Wednesday, August 17, 2011

August Show Will Be Especially Sweet!

To say the summer of 2011 has been anything less than sweet would be a misunderstatement. New songs for the next CD are flowing, a Sweet Crystal track is in a major motion picture, a great review on “3″ in an international music mag, our own Bill Blatter featured in a rap music video… if you need a dose a Crystal, believe me, you can find it.
For now, we’ll just focus with the details of our upcoming show in just a few weeks. SWEET CRYSTAL is extremely pleased to open the night for our good friend and bass player extrordinaire’ David Winans II as he officially releases his new CD “pi”.



8/27/11: Bumper’s Bar and Grille in rocking Westland will host a night to salute this milestone in David’s musical career and we plan to start the night right (9:30 stage for us) by letting loose all the music and message we can bring.

Bumper’s Bar and Grille
8631 North Newburgh Road
Westland, MI 48185
(734) 459-7720

We plan to visit the Bob Bauer Show at UDetroit.com on Thursday, August 25 at 4:00 PM (EST) to talk about this show and other Sweet Crystal/DWII collaborations as well so make sure you log in and stay tuned for that bit of broadcast history.
Other upcoming shows include 2 different benefit shows at The Emerald Theater in September and October (more on that next time) and we’ll post the review from Power Play Magazine as soon as we get our copies ( or just order your own – how cool would that be!)
Enjoy the rest of your summer Sweeties! We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks and hearing all about your summer vacations!
(and about that rap video featuring WB… just wait. You’ll love it!).


Thursday, July 28, 2011


Decided to release the entire Press Release for the show we are headlining this Saturday (7/30/11):

FaithFest began in spring of 1997 by Pastor Gary Schippling, currently Pastor at Blessed Hope Church in Lincoln Park, MI. Last year Pastor Gary found the Lord calling him in a different direction. He has been feeding and helping homeless people for years and he is now going to open free medical clinics to expand his ministry. When he sent an email to handful of candidates to see if someone would be interested in continuing the ministry of FaithFest I knew immediately that I was being called.
My name is Michael Swiecki and for the past 3 years I have been the musical director for “Unashamed”, the youth praise band at Community Lutheran Church in Flat Rock, MI. About 2 years ago I started taking the band to perform at events other than their own church. At first they were terrified, and then they got bit. After performing at FaithFest 2 years ago the group wanted to host a similar event. Last year we put on Praisefest, held the week after FaithFest. It started out as an idea to get 4 or 5 bands to play in the afternoon but soon took on a life of its own. We started at 9:00am and went until 10:00pm with 15 bands throughout the day. Everything went perfect. When I got the email from Pastor Gary about taking over FaithFest, I felt right and made sense and the success of our PraiseFest confirmed it.

While we intend to maintain the integrity that FaithFest has had all along, “Sharing God’s Word in Song”, there are a few changes. The music will be entirely indoors. There are 2 stages side by side. While one band is performing the next band is setting up. This creates a fast paced program with minimal time between acts. We are trying to have a build up as the each day goes on closing each day with a higher energy group. Most of the artists performing toward the end of each day have released cd’s and have been signed by a label. Groups such as Aaron Lucas, Brigette Donoho, Sweet Crystal, Messenger just to name a few. Of course UNASHAMED, the hosting band, will be performing as well. A complete schedule, map, and other info can be found on the website – www.faithfest.net.

This FREE event is being held on the grounds of Community Lutheran Church, 23984 Gibralter Rd. Flat Rock, MI 48134, July 29 5pm-10pm, July 30 12pm-10pm, and July 31 11am-6pm. The Men of Grace will open up on Sunday followed by a family picnic as the music continues – all are invited. There is plenty of free parking and food and beverage will be on sale all 3 days and there will be events for children as well. FaithFest is a non-profit organization and any proceeds will go to Helping Hands, an organization that provides food, clothing, etc. for many needy families in the area.
While we are getting some donations from sponsors like Mike Carey Music Co., who has been with the event since its inception, things are very tight this year. So many businesses and individuals are still struggling it has been difficult to obtain the necessary resources, but we are still praying that God will provide. Anyone interested in donating please call Kimberlee Swiecki at 734/341-3799 or email at info@faithfest.net.

