Also linked from: Mark Lee's blog here!
The album "Time" set a Christian Rock standard in 1999. Since then, I've handed out several copies to spark interest in the longtime Atlanta-based Third Day to much success. The boys from Georgia have had many successes since including a couple Grammy's and an anthem that helped console this country during Hurricane Katrina ("Cry Out to Jesus"). They put out a two-volume "Best of. . ." set in "Chronology" that could have easily capped off their careers, and yet they pressed on in their unique calling. Then came "Revelation".
Mac answers the question that has been on so many fans' minds of late in the very first track. The writing seemed to be on the wall:
1. Third Day had garnered plenty of hardware and made their impression in Christian music equaled by only a few.
2. Mac Powell started a "side" deal with David Nasser ("Glory Revealed")
3. "Chronology Vols I and II" sufficiently covered their discography from 10 years of rock
4. As though it were a requirement in the Christian music world, Third Day finally released a Christmas album with "Christmas Offerings", though it is awesome and not just another campy holiday music cut like so many offer
5. Brad Avery, one of the lead guitarists, left the band about a year ago
And the question was, "Will Third Day split up for Mac to go do the solo thing?"
And the answer: "This is who I am" Even though they had made plenty of public statements that nothing was going to happen other than more great music, this finally set everyone straight. Third Day is a rock band. A really great rock band. And "Revelation" is a great album.
I'm not going to go so far and say it beats "Time", but it is definitely growing on me more and more every time I listen. There are a few tracks that will surely help sustain my faith through an impending deployment - "Born Again" and "Call My Name". The latter can be heard here in a great live acoustic recording. All in all, this is a "must have" for anyone that likes Southern Rock or needs a lift during a rough day. It was tough to see Brad go, but the band, now just four guys, has been blessed with the privilege of continuing in their mission to provide an atmosphere of worship to anyone who will listen. Oh, and they can really play!
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, November 30, 2007
Third Day / Jars of Clay / Rome, GA
We had the privilege of going to the first show for the Christmas Offerings tour with Third Day and Jars of Clay last night in Rome, GA. It was a blast (of course) and we met up some friends from TN to make it even more fun! 6th row on stage left was perfect - Rachel had the aisle in case she started going into contractions; thankfully that didn't happen and we got to see the whole show. The baby did get pretty excited, especially with the bass drum the JoC lead singer bangs like its nobody's business!
OK, it seems important to provide a more critical review than just "It rocked!", especially considering this was our fifth full-fledged Third Day concert. So here it is: All in all, the audience was deeply ministered to - as is the case at every Third Day event. It is impossible to walk away from these guys, whether they are singing or playing or just chilling by the pool and not be ministered to. I've had more time with them than most fans (in and out of the concert hall) and I can speak of this as fact. The concert on Thursday night, though had some glitches. I believe that they were almost completely due to two factors: 1. it was the first night of the show 2. the Forum in Rome, GA looks older than me. Number 1 seemed to be the apparent reason for most of the problems. For instance, the words during one of the songs were completely out of synch after the first couple verses. The soundguy, to his credit, worked feverishly to get the right words up on the screen, however it was at times a little distracting. Additionally, Brad Avery's awesome story about the adoption of their fourth daughter was followed by a complete darkout that seemed to contribute to an out-of-synch intro between him and the keyboardist. During Little Drummer Boy, by Jars of Clay (and this may be my own audible deficiency), the lead singer took to the xylaphone like it was nobody's business, yet for some reason, I couldn't hear it save my life! Nonetheless, the crowd loved the song and got to its feet by the end. I think the oddest flub of the evening was when Mac tried to direct the follow spot over to Mark Lee so that he could be introduced. Instead of following the lead's directions, the spot stayed focused (I think on Brad) and just sat there. Mac had to tell the dude about four times before he started pointing to the operator and waving the light over to Mark. It definitely disrupted a bit of the concert flow.
You know what, though, most of these issues really pointed to one thing: This was a live show! It was not Milli Vanilli and things happen when musicians actually peform rather than pretend. I hope that noone gets too offended by this post, as it is written, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). The concert definitely rocked, regardless, and I'm anxiously awaiting the Spring tour dates so I can scoop up some tix for a few close by shows. God Bless!
