MUSIC

KSBJ Special Events presents the Revelation Tour: Third Day, with Glory Revealed.  Friday, Oct 23, 2009 7:30 PM, at the Berry Center Arena.

Multi-platinum-selling rock band Third Day has played to millions of fans in numerous sold-out arenas around the world. It’s garnered 25 No. 1 singles across multiple formats—not to mention armloads of Grammy and Dove Awards. Yet the band’s willingness to struggle openly before fans and critics alike to unearth its identity, purpose and mission stands as Third Day’s most valued accomplishment during its first decade together. Backing up the band's ascent, Billboard magazine noted the act is "not only one of the best Christian bands of the '90s but one of the best rock bands, period.”

Third Day has clearly weathered the difficult climb from obscurity to success, but the band is hardly suffering from over-confidence or complacency. In fact, the band’s eleventh album, Revelation, addresses that very issue head-on. Rather than lean back in a figurative easy chair, Third Day challenged itself immensely, shaking up its direction and reasserting its place as a rock band of enormous depth and passion.

“Our career is like a dream I didn’t even know I had,” drummer David Carr says. “It’s gone beyond anything I could have dreamed of.”

Influenced by the Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other artists such as U2 and Rich Mullins, Third Day were originally formed by vocalist Mac Powell and acoustic guitarist Mark Lee. The duo added bassist Tai Anderson and drummer David Carr from another local band, and recorded some demos. Third Day's live shows gradually built a loyal fan base, and just after lead guitarist Brad Avery joined, the band signed to Gray Dot Records. Their eponymous debut followed in 1996, with Conspiracy No. 5 appearing a year later. In 1999 Third Day returned with Time, and the next year Offerings, a collection of new and live material, came out, followed in 2003 by its companion, Offerings II: All I Have to Give. That same year, the American Music Awards tapped them with a nomination in the Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist category. For their fifth studio album, 2004's Wire (which was followed shortly after by Live Wire), Third Day returned to their rock & roll roots, a trend they kept up for 2005's Top Ten hit Wherever You Are, which came out in CD/DVD format the next year. After the release of the holiday album Christmas Offerings in 2006 and the compilation Chronology the following year, the band announced the departure of Avery in February 2008.

Despite the loss, Third Day soldiered on, releasing Revelation in July of that year. The album was produced by Howard Benson and featured appearances by Chris Daughtry and Lacey Mosley. Third Day won the American Music Award in 2008.