See you at the show!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Warriors Summary


We just want to thank everyone for always stepping us to help with our goal to support the Wounded Warrior Project with every show we play.
You help us succeed.
We owe you almost as much as we owe the warriors.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

6-4-11 A New Type of Event


We are trying something new on Saturday 6/4/11 over at The Token Lounge in Westland, MI.
Our stealth organization - the Last Day's Alliance (LDA) - has organized a 4 band, 4 cause to generate
funds, support and awareness for the needs of others.

In what could be a template for future benefit shows, SWEET CRYSTAL, MEDISIN WHEEL, WAKING VEGAS and
SONS OF RACHEL will bring their individual music and message to the venerable stage at The Token and each band will be supporting 4 distinct causes by their actions:

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
MY SISTER SONG
AUTISM AWARENESS
RACE FOR THE CURE

You pay the cover, you decide the cause. A night of great great music with a result that will make your heart smile long after the night is done.

And did I mention that there's a chance you will walk away with a $250 Mitchell Acoustic Guitar courtesy of the Guitar Center Canton Store?

What other enticement do you need to make it out? Tell me - I'll probably do it!
SWEET CRYSTAL opens the show so get there early for us. We promise you won't regret spending this first Saturday in June with us.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Nothing Here (For You To Fear)


We just penned,performed and produced our first song specifically for a feature length movie. We'll let you know the flick once it gets into the sound track "officially" but we plan to start playing it out as a Sweet Crystal tune regardless. The song started as a lullaby but quickly became a song that could also be about God talking to us.

Thought you might like to read the lyrics. We'd be blessed to know you did...

A single tear upon your cheek
Betrays how you have tried
To take your fear and bury deep
(All) your suffering inside
Until there’s nothing left to hide

I know you think you’re here alone
There’s no one left to care
All around you hearts of stone
This life seems so unfair

Your Heart was never meant to break
Only Meant to love
In spite of every past mistake
Here’s my promise from above
I will shelter you in love

The battles that you see ahead
Already have been won
The struggles that you fear, instead
All fade away, now gone

Our Hearts were never meant to break
Only Meant to love
In spite of every past mistake
Here’s my promise from above
I will shelter you in love
And know this one thing is true
That no matter what you do

There’s Nothing Here For You To Fear
Wrapped Inside My Arms
There’s Nothing Here For You To Fear
I’ll Keep You Safe From Harm
No, There’s Nothing Here For You To Fear
I’m Right Here By Your Side
There’s Nothing Here For You To Fear
And I Promise
To Never Leave You
Or Forsake You…

That single tear upon your cheek
Is Now A Tear Of Joy


© 2011 M. Speck

Thursday, April 28, 2011

SWEET CRYSTAL Rocks On To Support Wounded Warriors in 2011


SWEET CRYSTAL Rocks On To Support Wounded Warriors in 2011

CANTON, Mich. – Tate Music Group (TMG) national recording artists SWEET CRYSTAL are once again spearheading local events designed and destined to make Memorial Weekend 2011 truly memorable. They are producing, promoting and playing a series of shows that highlight and support the needs of others. This next event – like the one earlier this year in Rochester Hills – will again support the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), www.woundedwarriorproject.org, a non-profit 501c3, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to helping injured service men and women.

On Saturday, May 28, SWEET CRYSTAL will be hosting a four-band benefit concert at the Rack-N-Roll Nightclub and Billiards Hall located at 13634 Sibley Road in Trenton, Mich. The ongoing series of live events is called Warriors 211.
More info here: http://www.warriors211.com.

Coming off their recent win at the 2011 Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Act, the band is hoping that the added name recognition for SWEET CRYSTAL will generate even more interest, foot traffic to the venue and financial support for the WWP.

“What we do with these shows,” says Marq Speck, lead vocalist/keyboard player for SWEET CRYSTAL, “is bring together this area’s top musical talent to raise awareness, funding and other types of support for WWP. We plan to make it a standout musical night with something for everyone.”

