Top acts unite for Music Builds tour
By Deborah Evans Price, Senior Music Editor, GospelMusicChannel.com
Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Robert Randolph & the Family Band are joining forces for what is sure to become the hottest concert ticket this year. The Music Builds tour kicks off August 21 in Detroit and will conclude October 12 in Denver. A portion of the proceeds from the tour will benefit Habitat for Humanity.
“We had been talking to our friends in Switchfoot and found out that they were wanting to do a tour this summer, and we were wanting to do a tour in the summer so we said, ‘Why not join up?’” Third Day frontman Mac Powell tells GMC. “However, because of different things happening, it got pushed to late summer/early fall.”
The tour is something of a reunion for Third Day and Switchfoot, who toured together more than a decade ago. “The first tour that they ever did was with Third Day back in ’97,” says Powell. “And we did another smaller tour with them back in ’99, if I’m not mistaken. It’s been a number of years since we’ve been able to tour with them, so we’re really excited about that.”
Powell is equally excited about working with the other acts on the bill. Randolph is a special guest on Third Day’s upcoming album Revelation, contributing his unique musical gift to the funky Other Side, which Third Day premiered during the Provident Music Group luncheon at GMA.
“You could sign me up to be President of the Jars of Clay fan club,” Powell says of the veteran band. “I think they are incredible and have always been great friends with them.”
Powell cites camaraderie and the chance to support Habitat among the reasons for embarking on this tour. “The main things that really bring all this together [are] the music and the friendship with each other,” he says, “and to support a great cause, to have something more than just playing music, but something that’s going to reach out and change the communities.”
The bands on the tour will collectively donate one dollar from every ticket sold during the trek. Money will also be raised from ticket auctions, event packages and special merchandise items. Plans also call for band members to grab tools and help build some of the Habitat houses in tour markets. “Hopefully, it will encourage people at the shows to go out and change their community,” says Powell. “That’s what really gives us a huge reason to go do it [in addition to] just making great music together.”
Powell sees the tour drawing a diverse audience. “Hopefully, the church and people who listen to Christian music are going to be big supporters of the tour,” he says, “but I think because of the lineup, it’s going to be a little bit more friendly to people outside of the church as well. It’s not going to be a normal Christian music festival.”
Attendees of the recent GMA Music Week convention in Nashville got a preview of the tour when Third Day, Jars of Clay and Switchfoot performed during a kick off event at B.B. Kings. Tickets will go on sale to the general public May 16. Live Nation and Transparent Productions are co-producing the event. Early birds are able to purchase tickets starting May 9 through the bands’ fan clubs via the following web sites:
thirddaywired.com
switchfoot.musictoday.com
robertrandolphtickets.musictoday.com
jarsofclay.tickets.musictoday.com
The following is the itinerary for the tour:
AUGUST
Thu 8/21 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Fri 8/22 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
Sat 8/23 Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
SEPTEMBER
Sun 9/7 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
Thu 9/11 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
Fri 9/12 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
Sat 9/13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Sun 9/14 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
Thu 9/18 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Music Center Birmingham
Fri 9/19 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
Sat 9/20 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sun 9/21 Nashville, TN Sommet Center
Thu 9/25 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
Fri 9/26 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless
Sat 9/27 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun 9/28 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
OCTOBER
Thu 10/2 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
Fri 10/3 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
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About the Writer
Deborah Evans Price has covered Christian/Gospel music for Billboard magazine since 1994. She also contributes regularly to Country Weekly, CMA Close Up, Devo’Zine, Christian Single, HomeLife, BMI Music World, and other publications.
A Nashville resident since 1983, Deborah has held editorial posts at Radio & Records, Country News, American Songwriter and Billboard. Amy Grant, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels, 3 Doors Down, Third Day, Don Henley, Bon Jovi, Chris Rice, Sandra Bullock, Mercy Me, Alan Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Steven Curtis Chapman are among her many interviews. Additionally, she's a sought-after music industry analyst who has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, TNN, The Today Show, and ABC PrimeTime Live, among other outlets.
Deborah is a member of the Gospel Music Association's board of directors and a graduate of Leadership Music. She resides south of Nashville with her husband, Gary, and 17-year-old son Trey.
