Indie rock and abstinence at the heart of this rebellion

A buzz is in the air today at Rocky Mountain Calvary in Colorado Springs.

Seattle-based musician Brandon Bee will rock the house as the headlining act for Pure Rebellion, an edgy Christian youth event at the church.

Bee is a good fit for Pure Rebellion. With musical influences like Muse, Coldplay and Radiohead, he brings an indie-rock sensibility to his Christian moral message.

“I don’t allow myself to get stuck in a Christian music box,” Bee, 27, said. “Yeah, we will talk about God, and I want to write songs that are true to me. But we won’t pound you with the Bible.”

Founded in 2009, Pure Rebellion Ministries is a Colorado Springs nonprofit that puts on free events for Christians, ages 13 and up, that mix dance, drama and music with education on the ramifications of being sexually active.

“We hope to convey an understanding of how sex and relationships can cause despair and (lifelong) consequences,” said Todd Gatlin, the ministry’s CEO.

Gatlin chose Bee to headline because, he said, “his music is relevant, youthful, and he has a passion for this type of event.”

Bee’s passion for Pure Rebellion stems from his own rebellious period in his mid-teens, when he was partying, drinking and having sex out of wedlock. At age 17, he got his future wife pregnant. Bee’s songs are about this and other parts of his life. “The goal is to have songs that explain where my life has been,” Bee said.

He grew up in a musical Christian household. From an early age until his mid-teens, he toured in a family band called Singing Bees. After some dark years, he returned to his faith and got married at 18. He and his wife have five children.

Bee’s been the worship pastor at Calvary Fellowship in Gig Harbor, Wash., for several years. In 2008 he released his first full-length CD, “This is the Revolution.”

Bee said the musical dynamic of many of his songs is not what you normally hear in Christian music. “I really like dynamic change in the middle of the song, bringing it down low, then building it back up again,” he said. “I want to take people on an emotional roller-coaster.”

Though people attending Pure Rebellion might feel like they are at an indie-rock show, Bee said at least one thing separates him from secular acts.

“I write all my songs about God,” he said.

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Call the writer at 636-0367.

Pure Rebellion with Brandon Bee

When: 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel, 4285 N. Academy Blvd.

Cost: Free

More info: Call the church at 597-1133. Bee will also lead worship at Rocky Mountain Calvary services this weekend.