gomertopia

MAD Tour: Third Day's Beaumont Set

I went to the Austin and Beaumont Make A Difference shows with a big group of Gomer friends. Most of us live in Texas, but we had a couple of fly-ins, one from Arkansas and one from Arizona. We met other Gomer friends at the venues. There were about a dozen of us at any given time. It was quite a party!

I had not seen Third Day in concert in a year, so I was really looking forward to breaking the fast with these shows.

Both were so much fun, but the Beaumont show was extra special. First, we got to have an impromptu WIRED party with Third Day, which was very special and unforgettable. What could be better than a getting to spend time with the guys of Third Day while eating chips, salsa, queso, and guacamole from Pappasito's?

Plus, they shook up the set list a little. They took out three songs from the night before ("Lift Up Your Face", "Cry Out to Jesus", and "Call My Name") and added four songs, including a couple of songs we requested, namely "Creed" and "Make Your Move"! I was sad not to hear "Lift Up Your Face" again, but I love that funky bass intro to "Make Your Move"! It's such a rockin' song! It's awesome on the record, but live It's beyond awesome. I was so excited, I thought I might just explode or fly or something! I couldn't dance hard enough or sing loud enough to keep up with the enthusiasm I was feeling. I can't wait to hear it again in the spring! I hope it becomes a staple for years to come!

Watch the Tour Live Tonight!

Tonight Third Day and the Make A Difference Tour are in Austin, Texas. I'll be there with a lot of Gomer friends. If you are not there with us in person, you can be there in spirit, and watch it live from your computer! Watch it stream live by registering here: http://ezshare.me/madtour2010

Got Tickets?

 Hot dog! Talk about fast service! We ordered our tickets for the Austin Make A Difference Tour show on Friday, in the first moments of the pre-sale, and less than a week later, here they are! I've never gotten tickets this fast before. They are not even on sale to the public yet! Pretty cool, pretty cool.

If you haven't ordered your tickets yet, and you intend to do so through the Wired pre-sale, tomorrow is the last day! Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 18th! 

If you are buying through the pre-sale, the instructions are here. If you are buying through the public sale, you can use the same directions, but start at step 3, and then skip numbers 9 and 12. Hope you get good seats, because it's going to be a great tour!

New Third Day Songs!

Third Day has been working on a new record that will be out in November. They've been posting lots of 12 second videos on Twitter of them working on the record. If you missed them, or if you don't follow Third Day on Twitter, you can see the videos on their TwitVid page.

Those of you who are members of Third Day's fan club Wired can listen to recordings of the latest concerts on the Wired Online Radio inside the Wired website. On the latest shows, you can hear some of the new songs played live for the first times! And thanks to the wonderful Mr. 3rdDayRocker, who I mentioned when I posted his video of "Peace" in my last post, here are the videos of two of Third Day's new songs, "Gone" and "Lift Up Your Face". (The number of views for these two videos sits at 304 for each. It'll be interesting to see how high those numbers shoot in the next 24 hours! These videos are going viral, because this is the first glimpse the public is getting of these songs!)

By the way, that sixth guy up on the stage behind Tai, is Jason Hoard. You may remember him from Glory Revealed. He's playing mandolin, banjo, guitar, and a few other things for Third Day at some of the shows this summer.

Going Old School with "Peace"!

Oh man! Third Day played "Peace" from Conspiracy #5 at Joyful Noise Family Festival in Blaine, Minnesota, last Saturday! Oh, how I wish I'd have been there. I might have fainted from the sheer shock of it, or cried tears of joy, or both! Thanks to 3rdDayRocker for the video! Be sure to check out all of his Third Day videos. He's got video of some of Third Day's new songs from last Saturday, too!

The Short of It

So you want to buy Wired pre-sale tickets, but you don't want to read the lengthy post I did at 2:00 AM this morning with intricate details on how to buy the best seats? Here are the simple steps to take part in the Wired Pre-sale:

1. Log into your Wired account.
2. Go to the "Ticketing" page and get the password.
3. Go to the Third Day Touring page.
4. Click the "Show Info" link next to the show you are attending. This will take you to the ticketing site. It is Ticketmaster for most, but not all of the shows.
5. Sign into your account on the ticketing page. If you've never made an account with this ticket vendor, do so now.
6. If signing in to your account on the ticket vendor kicked you off the Third Day  Make a Difference Tour page, either search for "Make a Difference Tour" or go back to the Third Day Touring page and click your show again.
7. Put in the number of tickets you want to purchase. There is a 4 ticket limit for the pre-sale.
8. Choose the type of tickets you want, ie, general admission (pit) floor, reserved seating, VIP Package, etc.
9. Put the pre-sale password in the blank next to the number of tickets you want. (On sites other than Ticketmaster, you may have to put the password in at the beginning to enter the sale.)
10. Click submit, and follow directions from there.
11. If you do not like the seats they give you, click "Search Again" or whatever it says to try for different seats. Keep trying until you get what you want.
12. If you do not like any of the seats you are given, you can either settle for what they are giving you, wait until the public sale on June 18th, or call the box office to see if they will be releasing more tickets later. The phone numbers are on the Third Day Touring page, next to each show.

