When I first arrived at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in Chattanooga TN, on the slightly blustery Saturday evening of February 9, 2008, I was a little low on energy. But within 10 minutes of This Beautiful Republic’s (TBR) set I was high on music (which is a far greater high than that of caffeine).

I noticed that one could tell a lot about a band by the enthusiasm of its fans. Their set was only 20 minutes long and somehow their fans seemed to generate as much excitement as the fans for the headlining band (Family Force Five).

Forefront records (out of EMI CMG label group) signed TBR in late 2006 their debut was later launched March 20, 2007, with the album “Every Hero Needs a Parachute.” This album as well as their soon-to-be-released album in July, is produced by Allen Salman (known for engineering records by Sanctus Real and Mute Math and producing indie artists such as Gileah and the Ghost Train).

TBR, based out of Toledo, Ohio, has been winning over fans for nearly three years. With their new lead vocalist Ben Olin who spends most of his stage time belting out his skyscraping range, TBR is more popular than ever. The band is made up of Ben Olin, drummer Andy Smith, guitarist Jeremy Kunkle, bassist Brandon Paxton and Adam Smith, also on guitar.

TBR has an intense live show. Most bands, unfortunately, only utilize their talent in the studio, unlike TBR who delivers an amazing album as well as an incendiary show. “Casting Off,” “Going Under” and “Block Box” are just a few songs from their current album that they performed. Not only did they play “Stay with You Tonight,” a song from their yet-to-be-released album, but they covered my favorite song “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.

The highlight of the show might have been when Ben sang a note higher than most sopranos from Voices of Lee could aspire, or perhaps the highlight was while the band was head banging in unison, Ben took it upon himself to swing his microphone 360 degrees around his body; I left the show with the same amount of exhilaration that I’ve had after riding the Hulk in Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.

In a Christian rock band like TBR, where Monster Energy drinks are the currency of love, it’s hard to imagine the members as being shy. Ben does a majority of lyrics mostly because the band isn’t too keen on the rejection thing, but Ben doesn’t seem to mind. He quoted a Nashville writer in saying that he lived by the “dare to suck” theme. Never be afraid of an idea that you might believe to be stupid, it could inspire someone else.

I had the opportunity to talk to Ben about the title of TBR’s first album “Every Hero Needs a Parachute.” Ben explained that the title “basically means that some people think they have all the answers but even those people have problems and things they’re struggling with that they need to be saved from. We all fall short of the glory of God, so really, if we’re all falling out of a plane we’re all going to die, unless we get a parachute.”

Everyone is one the same level.

TBR uses this same philosophy with their music on stage and off. The band doesn’t necessarily want to be remembered for their art. They just want to write songs that people can connect with and as Ben said “be encouraged by.” They don’t want to be perceived as great artists. If a fan can’t listen to their songs and get something positive out of it then, as Ben put it, “its useless.”

I believe we can expect amazing things from This Beautiful Republic, whose passion for what they do is shown on stage, in the studio and in their love of Christ.