April 2, 2024
Charleston, WV (March 23, 2024)
Tour finale shows are always special! Christian music titan TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour traveled to 30 cities with five supporting artists, finishing in Charleston, West Virginia on March 23rd. The 2024 lineup: TobyMac, Cory Asbury, Mac Powell, Tasha Layton, Jon Reddick and Terrian. Each artist shared some of their personal challenges and spoke from the heart concerning how trusting the Lord changed their lives, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Headliner TobyMac sang many songs from his 2022 Album Life After Death, some older favorites including “City On Our Knees,” “Love Broke Thru,” and “Speak Life,” along with a bit of “Jesus Freak” from dc Talk days. Just a few of the many standout moments included the crowd dancing during “Everything,” a beautiful moment of prayer for Charleston after “City On Our Knees,” TobyMac’s amazing high jumps in “Move (Keep Walkin’),” every aspect of “Til the Day I Die,” the arena lit up like starlight during “Promised Land,” and the huge celebration on stage with the Hits Deep Tour family dancing in a flurry of confetti during the “Feel It” finale. TobyMac even did a stage dive which he has done many times in the past.
I don’t recall any tour pranks for the headliner, but there was a tiger mask involved during DJ Maj’s set. Also, it was amazing to see new Diverse City Band members in action for the first time: David Alastre on keys replacing Dave Wyatt and Jason Fogarty as backup singer/dancer replacing Gabe Patillo. Overall, the experience was faith-filled, honest, energetic, inspiring, and visually stunning. Check out the two galleries below.
TobyMac
Supporting artists Cory Asbury, Mac Powell, Tasha Layton, Jon Reddick and Terrian.
Mac Powell, who many recognize from Third Day, brought an incredible set, and his voice is as amazing as ever. Songs included the familiar “Soul on Fire,” “God of Wonder,” and the foot-stomping “River of Life” from his newest solo album, New Creation. Tour pranks included Diverse City Band members and Jon Reddick becoming backup musicians and dancers for Mac Powell during “Like It’s Nothing.” Drummer Brian Ramey assisted on banjo, bassist Loren Clark on tambourine, and Keith Everette Smith on keys. Powell laughed and said, “I hope somebody’s getting this on video!”
Cory Asbury, known by many for his hit “Reckless Love” and formerly of Bethel Music Collective, took center stage with his acoustic guitar and band. Cory’s set included the familiar “The Father’s House,” plus “Kind,” which is from his recent country album Pioneer. As a tour prank, he ended up with extra musicians “helping out” including Diverse City Band’s David Alastre doubling on keys, and Brian Ramey adding his expertise on snare drum.
Singer, songwriter, and author Tasha Layton, who has been backup singer for Katy Perry and an American Idol alum, sang so beautifully her hit song “Look What You’ve Done,” “Into the Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK),” and “How Far.” She shared part of her impactful testimony, which is revealed in more detail in her book Look What You’ve Done, and she encouraged the crowd to trust the loving God and his intricate plan even in the darkest places.
Jon Reddick is a talented singer, songwriter, musician, painter, and Nashville’s Church of the City worship leader. He began the night on keys with “I Believe It (The Life of Jesus),” and finished his set with “God Turn it Around.” Even though his solo career is new, Jon is by no means new in Christian music circles. He has toured with Mandisa and Nicole C. Mullen, and has written and performed songs with other artists. Jon is truly gifted in many ways!
Terrian, background singer for TobyMac since 2017, blew the crowd away with her powerful voice and tender moments for her solo set. This Memphis native sang “Give Me That Joy” and the energetic and infectious fan favorite “Big God.” She released her first full-length album Give It Time this year, and I expect this is the first of many.
This fall, TobyMac will be hitting the road again with MercyMe and Zach Williams.
TobyMac Tour Dates: https://tobymac.com/tour
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