Christian band @ForKingAndCountry is now synonymous with the Christmas song "Little Drummer Boy." But it's hard to bring their incredible Christmas concert experience to everyone in America - let alone the world - when the Christmas season is so short. So this year, they've decided to create a virtual tour, called "A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE | The Cinematic Concert Experience". Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone join Glenn Beck to explain how the idea came about, how they pulled it off, and why Joel's wife described it to him as "better than your actual live show." Plus, they share the story of how they once worked for Glenn many years ago ...
"A Drummer Boy Christmas LIVE" is in select theaters through December 19th and is also available on DVD at https://www.ForKingAndCountry.com/
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Luke and Joel Smallbone, brothers, from the Smallbone family are with me by now.
Guys, how are you?
VOICE: Well, well, well, from the bowels of an arena in Kansas City, a month or so ago, to -- to your show today, and I want to give a spoiler to the listeners, but to the Grand Ole Opry in a couple of weeks.
GLENN: Yeah. I know. That's crazy. That's crazy.
I can't thank you guys enough for that.
It's nuts. Do you have any -- well, we'll get into it some other time on the air. Or off the air.
Tell me about the -- the film, that you guys have, out in -- in -- what do they call it?
It's not --
VOICE: Yeah, it's actually -- well, first of all, thanks for having us, and loved our time together.
GLENN: Yeah.
VOICE: It's in 1600 theaters across America. So here's the back story, Glenn. We love Christmas. We love Christmas.
It actually will become a hallmark of Luke and my band, for King & Country, particularly this song, the Little Drummer Boy.
We did sort of a very obvious version of it, with Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra never thought of. And that is, we put loaded drums on a song, about a boy playing a drum.
And, I mean, all the TSA agents will come to me. And be like, we -- they would be like, you're part of King & Country. They would be like, you're the drummer boy, right? You know you've made it when an American TSA agent calls it. And but the trouble is, when we do these Christmas tours. You know, it's so short.
So we only did ten or 12 tours every year. So we end that when we announce it. Three-quarters of America and the rest of the world are all just really upset about it, because we can't get to them.
And so this was our attempt, you know, in a holiday, that I feel like we need to be reminded of these great hallmarks of what it means to be human joy and love and peace.
And the redemption that comes through God. We needed to be reminded of this.
So we put a film. We put it in a Toyota center, last year. And captured a cinematic experience for the whole family of our live show.
And my wife literally, Glenn. Turned to me. And he she was like, Joel, I think this is better than your actual live show.
So I was encouraged and insulted all at the same time.
GLENN: Right. I have to tell you, who is -- who is the artistic director of -- of the show?
VOICE: Well, this is Luke here. Well, this is one of the privileges of being able to do work. And I have brothers from the same mother. From the same father. And I have a privilege of working together. Is actually being able to, you know, being able to create these things together.
Our brother Daniel is actually the show designer.
We obviously, we work on this altogether.
So when it comes down to the set lists.
The visuals. The technology.
Yeah. We're involved with all of it.
Because we've actually done this since we were very young boys.
Rebecca saint James. We went on the road with her.
I think I was a lighting director at 14 or 15.
Joel was --
VOICE: That's a nice summary.
VOICE: So, you know, you throw this all together, and you create these shows.
And that's one of the things I love about what we get to do. We get to do it together.
GLENN: I have to tell you, it was -- it was awesome. It's one of the best shows I've seen. You know, I haven't seen the Christmas one, yet. I've heard, you know, the music.
I haven't seen the actual show.
But the -- the -- your music and the staging was -- I mean, I sat there with my wife.
And we were with a bunch of friends.
And I said, this is incredible!
And if you aren't a Christian, you would walk in here, and you would have really not necessarily any idea, if you hadn't really listened to the lyrics.
But you would feel what you're feeling. And it just is such a great experience.
VOICE: That's kind, man. Look, in our interpretation at least, the idea of being a Christian, of being a Jesus follower. It's an invitation, right?
And it's also a pretty enormous claim, that we are in touch with the creator of the universe.
That we're in touch with the creator of creativity. The creator of art. The creator of Sistine chapels. And so on.
And so often, in the modern context, our art feels like second fiddle to pop culture. And yet, you know this, as bit of a historian yourself.
Throughout history, the religious arts have led the way. And so, man, we take it so seriously.
Not for the sake of ego.
You know, at least -- not for the sake of -- not for the sake of self-aggrandizing. But for the sake of people looking at this and going, my goodness.
