"Come Together" with Third Day
By Lindsay Goodier

On March 15, Third Day and special guests Bebo Norman and the Paul Colman Trio lit up the stage of the Mabee Center. In this sold-out concert, all of these guys proved they know how to put on an excellent show, have a good time and worship God through their music.

The Paul Colman Trio started the show off with a happy and energetic sound. Formed in 1998 in Melbourne, Australia, this band, affectionately known as PC3, has recently dominated the Australian airwaves. Their first label project is due in the U.S. on May 21. After experiencing their exciting and refreshing pop sound and their amazing audience-interaction ability, I will be surprised if the Paul Colman Trio remains an opening act for long.

Perhaps another sign of a good musician is the ability to generate a great performance solo with only an acoustic guitar to depend upon. Such is the case with Bebo Norman. His throaty, passionate vocals and intricate, ecclesiastical poetic style woven into nearly every song reminded the audience of the very nature of God. "You can't be a rock star with a name like 'Bebo,'" Norman said of himself. The Tulsa audience sat intently and soaked in the peaceful atmosphere.

During intermission, I was beckoned back to my seat when I heard "Come Together" by the Beatles playing over the speakers. If you've taken a look at Third Day's latest album, "Come Together," your first thought was probably of the Beatles. However, Third Day did not bust out a bunch of retro sounds. They nicely connected all of their sounds: modern rock, pop, Southern rock and praise and worship into one concert. In their tenth year as a band, Third Day is using the "Come Together" theme to not only describe the harmonious state of the band, but to encourage our country to become more united.

The quintet started off the show by introducing many of the songs from the new album, which put the audience in a lighthearted, carefree mood. For old-school Third Day fans, they included a few of their classics, "Consuming Fire" and "How's Your Day?"

But when it was time to worship, Third Day didn't hold back. They encouraged audience members to do the same. "Most of all, I want tonight to be a celebration of God's glory," said lead singer Mac Powell. The audience was awed during "Your Love Oh Lord" as the giant screen behind the band lit up with the constellations of a clear summer's night. In "I've Always Loved You," the audience proved their knowledge of the lyrics by singing the whole chorus, much to the delight of the band.

Third Day has made a name for themselves as praise and worship leaders. In 2000, they released "Offerings," a strictly worship CD, in an attempt to tide over their core fans until the next studio release. "I was hoping that we'd sell a third of what a regular Third Day record would sell," Powell said (USA Today, 10/19/01). "Offerings," however, was a huge success and brought Third Day the first gold album of their career.

Third Day concluded the concert with, of course, a spectacular encore performance. This included their theme song "Come Together," during which nearly everyone in the Mabee Center grabbed their neighbors' uplifted hands, swayed and sang. This reproduced the feeling of the last night of a summer-long camp. They threw in one of their all-time favorites, "Love Song."

Powell left the audience with this thought: "Our problem is not that we want too much for ourselves...our problem is that we settle for the things of this world to bring us happiness."

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