OK, it seems important to provide a more critical review than just "It rocked!", especially considering this was our fifth full-fledged Third Day concert. So here it is: All in all, the audience was deeply ministered to - as is the case at every Third Day event. It is impossible to walk away from these guys, whether they are singing or playing or just chilling by the pool and not be ministered to. I've had more time with them than most fans (in and out of the concert hall) and I can speak of this as fact. The concert on Thursday night, though had some glitches. I believe that they were almost completely due to two factors: 1. it was the first night of the show 2. the Forum in Rome, GA looks older than me. Number 1 seemed to be the apparent reason for most of the problems. For instance, the words during one of the songs were completely out of synch after the first couple verses. The soundguy, to his credit, worked feverishly to get the right words up on the screen, however it was at times a little distracting. Additionally, Brad Avery's awesome story about the adoption of their fourth daughter was followed by a complete darkout that seemed to contribute to an out-of-synch intro between him and the keyboardist. During Little Drummer Boy, by Jars of Clay (and this may be my own audible deficiency), the lead singer took to the xylaphone like it was nobody's business, yet for some reason, I couldn't hear it save my life! Nonetheless, the crowd loved the song and got to its feet by the end. I think the oddest flub of the evening was when Mac tried to direct the follow spot over to Mark Lee so that he could be introduced. Instead of following the lead's directions, the spot stayed focused (I think on Brad) and just sat there. Mac had to tell the dude about four times before he started pointing to the operator and waving the light over to Mark. It definitely disrupted a bit of the concert flow.
You know what, though, most of these issues really pointed to one thing: This was a live show! It was not Milli Vanilli and things happen when musicians actually peform rather than pretend. I hope that noone gets too offended by this post, as it is written, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17). The concert definitely rocked, regardless, and I'm anxiously awaiting the Spring tour dates so I can scoop up some tix for a few close by shows. God Bless!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Guitar Hero
Just like the real thing - only completely different! On my business trip to TN, I became wonderfully familiar with Guitar Hero, for Playstation. In short, It ROCKED!! I've got to say though, the "expert" level is totally beyond me! We unlocked all of the 40 songs in Guitar Hero - 2 (I think) on the "medium" level and that was still pretty difficult. Anyway, it can be quite a workout, though not as much as the Nintendo WII seems to be. It's really more of a workout for the fingers on the frets - those buttons can build up some serious callouses. Anyway, I would not recommend buying a PS-2 just to get this game, but I'd definitely recommend hanging out with friends who've already got it!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Chronology: Volume One
Chronology: Volume One, Third Day
If you have never listened to Third Day before, this is a great starter disc - especially, if you don't care about buying out their entire collection. Some of it is terrific! The best aspect, hands down, is the fact that both Volume One and Volume Two come with a DVD of early performances and shows when they were just out of high school! It's pretty crazy to see how they've changed! It's also amazing to see that God never has changed - the music they made then was incredible! Sure, they've gotten better as artists, but the painting hasn't changed much. This is a great thing, as a lot of artists try to "paint" different images in the hopes of reaching a different crowd (or a different wallet). Third Day has never seemed to do this. God is using them in some mighty ways and I look forward to Chronology Volume Three to come out in another ten years! Thanks, Brad, David, Mac, Mark, Tai, and everyone else who makes their ministry possible!
If you have never listened to Third Day before, this is a great starter disc - especially, if you don't care about buying out their entire collection. Some of it is terrific! The best aspect, hands down, is the fact that both Volume One and Volume Two come with a DVD of early performances and shows when they were just out of high school! It's pretty crazy to see how they've changed! It's also amazing to see that God never has changed - the music they made then was incredible! Sure, they've gotten better as artists, but the painting hasn't changed much. This is a great thing, as a lot of artists try to "paint" different images in the hopes of reaching a different crowd (or a different wallet). Third Day has never seemed to do this. God is using them in some mighty ways and I look forward to Chronology Volume Three to come out in another ten years! Thanks, Brad, David, Mac, Mark, Tai, and everyone else who makes their ministry possible!
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