Additional acts and entertainment include fellow TMG recording artists MediSin Wheel, progressive rock power house REALM and the smooth vocal styling of Jennifer Nasto performing the national anthem to get the Memorial Weekend holiday off to a patriotic start. Also slated for the evening will be guest appearances by local radio and television personalities as well as representatives from various branches of the armed services.

Doors open at 8 p.m. with a progressive cover charge for those 18 years and older.

“We do something a little different with the admission,” says Speck. “Starting at just $5 per person, we’ll let the public decide how much they want to pay to get in. The more they want to donate – and 100% of the cover goes to WWP and is totally tax deductible – the more chances they’ll have at winning some great military-themed giveaways. Basically it’s a great party for a great purpose.”

Sweet Crystal is a Michigan-based rock band that has been performing live for nearly four decades. Their latest release, “3,” on the TMG label is already gathering media accolades and strong international sales. The military tribute song, “Warriors,” from the CD will again be the band’s theme song for the Warriors 211 show. “The song says it all,” concludes Speck. “What our men and women in the service – as well as their families at home – do for the rest of us… it’s inspiring, humbling and needs to be promoted loud and proud.”

For additional information, contact the venue at (734) 283-3100 or at info@warriors211.com

Sunday, April 17, 2011

We Won Sweeties!


In the overall scheme of things, Sweet Crystal plays because we feel we have a mission and a message that needs to get out. We play to inspire hope and to talk about salvation and basically remind listeners about the eternal joy to come.
We don't play for personal recognition or awards but when one unexpectedly comes our way - we feel even more blessed.
That was the case on Saturday night (4/15/11) when yours truly took home the 2001 Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Act.
Are you kidding? Us? These three "classic" rockers winning an award that usually goes to Detroit heavy hitters like BeBe and CiCi Winan, Kirk Franklin... heck even Aretha Franklin, the venerable Queen of Soul?

Are you kidding?

Don't even know where to start or who to thank - this award means that people within the Detroit music industry took the time to listen, learn and then vote for the band... meaning maybe, just maybe the conviction we have in what we are doing and trying to do is actually getting out and into the ears (and souls) of audiences.

Not sure what a laurel exactly is but we're not resting on ours. We have more music and more drive than ever now to keep doing what we are doing.

Come and go with us - we would love to do for you what has been done for us.
Because you are so worth it.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Sweet Crystal nominated for 2011 DMA Award


This news just came out and we wanted to share it with you ASAP!

Seems that this year’s Detroit Music Awards has found the band nominated in the Outstanding Gospel/Christian Artist category – a first for us and an opportunity to reach even more people with our music and message.
This is the 20th anniversary of this venerable Motor City event and in the past such icons as Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock have graced the stage and taken home the coveted DMA prize.
This year, Sweet Crystal has been nominated for and hope to win in a category near and dear to our heart: Outstanding Gospel/Christian Artist.
Voting continues until 4/1/11 with the awards show on 4/15/11 at the Fillmore in Detroit.
If you’re able to join the DMA (affiliated in the music industry in some way, shape or form) and want to help, please make your way to their website, register and find us waiting patiently. In return, let us know what you’re up for and if we can help – we will be there for you!
And no matter how it turns out – it’s been Sweet to be nominated!
Stay tuned Sweeties.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Great story - worth your time


SIX BOYS AND 13 HANDS...

[NOTE: I did not write this but was sent to me by a good friend - worth the reposting, dont' you think?]

Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class from Clinton, WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.

Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?'

I told him that we were from Wisconsin. 'Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.'

(It was James Bradley who just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, DC, but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)

When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night.)


'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.


'Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team.. They were off to play another type of game. A game called 'War.' But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.


(He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph...a photograph of his girlfriend Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys. Not old men.

'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank.. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country' He knew he was talking to little boys.. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'

'The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona . Ira Hayes was one of them who lived to walk off Iwo Jima . He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?'

So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down, drowned in a very shallow puddle, at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken).

'The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky . A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night.' Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

'The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.' My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press.

'You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a combat caregiver. On Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died on Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.

