and Found IN CONCERT in November! Spreading the word and lifting you up in Prayer!! And thanks to Marko for his post. Sorry for (is it eavesdropping when you read someones remarks to another in a blogpost??) sticking my oar in, Bogart. From a fellow Nebraskan.
Wow. I am literally crying right now. I pray for God to be merciful to Michael! You guys are amazing! I have posted this on my facebook page and plan on donating. No other words can be expressed – *HUG*
You guys…wow. It occurs to me now that I never really took the time to say ‘thank you’ for your music, and for your unforgettable performances. As an unrepentantly weird teenager, I truly connected with your eccentricities and underlying heart. At the time I came across you guys, you were exactly what I needed.
I just recently fished my ‘Stein Auf!’ T-shirt out of my closet. At the time, it cost me all of my allowance money. ^_^
I want to help you guys. I don’t know how yet, but I’m going to find a way to bless you back.
You are in my prayers – and, less importantly, I’ve signed up to back you too. Michael, may God touch you with the hands that formed you and restore you to health, and may He strengthen your faith and calm your fear. Christ is our hope!
I have been a fan of LAF since I was 15. It breaks my heart that Michael is going thru such a difficult time. I would pay for chemotherapy myself if I thought that poisoning someone’s body would actually help to heal them. Please check out Dr Charles Majors – a Maximized Living doctor near Chicago who overcame brain cancer himself. He has a new book out and speaks around the country on medical industries misunderstanding and mistreatment of cancer patients, as well as the natural ways we can avoid and overcome cancers without poison.
I would be happy to reach out on Michael’s behalf, if necessary.
I remember the first concert I went to was at Lutheran high school in Denver, CO and I was about 6 years old. That is still my fondest memory of any concert I have been to. God’s word just flows through the two of you in such a fun and powerful way that draws in people of all ages. I use to listen to your taps while doing my homework in high school. To this day if I hear the song The Church is One Foundation I can not bring myself to sing it slow. When I went to sign up for my first e-mail account (which I will never give up) I wanted it to be Steinauf@_____. Well of course that was taken, so I changed the e to an a. I’ve been explaining what stainaif means to me for 15 years now. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I’m more than happy to help support you and I look forward getting a new cd. God bless
Praying for you, Michael and George and families. Someone please make it obvious where to go and what to do to help these guys out. Thanks. I watched the video, but no instructions were evident. Their website doesn’t address how to preorder the new CD.
Lynn — click through the link just above the video on my post. it takes you to the kickstarter page where you can support George and Michael, and pre-order the CD in the process.
or just click here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/269144862/lost-and-found-comes-alive?ref=category
Praying in the Mighty Name of Jesus for complete and total restoration. God’s blessing on you all. Definitely in for financial support and continued prayer. Known you both now for over twenty years. Your music is always a blessing.
Our prayers and support are with you! We always look forward to your performances at Grace Lutheran in Jacksonville, Florida. We will pass this on to your fans here!
I’ve been a fan for 20 years. in the early days when there was only one or two CDs , people taped li
ve concerts, stories and all, and shared them.
my favorite was when Michael sang “her pierced head and her shaved nose.” i think he was a little tired. a live cd should be well received.
Wow, amazing to have reached the “goal” so quickly! Thank you all for supporting my dear friends. I often have tried to explain to them how deeply their message inspires me and so many, and your support shows that! Please know that the “goal” is modest and if we really think about it we see that $20K is just a drop in the bucket when we consider the loss of income for both their families while they focus on getting Michael back to health and the medical bills to follow. Please keep sharing the links and encouraging people to give beyond the “goal” we still have 24 days left! Stein Auf!
Wow, I am at a loss for words. You guys were just in Staples,MN. What a great time that was. Prayers of healing for Michael. Prayers for wisdom for your physicians and healthcare providers. Prayers for strength and hope for each of you and your families.