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Fans
“Consumed” by Third Day Experience
Third Day,
Saturday March 24, 2001 The beautifully dramatic Akron Civic Auditorium, one of only five remaining atmospheric theatres in the country, was built in 1929 using a design from a Moorish castle with Mediterranean decor, medieval carvings, European antiques and alabaster sculptures. The auditorium resembles a Moorish garden and, if you look up at the sky blue dome ceiling, clouds drift across and stars twinkle. Seemed
hardly the place for a Christian rock concert. Yet
a sold-out crowd of youth groups, college kids and a handful of parents crowded
in to see this year’s top Christian band—Third Day. Offerings,
their latest project, is a collection of worship songs that re-entered to the
No. 1 spot on the Billboard sales charts this year, after originally being
released last July. It’s Third Day's best selling album to date and has the
band nominated for nine Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. (The
award ceremony takes place at the end of April.) The
Akron stop was five weeks into their Offerings
tour, which has sold out almost every venue they’ve visited. Known for their
energy and passionate live show, they did not disappoint. Looking earthy, with
shaggy hair, worn jeans and T-shirts, Third Day conveyed a casual comfort that
comes with their signature southern rock sound. Camouflage netting provided the
backdrop and an added dose of masculinity. The
crowd stayed on their feet (even jumping with the intensity of the music),
singing every word from their set, which included tunes from their first album
to their latest and even a couple from City
on a Hill, a collection of worship songs from various artists on which Third
Day contributed. Thankfully, the band performed one of their signature songs,
“Consuming Fire,” midway through the show. Once the familiar countdown began
to start the song, the crowd erupted. It was definitely a highlight of the
concert. Happily, I found myself in the front row where an energetic youth group, some with spray-painted hair, had more energy than everyone else combined. Third Day even commented from onstage about the enthusiasm (and colored hair) of the front row fans. The kids identify with the worship style of this group and the modern sound they convey it through. They were pumped to be there and Third Day broke it down to them in their language. Opening
for Third Day was praise and worship artist Lincoln Brewster, who has
contributed to many projects in the praise and worship movement, but is still
relatively new as a solo artist. His U2-influenced guitars and light, airy voice
provided a nice balance to the deep, rich voice of Third Day’s front man Mac
Powell during the second half of the show. Brewster was followed by new female
artist Kendall Payne, who performed a heart-felt acoustic alternative set, which
some compared to Alanis Morisette and Jennifer Knapp for their aggressive
styles. Post-show,
Third Day, Brewster and Payne made a bookstore appearance in the west side of
Akron. The ensemble answered questions sitting on stools before a seated crowd
of about 100 people. The inevitable same-ole, same-ole questions were asked like
“What religious background are you from” (Exciting answer: “Christian”)
and “How do I get into the music industry” (Exciting answer: “Pray and
Play.”) They answered questions sincerely, yet maintained a noticeable guard
that kept answers brief, probably for fear of offending the easily offended
among the crowd. The
group left many of the young fans disappointed when they closed the night out
and left without signing autographs. They made it a point to stress the
importance of making God the focus of their music and not themselves; however,
that did little to comfort those who had been holding CDs and T-shirts all night
hoping for a personal moment with Third Day and a signature. Third
Day promised to come back next year. And if an autograph is still important to
them by then, hopefully they’ll bring plenty of Sharpie markers for
autographs. ninetyandnine.com ã 2001, Cara Baker --------
Associate
Editor Cara Baker returned to
Barberton, Ohio to share the Third Day experience with her friends. Slightly
sore the next day from jumping in a crowd of ecstatic teenagers, she realized
she’s older than she used to be, but doesn’t regret enjoying a good live
show and great fellowship.
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