snixie photography

It is common knowledge around these parts how much I love Third Day. The other day I decided on a whim to go to Macon, Georgia to see them on the Make Your Move tour, where they performed with the fantastic Trevor Morgan and Tenth Avenue North. As most of you know, I have been to many Third Day concerts. This was one of the top 5 I’ve ever had the privilege of attending, and I don’t say that all the time. I wasn’t planning on attending any more shows this tour, but now I’m looking at my schedule (and budget!) to see if I can go to more. One of the best news I heard all night was that this tour (this lineup) will continue into the fall!

Perhaps you are not a Third Day fan, or perhaps you’re wondering if I’m just gushing as a devoted fan. So without further ado, here are the top 5 reasons you should go out and buy a ticket for the Make Your Move tour AND be ready for the fall leg:

1. Trevor Morgan is a superb singer-songwriter, and here’s your chance to jump on the bandwagon before your friends! One of the highlights of the night was when Trevor came back out with Third Day and sang his song “Jesus Rides the Subway”. It’s very rare that Mac Powell doesn’t overpower the person he’s singing backup vocals for, but this is one of those instances. Trevor has a strong enough voice and stage presence that Mac (and the rest) seem to disappear and blend perfectly. Plus, if you go to the Make Your Move tour, you’ll be able to purchase his new cd.

2. I have seen Tenth Avenue North before, but I was impressed with their longer set. In between their songs, Mike Donehey, the lead singer, spoke extensively about God’s grace and the gospel. It was clear that he as an individual and the band as a whole have been heavily influenced by the work of the great Tim Keller, who is one of my favorite speakers and authors. The music was rocking, the theology was solid, and the showmanship was impressive. I was particularly impacted by their song “You Are More”, and the music video that they played along with it. Even though I had never seen the video, I basically saw that music video lived out in my classroom this fall. You can read about that story at my alma mater’s website.

3. The lights were top notch. Of course concerts are about music, and the music sounded fantastic, but the atmosphere on stage was incredible. I had a friend mention the lights to me (she had seen them a week before) and I sort of rolled my eyes when she said that. After seeing them for myself, I understood why she mentioned them. This wasn’t just a lame Christian event, it was a rock concert. The lights were never distracting, but seemed to enhance the mood and the tone of the songs.

4. This was my 29th(ish) Third Day show, and it was perhaps one of the best setlists I have ever heard. The flow of the concert was effortless and smooth – in fact, the only reason I noticed it was because I have been to some that were a bit choppier. From start to finish Mac and the guys kept the crowd entertained and engaged, deftly mixing old standards like “Consuming Fire” and “Your Love Oh Lord” with new favorites like “Children of God” and “Trust in Jesus”. With such a large song library to choose from, it can be hard to select the right songs, but this setlist hit the spot. I liked the new album Move before I went to the concert; I left loving it. This was an album meant to be performed live, and southern rock has never sounded as good as it did in Macon.

5. If you have been to a lot of concerts, you know the difference between musicians and performers. There are some who are just musicians and can write good music, but aren’t exactly enjoyable to watch. Then there are some that might be entertaining, but it’s all smoke and mirrors (sometimes literally!) and fluff. Then there is the rare combination of musical talent and showmanship. This is what we got in Macon on Sunday. The band’s interaction with each other and with the crowd was comfortable but not rehearsed, familiar but not a routine. Even though it was a Sunday night show, the end of a 4-show run, the energy the band brought to the stage made it feel like a Friday night.

After the show as I was driving back to Columbus, I stopped at McDonalds and ran into a couple that had sat beside me at the concert. The wife apologized for almost knocking my camera out of my hand during the show and we chatted a little bit about the show. She was a Tenth Avenue North fan and had never seen Third Day in concert before. As we talked she expressed how much she had enjoyed seeing the band and how good the concert was. I left amazed at the fact that this show could somehow please both the first-time concert goer like this lady and a well-seasoned veteran like myself.Clearly that takes a lot of talent.

So if you’re hesitating on whether or not to go see Trevor Morgan, Tenth Avenue North, and Third Day, hesitate no more! They’re touring throughout May and then will be back in the fall, so there will be plenty of opportunities. If you’re not satisfied you can come back and send me a nasty email or something. I’m sure that you will not be disappointed.

And now, onto the pictures. Once again, this is just with my trust 50mm and 35mm lenses, so no zoom. My seat was over to the side a bit, so it was more challenging than the Make a Difference Tour, but I still am pleased. I hope you enjoy!

(I didn’t get any pictures of Trevor during his set, but there is one later on, when he came out with Third Day to sing what is perhaps my favorite Third Day song, “I’ve Always Loved You”. It was stupendous.)

And now onto Third Day!

That’s all folks! Make sure if you have the ability, you go and see the Make Your Move tour. It will be a night well spent!

A few weekends ago I once again saw my favorite band, Third Day. They came to Columbus, Georgia (where I now live!) on their Make a Difference Tour, along with TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, and Max Lucado. The real star of the night, however, was World Vision, and their child sponsorship program.

Third Day has been partnered with World Vision for years, and I was particularly excited about this tour because of the emphasis on reaching out and being involved in what God is doing around the world

Here’s some of the pictures I took, starting with TobyMac.

Mac came out to sing with TobyMac:

Then Mac and MWS took to the side stage to sing while the crew changed sets:

Now onto Third Day:

Perhaps my favorite concert shot I’ve ever taken:

One last thing:

I knew when I went that I wanted to sponsor a child at the concert. I had a sponsored child from Lesotho during high school, but when I got to college I had to stop due to lack of income. Now that I’m an adult with a real job, I really felt burdened to start again. After Third Day’s set I went back to the World Vision table and started looking at the pictures of the children, fully intending to sponsor another child from Lesotho. The volunteer with World Vision was helping me look for some and handed me a particularly adorable child from that country. He was smiling up at the camera with his chin tilted up proudly, even as a three year old. Looking at his picture you couldn’t help but smile.

But then I looked down at the hundreds of other pictures on the table. I spend so much of my time talking to my students about how it isn’t what they look like that makes them valuable, yet here I was about to choose a child based on the fact that he was young and cute. I wanted to be associated with the cutest child on the table – as if somehow that was a marker of his value.

So as I looked down, a girl’s picture caught my eye. She wasn’t young, nor was she cute. In fact, she isn’t even smiling in her picture. But this 12 year old girl in Bangladesh who might not have much to smile about is just as valuable as that cute little 3 year old in Lesotho. And she needs to hear about Jesus just as much as he.

As I left the concert clutching my child sponsorship packet, I was reminded that God doesn’t look at the outward appearance. He doesn’t base my worth or yours on what we look like or what we can do. He loves, most often, in spite of me and my failures.

So here’s Jim – my reminder of unconditional grace that doesn’t care if I’m the cute kid smiling or not – a reminder of the God who, even in my mess, chooses me.

http://www.worldvision.org/