There are many strange stories in rock history. But Luxury is surely the only band in which three out of five members ended up becoming Orthodox priests.

Combining a hard-edged instrumental texture with sweet, melodious vocals and literary lyrics, Luxury has continued to record and perform sporadically since their beginning in the mid-1990s Christian punk scene. They have retained a loyal following and their latest album, Trophies, was released last year to much acclaim.

Fr. David Lee Bozeman—singer, songwriter and guitarist—joins the show to tell the band’s story, discuss the relationship between liturgy and modern culture, and comment on his lyrics, which deal with themes like ordination, marriage real and counterfeit, the scourge of pornography, and the sanctification of the body.

Contents

[2:36] “The Majesty of the Flesh”

[9:39] The complicated sanctity of the Christian body; deification/theosis

[14:58] Fr. David’s songwriting process

[15:53] The story of Luxury, three of its members’ path from Protestantism to sacramental faith

[25:06] “Courage, Courage”, a song about Fr. David’s ordination

[35:48] “To Conquer and Destroy”

[39:29] The band's early influences and Fr. David's reference points from the 80s and 90s

[44:19] Fr. David’s experience of the Christian rock scene

[46:27] Orthodoxy and modern culture: liturgy is brought into secular life, not vice versa

[52:02] “The War on Women” and the hold of pornography on the modern world

[1:02:00] The compact experience of T.S. Eliot’s poetry and its influence on Fr. David’s lyrics

[1:05:46] “Museums in Decline”

[1:11:58] “Trophies” and the Orthodox understanding of marriage and second marriages

[1:20:35] Provocation in Luxury’s early lyrics

[1:23:16] “Queer Logic”, a lament over the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage

[1:27:37] “Perpetua Simone”

All music in this episode used with permission from Luxury and Lee Bozeman.

“The War on Women”, “Museums in Decline”, “Trophies”, “Courage, Courage” from Luxury, Trophies. https://luxury.bandcamp.com/album/trophies

“To Conquer and Destroy”, “Perpetua Simone” from Luxury, Luxury. https://luxury.bandcamp.com/album/luxury

“The Majesty of the Flesh” from Lee Bozeman, The Majesty of the Flesh. https://leebozeman.bandcamp.com/album/the-majesty-of-the-flesh

“Queer Logic” from Lee Bozeman, Queer Logic. https://leebozeman.bandcamp.com/album/queer-logic

Links

Lee Bozeman http://www.leebozeman.com/

Lee Bozeman on Bandcamp https://leebozeman.bandcamp.com/

Luxury on Bandcamp https://luxury.bandcamp.com/

Luxury on Twitter https://twitter.com/thebandLuxury

Luxury on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LuxuryBand

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