Several people have asked me if it's better to try to buy the tickets online yourself, or to call the box office. Sometimes it works to call, if you can get a live person. But usually, those people are looking at a screen just like you are, so it's probably faster to do it yourself. Some box offices let the operators look at what seats are available, so that can be an advantage. Ticketmaster used to do this, but now both of their lines are fully automated. I tried today calling both the automated ticketing line and the local line, and could not buy tickets for the pre-sale, nor get through to an actual human being.

So how was your ticket buying experience today? I bought for Austin, Texas, and I've never had such an easy time buying tickets! I think I was actually in and out of there in about one minute! I had to go back and check to make sure I actually bought the right tickets! Wish they were all like that!

Make a Difference Tour: VIP Package vs Pit Tickets

At almost all of the shows on the Make a Difference Tour, there will be a general admission pit area, and a VIP area. This will help you decide whether to buy the Gold Circle VIP Package (first three rows, reserved seating, $89-$115) or the GA Pit A or Pit B tickets (general admission, standing room only next to the stage, $44.50-$49.50). In the picture below, the long strip in front of the stage with the #1 on it is the first three rows of reserved seats. This is the VIP section. The pits are labeled. 
 

How to Buy the Best Tickets for the Make a Difference Tour

 As most of you know, this fall Third Day is going on tour with Michael W. Smith, TobyMac, and Max Lucado. It's the Make a Difference Tour benefitting World Vision. If you are a member of Third Day's Wired fan club, you are already making plans to buy your tickets through the exclusive pre-sale that starts this morning. If you are not a member of Wired, there is still time to join and get in on the pre-sale that runs until June 17th, before the public sale on June 18th. Just go to www.ThirdDayWired.com and join. Then go to the "Ticketing" page to get the pre-sale password. You not only get to purchase before everyone else, you also get a $2.50-$10 discount on tickets through Wired!

So tonight being Pre-Sale Eve, my friends and I have been laying our plan to get the best tickets we can. We like them as close as possible without actually being on the stage (Right up against the stage is good. Nice and close, and you get the extra added bonus of being able to put your purses just under the stage and out of the way.) 

People think I have some secret to getting good seats, that's it's because I "know people" or have some secret Ticketmaster phone number I can call before everyone else has a chance, that I get to sit in the front at almost every show. The truth is, I don't. I'll be here in the morning, clicking like a madwoman, trying to remember to breathe,  trying to get the tickets I want, just like the rest of you. It helps that I've done this A LOT, but it still gives me a tension headache. (Worth it!)

I've spent the better part of today preparing for the pre-sale and helping others prepare. I thought I'd help you, too. So here you go. Here's what I know that will help you buy tickets for the Make a Difference Tour.

Want to Help Third Day at Winter Jam?

Third Day needs volunteers to pass out Third Day goodies at the Winter Jam shows. Want to help?

Austin Music Hall '09 Photo Album

Back in 2006, I saw Third Day at the Austin Music Hall in Austin, Texas. It was an awesome show! But I'll tell you more about that show later, whenever I get time to finish My Top 20 Third Day Shows, because it's in the top five!

They rebuilt the Austin Music Hall recently, making it a lot larger, and so much nicer. But it's still a very intimate venue, with not a bad seat in the house. Made for a fantastic evening with Third Day and Glory Revealed.

I could say so much about this show, but I'll let the photos do the talking. There are 72 of them, so hope you are in the mood for a nice, long chat! 

And I moved the photo album from the 2006 show up, so you can compare the two. Has Third Day changed much in three and a half years?

Also, my husband Dan, aka Mr. Mama Gomer, was Third Day's video reporter for the evening. Once they get the video online, I'll post a link to it. He had a great time doing that! I can't wait to see the footage he shot!

For now, enjoy the photos of the Austin show at the top of the left column.

Got Tickets?

The air is getting crisp and cool, the leaves are turning colors, everywhere you look you see orange. Must be time for the fall concert season!

Third Day's fall Revelation Tour is beginning soon! Do you have your tickets? They are (hopefully) coming to a town near you with very special guests Glory Revealed.

That's even more Mac Powell for your buck!

