The Christian rock band that some say hit its peak in the early 2000s will be visiting campus on Sunday to perform signature songs, such as "Meant To Live" and "Dare You To Move," as well as some of its new hits, which are also topping the charts.
Touring the world in support of its most recent release "Vice Versus," Switchfoot is bringing its live show to the John R. Emens Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Sunday, along with supporting act The Rocket Summer.
While the band may have reached its peak in 2003 with the double-platinum release of "The Beautiful Letdown," students are still showing interest in hearing them perform, said Bob Myers, director of Emens Auditorium and Pruis Hall.
Junior political science major Kacie Newhouse listened to Switchfoot years ago when she was in 8th grade. She said they were here favorite band at the time. Since "The Beautiful Letdown," however, Newhouse has not listened to any of Switchfoot's newer material.
"I liked Switchfoot because their lyrics were more substantial than anything else the radio played or any other music I listened to at the time," she said. "I remember quoting a lot of their lyrics for different things."
Despite the band's rise to commercial success in the early 2000s, Switchfoot is still releasing chart-topping albums. Its most recent release debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. According to guitarist Drew Shirley, the band is still playing to thousands of fans in cities all around the world.
"It's crazy to go to another country where you've never played and 5,000 people are singing your songs," he said. "That's a crazy feeling, but it lets you know again that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves."
Shirley is the latest edition to the band that began in 1996. After playing music in the San Diego area with his own band, All Together Separate, Shirley eventually befriended the members of Switchfoot. After being asked to tour with the band in 2003, Shirley later became an official member in 2005.
Although the band has been together for such a long time, there is no end in sight in Shirley's eyes, as the band members connect on a brotherly level, even on days off.
"I think the typical lifespan of a rock band is like five years or something," he said. "We're already past that so we're in [the] bonus round now."
While Switchfoot has received a great deal of attention from secular media, with songs appearing everywhere from alternative rock radio to ESPN, Shirley still said the band embraces its Christian ties.
"It's a part of who we are," he said. "We hope that people understand and don't have prejudice ideas against us because of it. We think people are more open-minded now to say, 'Hey, these are guys that are filled with faith. Let's see what they have to say.'"
Sophomore business major Hollie Puckett first became acquainted with Switchfoot back in middle school from the movie "A Walk to Remember." Unlike Newhouse, however, she has stayed up to date with the band's recent releases.
The followup to 2009s "Hello Hurricane," Switchfoot's latest album was produced by Neal Avron (Weezer, Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy). After handpicking what songs would be on the album, the end result was a cohesive mix, Shirley said.
"It was all recorded in one time at one place, and the song were decided on beforehand," Shirley said. "I think there's just a joy and a hope on this album that we haven't had before."
Being a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, Puckett said she appreciates the way that Switchfoot goes about expressing its Christian faith through its songs.
"They're pretty subtle about it, but they still get their message across about their faith and their lives and how it should be a role in our lives," she said. "They sing songs about their faith that have to do with Christianity, but they also have songs that you could interpret other ways, and I like that as well."
From its brotherly relationships on and off the stage, to honest songwriting and its work in the community, the band strives to make its message clear in a number of ways.
Switchfoot works closely with San Diego-based charity StandUp For Kids, an organization that is working to end youth homelessness. The band organizes an annual event in support of the charity called the Bro-Am that combines live music and surfing, two hobbies that are very important to the San Diego-based rock band.
"It's something we really believe in - elevating others, helping others, doing things that aren't just for ourself," Shirley said.
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