What a great God, that they must be in touch with, to put on, and to be inspired to do these types of things.
GLENN: So have you guys been tempted at all, to, you know. In the old days.
When you would go to a Christian concert, they would kind of preach at you. And, you know, try to convert.
And what I loved about it, is it was all there. But it was not in your face. It wasn't -- you weren't -- you weren't overtly saying, hey, come to Christ.
And so you -- nobody was. Nobody could possibly be offended. It was just such a great way to present the message.
And have people go, what makes them different. Have you been tempted to do -- be more obvious?
VOICE: Be more obvious. That's an interesting way of putting it. Look, I'm a big, well, I try to be a big historian.
And st. Francis at the CC, was the guy many, many years ago. He had a quote that as a young boy, really affected me.
And he says, preach the gospel. And if necessary, use word.
GLENN: Uh-huh.
VOICE: And look, I think that that statement should poke at a lot of us, as Christians.
Because our lives should be so unbelievably joyful.
Our work should be unbelievable good.
That sometimes, yeah. Sometimes words are required.
But I think that most of the time, they're not.
It's the presence that you bring, that oftentimes, people are left talking about.
So I think for us, man. We tried to take that -- take that statement literally.
You know, hopefully, you feel it.
GLENN: You do. You do.
VOICE: And you kind of know what's going on. That's our hope.
GLENN: So when I saw you in Kansas City.
I had forgotten that we -- I mean, I -- I know the name small bone, obviously.
I know your brother. He worked -- on one of my early book tours.
I've seen your movie of your family and everything else.
But I had forgotten that at one point, you two worked for me. You did a -- I have -- and you reminded me of that. And I'm like, what?
VOICE: What did you do, Luke? You were --
VOICE: Yeah. No. I'm a film director as well.
And I guess somehow we were working together, Glenn, because your team or somebody said, hey, why don't we do a day in the life of Glenn Beck?
And so we started at your house. And we like filmed you walking out. And then we filmed you, as you went to work that day.
But the funny part was, I was there to be like the sound and the audio guy. And before you came out of the door.
The loud mic, that was meant to go on to you. I dropped.
And literally broke it.
And so the rest of the day, I mean, for those of you who are listening. You see those guys are holding those massive mics above people's heads.
You get good audio.
Usually, that's the backup mic.
Well, that day, I made a mistake. So I am having to chase Glenn around all day with this massive mic.
Because I had broken the loud mic. So yes. We worked together, many, many years ago.
It's a small wall, but a crazy story.
GLENN: A crazy story, to look at where you are now. I mean, you're massive worldwide.
Congratulations.
VOICE: Thanks, man. You know this better than anyone. It's a team sport, right? This whole idea of being human. We're never meant to be an individual concept. We were meant to do this together.
And I think that's what King & Country represents, what these live shows represent.
It's collaboration. It's compromise.
It's, you know, creatively putting our minds together. And that's what the Christmas Live, you know, it really represents.
Is we took the same film crew from our movie, unsung heroes. It was released. Basically our parents' story. Our dad in the film, which I dubbed as a very expensive therapy session.
But we put the same -- we put them in that to capture this -- so what I love about this, this concert film.
And what we've gotten to do live, but also what we're getting to do cinematically now.
Is that we're getting to invite people, not only in America. But this film is going up to Canada.
It's going across to the UK. We're playing a few shows at the UK.
It's going down to Australia. It's going to New Zealand
This is the beauty. We know this with radio. Radio?
We're talking right now. There are thousands and thousands of people listening to this.
This is when art and technology come together. You're able to do something really cool.
GLENN: So we're talking to for King & Country. Their Drummer Boy Christmas live, will be available in select theaters, December 5th.
What day is it? Is that today? That's yesterday.
VOICE: Right now. Right now.
GLENN: Wow, through the 19th.
And if you've never seen them, I cannot explain how good they are.
They are really, really great. You want to get into the Christmas mood. I can guarantee, a good time. How do you get tickets?
VOICE: I think if you -- still, we can go to the local theater.
Phantom of -- kind of got all of the theaters. You know, I think if you use the ZIP code.
It would be able to direct you to the place, to kind of go see -- at your local theater.
GLENN: Great. For King&Country.com.
And you can follow them on Twitter. Four. The number four. King & Country.
God bless you, guys, we'll see you soon.
Thank you. Goodbye.