'When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'
'So that's the story about six nice young boys.. Three died on Iwo Jima , and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.'

Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.

We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice

Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom...please pray for our troops.

Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also ....please pray for our troops still in murderous places around the world.

STOP and thank God for being alive and being free due to someone else's sacrifice.


God Bless You and God Bless America ..


REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.


One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is .. . that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.


Great story - worth your time - worth every American's time. Please pass it on.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Pictures from Hard Rock Cafe 2-24-11

Thought you might like to see what we were doing on 2-24-2011 down at
Detroit's Hard Rock Cafe.
Sweet indeed!
WordPress plugin



Saturday, February 26, 2011

Goodbye Little Friend


I decided to try something different for the next Sweet Crystal live shows and in the spirit of change have decided to sell my Moog Little Phatty Stage II synthesizer...

It was a great little trooper but I really only bought it to have something sitting on the top tier of my live rig and barely touched it during a show.

So...

it will be missed as I miss everything I sell but life in the live arena can be cruel and this little puppy is just another casualty.
Bye baby.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Hard Rock Cafe Detroit Says Hello to Sweet Crystal


We are so excited about this next gig: The iconic Hard Rock Cafe has booked Sweet Crystal to headline the last concert in it's new series of live events.

Called "Alto Reed's Allstar Thursday Night Concert Series", this 10 week show dates has brought some great local and national touring acts to the Detroit stage and now the series winds up with yours truly!

How very cool - never played there before but we plan to bring it!
Doors open at 7 PM, cover charge is a mere $5.00 and our good friends MediSin Wheel will open the show at 8 PM.
We hit the stage at 9PM (an early night for all our classic rocker fans) for an hour or more of pure Crystal.

We like to call it our "Night of Light" - taking back the D, one venue at a time.

We'd be honored and thrilled to have you there. You can make this a winning night for us, so whatever we can do for you in return, just ask!

Ready or not, here we rock!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Warriors 211


My band Sweet Crystal is continuing to do in 2011 what we did in 2010:
produce, promote and play shows that highlight and support the needs of others.

This year the Wounded Warrior Project, http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org, will be the first beneficiary of their music and message.
On Saturday, February 5, Sweet Crystal will be hosting a five-band benefit concert at Callahan’s Music Hall located at
2105 S. Boulevard in Auburn Hills, Mich. The event is called Warriors 211 and a website for it has been created at
http://www.warriors211.com.
“What we are doing with this show,” says Marq Speck, lead vocalist/keyboard player for Sweet Crystal, “is bringing
together some of this area’s top musical talent to raise awareness, funding and other types of support for the Wounded
Warrior Project (WWP).” WWP is a non-profit 501c3, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to helping injured
service men and women.
“We plan to make it a standout musical night with something for everyone,” continues Speck. “Besides Sweet Crystal,
we’ll have the heavy rock assault of fellow TMG band MediSin Wheel, the smooth jazz styling of Ray Cooke and
Expansions Jazz Quartet, the inspirational music of R&B/blues band Oxgoad, and starting the night out right, Alyssa
Simmons performing the national anthem.” Also slated for the evening will be guest appearances by local radio and
television personalities as well as representatives from various branches of the armed services.
Doors open at 7 p.m. with a progressive cover charge for those 18 years and older. “We’re doing something a little
different with the admission,” says Speck. “Starting at just $5 per person, we’ll let the public decide how much they
want to pay to get in. The more they want to donate – and 100% of the cover goes to WWP and is totally taxdeductible
– the more chances they’ll have at winning some great military-themed giveaways. Basically it’s a great
party with a great purpose.”
Sweet Crystal is a Michigan-based Christian rock band that has been performing live for nearly four decades. Their
recent 2010 release, “3,” on the TMG label is already gathering media accolades and strong international sales. The
military tribute song, “Warriors,” from the CD will be the band’s theme song for the Warriors 211 show. “The song says
it all,” concludes Speck. “What our men and women in the service – as well as their families at home – do for the rest
of us… it’s inspiring, humbling and needs to be promoted loud and proud.”