Courtesy of 24Seven

Members of 24Seven have remained friends since the band's demise.

Fans of a former local band have a reason to celebrate.

The Christian rock band 24Seven will play a reunion show, the first since the band broke up in 2003, Saturday in Pembroke.

The band formed in 1999 with singer Adam Dutton, bassist John Ousley, guitarist Travis Bishop and drummer Philip Tingler.

Since the band's split, its members have remained friends and gone on to form other bands, including the now-defunct Altar and current bands Amalgarhythm and Temple of God.

God's House, the Pembroke church hosting the reunion show, had originally contacted Christiansburg-based Amalgarhythm to play Saturday, but that band is now without a lead singer.

So the members of Amalgarhythm thought to bring in Dalton, who is now the singer of Pulaski-based Christian band Temple of God to fill in, Ousley said. From there, the idea for a one-night 24Seven reunion was born because, between Temple of God and Amalgarhythm, all but one of the original members of 24Seven were represented. Tingler is unable to play Saturday night, so Amalgarhythm drummer Ben Creger will fill in.

"We're all friends, and we work together with Temple of God," Ousley said. "It's just another example of helping each other out."

Because of the mix of bands, Saturday's concert will feature original 24Seven songs along with newer material from Amagarhythm, Bishop said.

"Fans will hear old songs they love and new music," he said.

"And they'll be able to see how the guys of 24Seven have developed as musicians," Creger said.

The idea behind the music isn't necessarily to write something with an obvious religious hook but instead write about dealing with everyday life -- such as breakups and moving on -- while still bringing everything back to God, Ousley said.

"Everything we do might not be considered Christian rock in the way people think of it," Ousley said. "Instead of us saying 'Go out and get drunk and wreck everything because you broke up with your girl' in a song, we want to show their are other alternatives."

The overall message is still to love God and love other people, Bishop said.

"Their music is more progressive than country music or something like that," said Wayman Creger, pastor of God's House. "I know they'll have a positive message. Even though some of their songs are close to secular message, they're still about God."

Wayman Creger, who is drummer Ben Creger's father, said he hopes the music will draw in more young people because the musicians are good role models for teenagers.

Saturday's show will also feature a performance by the New Life Drama Company, a ministry whose mission is to use drama to evangelize, encourage Christian living and equip young people for ministry, according to its Web site.