Third Day brings 30-year reunion tour to Toledo

Anyone who has grown up in a Christian household will recognize the name Third Day. These guys have been around for forever. If I said that the original band got back together and went on tour for their 30th anniversary, would you believe me? I still cannot believe I got to experience it. On top of that, Zach Williams was the opener!

How much more legendary of a night can you get?

The tour stop in Toledo, Ohio started off with Zach Williams, who came in full swing, worshipping Jesus in the most country way possible. I’m usually not a country girlie, but something about his music made me nod in approval and worship along with the crowd. I couldn’t help but smile seeing so many people in the audience on their feet dancing and looking silly and raising their hands in surrender to the Lord. It wasn’t even one song into the set! Soon enough, Zach told his story about how the only Christian band he would listen to back in the day was Third Day and so it was a full-circle moment for him. My story was similar, but it was for Skillet instead.

The rest of the night was an entire TWO HOUR set of Third Day. During the day, I had “Soul on Fire” playing on repeat in my head; to hear it as the first song made me so happy! I couldn’t help but get up and jump and dance. What a way to start off the night! In fact, Third Day played all their hits, with standouts to me being “Consuming Fire” and “Born Again”.

At one point, someone from the audience asked to sing and play guitar onstage — and lead singer Mac Powell let him!

Because of this, I was able to hear “My Hope is You” live, as well, and it did not disappoint. I can’t even call Third Day just a CCM artist, as they played songs that were straight-up praising the Lord almighty. These guys even set up the lights in such a way that it was like you were inside a church, sitting in the pews next to stained glass windows. It was truly beautiful to not just sing and dance, but to give all reverence to the Lord. Some songs would quote the Bible like, “Your Love Oh Lord (Psalm 36)”. The most legendary one, though, was “God of Wonders”; when this song — along with “Holy Forever” and “Agnus Dei” — was playing, the screen turned into a galaxy to really drive home the vastness and beauty of God. Third Day is one of my favorite worship artists for all of this.

For a two-hour set, it ended too soon. The night felt so correct and so nostalgic. There is a different feel to artists that come from the early 2000s… it’s not just the nostalgia, but a simpler kind of music. Sometimes, we need to be direct and, sometimes, we need to speak straight from the Bible without the decorations. Third Day, to me, is one of those bands and Zach Williams emits the exact same feel. I so desperately wish that I can see them both again already!

Photography by Kayla N. Rising

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