10/5/2008

By DAVID CLOUSTON

Salina Journal

Chris Trent found brief success promoting an outdoor Christian rock concert in Stockton, where at the time he was driving a truck route for Roberts Dairy.

He and some friends started in 1999 with four bands and drew 300 people to the concert in a Stockton park. The next year, there were seven bands and the event drew 800 people.

This month, in Salina, Trent and a committee of organizers hope a revised Godstock concert will draw as many as 500 or more listeners to Oakdale Park. The concert is set for 3 to 10 p.m. Oct. 11. Admission to the event is free, but there will be a freewill donation to help raise some funds to cover the cost.

Featuring six bands, the goal "is to bring teenagers closer to God, and get them to know him better by doing it in a way teens enjoy," Trent said. "But it's not just for kids, it's for everybody."

What accounted for the time lag between concerts was simply some personal challenges that arose in Trent's own life. He went through a divorce and a period of depression.

"It brought me down," he said.

What brought him back up was a request by the lead singer of one of this year's performers, the band Fate of Angels. The singer asked Trent's oldest daughter, Emily, "When is Chris going to do another Godstock?"

A little more coaxing, and Trent was back on board. But it's not solely him, he's quick to add. The concert is made possible by the other members of the committee, along with the support of local businesses and churches. His employer, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Salina, was instrumental in helping to promote the event, as was radio station 92.7 The Zoo.

More information about some of the performers in this year's concert is available by logging on to the Web at these sites:

n www.emilyjudsonband.com

n www.wurship.com

n http://www.myspace.co/brightlightparade

n Reporter David Clouston can be reached at 822-1403 or by e-mail at dclouston@salina.com.

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