But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong ... so that no one may boast before him."
"1 Corinthians 1:27, 29
In what's usually an unlikely scenario in the music business, Foolish Things was actually a band before anyone could play an instrument. So when it came time to choose a name for the new group, it was really a no-brainer for Isaac Jorgensen (vocals/guitars) James Rightmer (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Mark Labriola (vocals/guitar), Nate Phillips (bass) and Shaul Hagen (drummer), as they couldn't help but be inspired by their humble beginnings.
"Foolish Things is actually a really good name for us," Phillips explains. "We have absolutely nothing to boast about. We never set out to do the band thing. We're just a group of friends who wanted to serve our youth group," he says.
In fact, Jorgensen says it's something they "sort of stumbled into" after the upperclassman who typically led worship for the church youth group moved on. After learning to play worship songs, it wasn't long before they were not only leading the weekly service, but playing at coffeehouses and area youth events. Eventually, Foolish Things' newfound love of music would inspire them to start writing their own material.
"It was a really cool thing because our youth pastor challenged us not to look for a gig when we were writing songs," Phillips says. "He said, 'Let people call you. Let the Lord open doors.' So for the first four years, we never once called out for a gig. We started playing more and more and getting better and better," he says.
In 2000, the band got another major break it never expected when it won the Estes Park annual "Seminar in the Rockies" competition. "Musically, I think we were one of the worst bands there at the time," Jorgensen adds. "But we feel that God has just blessed the unity of who we are, and it comes out in the music."
Following the competition, the band worked with Ronny Cates, a former bassist with Petra and recorded a four-song demo. From there, the band decided to take a major leap of faith. "So we went on a three-month tour that we booked ourselves," Phillips remembers. "We took time off from college, we sold our EPs and we started making connections. From there, we never stopped," he says.
Eventually, Foolish Things' catchy pop/rock sound, clear message of faith and tireless work ethic would attract the attention of Inpop Records. And with the release of Let's Not Forget The Story, the Colorado-based band will be properly introduced to the masses.
Inspired musically by a steady diet of U2, Coldplay and other British rock bands, Foolish Things' anthemic, guitar-fueled approach provides the perfect backdrop for its message. The band's music is tailor-made to encourage and ultimately, challenge, believers.
"We're all Christians here, but there's so much about our lives that look no different than the world," Jorgensen says. "We wanted to say, 'Let's not forget who we are.' We're not set apart from the world as much as we should be and we're missing out on all God has intended us to be. Our citizenship is in heaven, yet we're sowing most of
our time and finances in things that are going to pass away. That's a convicting thing," he says.
Putting action behind their conviction, Foolish Things has also launched a tour called "The Foolish Things' Three Who Need," which is designed to equip the body of Christ to reach non-believers in their cities and provide a non-threatening environment where Christians can comfortably invite non-believers. Foolish Things is also challenging Christians to commit to praying for and inviting three friends, family members or co-workers who need to hear the Gospel. At each concert, each person will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel presentation.
"We're passionate about the Gospel and encouraging believers," Jorgensen says. "Our goal is simply to reach as many as we can with the Gospel and to fire up the body of Christ, whether it's with our CD or our concerts."
But this was posted on their website, speaking of the band ending: "After an amazing 10 years of friendship, worship and ministry, we are sad to announce that this is the last season for Foolish Things. We have been honored to make music together and serve the Lord Jesus Christ with music. Thank you to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Each of you played a role in our journey and we are extremely blessed to have been a part of what God has done. Although we are grieving, and semi-anxious about what lies ahead we are excited that a new chapter is beginning. Babies are on the way, different job opportunities are opening, and ministry opportunities are in each of our futures. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. We love you. Blessings."