Tobymac / Third Day live 10/13/2004 - Resch Center - Green Bay, WI

It's not everyday that you get more for your money, but that was the case for concert goers attending the Tobymac/Third Day concert at the Resch Center in Green Bay. The concert started out with a band that was not advertised as being on the bill; Trial By Fire. Starting out with a intro video similar to a VH1 Behind The Music episode, it was a brief glimpse of this new band. The debut Trial By Fire CD has yet to be released, which explained why the crowd was listening more than participating. Although they played a very short set, their enthusiasm rubbed off on the crowd by their last song. I expect good things to come from this band as they develop a fan base and continue to tour.

Within mere minutes, the stage was ready for Tobymac. I have to give props to the management and crew of this tour. The concert started exactly on time, and the down time between bands was very minimal. More often than not, concerts rarely start on time and downtime between bands can drag. During the short wait for Toby, there was a slide show featuring the members of Third Day. I think this is a great idea that they could take even further with videos or maybe interviews with the featured bands playing that night.

Tobymac and his crew hit the stage with unmatched energy. Covering songs from his two solo releases, Toby launched into one hit after another. For years in DC Talk he was known as the one who rapped while the others sang, but he showed he can sing with the best of them on songs such as "Love Is In The House" and the DCT classic "In The Light". Unfortunately, being an opening act means getting the shorter set. As fans were calling for an encore, Toby came out to talk briefly about compassion and then introduced Tai Anderson from Third Day. It's a shame that Tobymac wasn't able to play over 45 minutes and there was no encore, because it's clear that a large section of the audience was there for him.

After another brief intermission, Third Day kicked things off with "Rockstar". The first impression they made on me is how tight they were. They are a well oiled machine, and they are a band that is MADE for touring. They all worked the crowd, and really personalized the show. This is evident during the song "Come Together", where they pick several members from crowd to the stage to help them sing. Singer Mac Powell is a very gifted speaker, praying with the crowd several times. The modest sized crowd hung on his every word, with some crying and raising their hands in the air. The encore was made up of the songs "Show Me Your Glory" and "Your Love Oh Lord", bringing the performance to a close. Three very different bands and various styles of music, but all with the same vision.

On a sad note, this great show was only seen by few. With the Resch only about 1/4 full, it looked and felt empty. I felt bad for the performers who were giving it everything, and I felt bad for all those who missed this show. Here's hoping that it will be a different story next time around.