Tour’s off on the right Foot

By Jane Norris

Published: April 24, 2008

Guitarist Drew Shirley said fans can expect “a good, old-fashioned, sweaty rock show’’ when Switchfoot plays Sunday in the Charlottesville Pavilion.
The show, which includes performances by Athlete, a double-platinum-selling British band, and local favorites Sparky’s Flaw, is part of Switchfoot’s Up in Arms Tour.
The tour of Southern and Midwestern college towns is boosting awareness of To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit movement designed to offer help and hope to people who are struggling with depression, addiction and other issues. Group founder Jamie Tworkowski is a friend of Switchfoot’s members, who have been wearing the group’s T-shirts on stage and helping raise awareness in other ways.
“We’ve done a lot of philanthropy or whatever,’’ Shirley said. “We’re not on our label anymore and we can do whatever we want. We can dream up a tour and go out.’’
Switchfoot’s next road adventure will be the Music Builds Tour. Starting Aug. 21 in Detroit, Switchfoot will team up with Third Day, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and Jars of Clay to perform in shows that will raise funds for Habitat for Humanity.
During Sunday’s Pavilion show, the San Diego-based band will play songs fans will recognize from “Oh! Gravity,’’ its most recent CD, and previous releases “Nothing Is Sound’’ and “The Beautiful Letdown.’’ Shirley said fans also will get to hear some new songs.
Film aficionados may remember hearing Switchfoot’s music in “A Walk to Remember,’’ “Elektra’’ and “Spider-Man 3.’’ Television fans hear “Oh! Gravity’’ as the theme song when they tune in to MTV’s “Life of Ryan.’’
The latest project to use a Switchfoot song is the upcoming feature film “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.’’ When the film hits theaters on May 16, keep that popcorn-crunching down to a dull roar so you can hear Switchfoot’s “This Is Home.’’
“We’re going to have a song in that movie and in the soundtrack,’’ Shirley said. (If you can’t wait for the movie, the soundtrack hits shelves May 13.)
Switchfoot performed the live debut of “This Is Home’’ Wednesday during the Dove Awards telecast on the Gospel Music Channel.
Such high-profile performances aren’t the only ones that matter. Each show offers an important opportunity to gauge how well new songs are working, Shirley said.
“We test out our stuff a lot in front of live audiences,’’ he said. “It’s a good confirmation. If the song is good, people will tell you.’’
This band takes communication seriously doesn’t keep a stiff distance from its listeners.
“We like to connect with people any way we can do that,’’ Shirley said.
That’s one reason the band offers free podcasts on iTunes. A recent adventure in which band members went riding on all-terrain vehicles in Missouri is likely to show up there soon, Shirley said.
“It was crazy,’’ he said.
Another way the band keeps close to listeners is through its new fan club, Friends of the Foot. Fans can just head to http://www.switchfoot.com and click.
Switchfoot takes its name from a surfing term, so it’s no surprise that the band brings some board philosophy back to its day job. Switching feet on the surfboard leaves the surfer facing a new direction — something the flexible musicians are comfortable with.
In surfing, “you’re free, you’re out there in the water, you’re dealing with an ever-changing ocean,’’ Shirley said. “It’s like music. It’s like touring. There’s a flow to it.’’