I'll be attending the Grand Prairie, Texas, show on October 22, and the Austin, Texas, show on October

21. (Even though I live in Houston, I'm actually sitting out the Houston, Texas, show on October 23, because we're attending another orange event, Family Weekend at the University of Texas in Austin where our son is a freshman!)

I'm excited about both shows, but especially the Austin show. We saw a Third Day show at this venue (before they rebuilt it and made it twice as awesome) in March 2006 during the Wherever You Are Tour. It was one of THE BEST Third Day shows I've been to! A big part of the reason was because of the venue itself. It's such a cool, rocking place, and town!

While we were waiting in line to get in to that show, the guys of Third Day came out and talked everyone. They took pictures with fans and signed autographs. It was so cool! It's just that kind of place! I hope I'll get to meet some of you there! And in Grand Prairie!

So what Third Day show(s) are you going to this fall?

Cornerstone Church, San Antonio, TX

My husband and I were blessed to be able to attend the Sunday evening service at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, for the Third Day concert last Sunday. I've seen Pastor John Hagee's church on TV, but had never attended. I must say, I was very impressed by the love of this church, not only for one another, but for everyone.

We got to the church at 2:15 PM in the afternoon. The doors didn't open until 5:30, but this was a General Admission show, and we wanted to make sure we got good seats. So we got there early to wait in line, thinking we'd be the first there. But no, there were about a dozen people in line already! I thought, "Well, alright! These Cornerstone people are ready for a great show!" As soon as we put our lawn chairs down in the line, more and more people showed up. I could already tell by their enthusiasm, this was going to be a good night.

I have been to over 60 Third Day shows, and I know that just because it is a mostly Christian audience, does not mean that the people waiting in line are going to act like Christ. But the people in this line did. My heart felt warmed by this crowd. (The fact that it was 100+ degrees in that line had nothing to do with it.) They were very friendly and respectful.

Then came the real test. 

New Photo Album - August 9, 2009 Show in San Antonio

My photos from the Third Day concert at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, last Sunday are up. You can find them in this photo album. Unfortunately, Typepad does not allow comments on the individual photos. So if you have any comments, please post them here. Thanks!

Awesome Photos: Third Day at Creation East

Every time I look at my friend Susie's concert photos, I feel that I either need to hang up my camera or take some lessons. (I'm thinking the latter would be more productive.) She takes amazing photos! Come look at her photos of Third Day at Creation East last month. Click here to see them! (Click the little Slideshow icon to see the photos at their best.) Be sure to leave her some sweet comments. Here's a sample of the photos there (click it to see it larger). Hypnotic, yes?

Nashville 4 Africa

Back on April 22, when I was blogging from my phone from GMA Week in Nashville, I had pecked out an entire post from the halls of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It was all about Third Day appearing with some of country music's most popular artists in the Nashville 4 Africa concert that night. (I told you about this concert here.) Right when I finished it, a friend that I had called earlier in the day . . . well, he butt-dialed me. That is, he must have had his phone in his back pocket while he was driving his car and somehow, through the normal posterior movements one makes while driving a car, accidentally hit the redial button. I said, "Hello? Hello?" but all I could hear was his car radio. And as a result of his call, I lost the post I had typed out.

My plan was to retype it from our seats inside the hall, and to post it with lots of photos from the show. Alas, inside the hall, those dreaded words appeared on my iPhone screen, "No Service." I thought maybe the hall had some sort of jamming device to keep cells quiet during performances, but friends on other carriers had service. So anyway, I was unable to send blog posts and photos from the concert, and this is the first chance I've had to catch up with it.

When my friends and I heard that Third Day had been added to the Nashville 4 Africa concert, we determined to go. The night was hosted by Big Kenny (of Big & Rich) and Damien Horne. The rest of the line up included Keith Urban (who included his version of Third Day's song "Call My Name" as a bonus track on his new album Defying Gravity), Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley, Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down), Ashley Cleveland, The Steeldrivers, and Jars of Clay. And I love Ashley Cleveland and Jars of Clay, so I was looking forward to this show!

Third Day in College-Freezing-Station, Texas, March 27, 2009

When Third Day was set to play Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater in College Station, Texas, on March 27, we knew there was a chance it'd be a bit chilly. We had no idea! And many people just weren't prepared! A cold front went through, flooded the place, and almost canceled the show. But it drained and the show went on. However, the temperature dropped to 45 degrees with icy winds gusting to 30 miles an hour! It was miserable!!! The poor people sitting in the soggy grass! We were front row, but a mote (yes this stage has a mote around it) separated us from the stage. But Third Day, NeedToBreathe, and Revive soldiered on and though freezing, we all had a very good time. (Thank God for jumping up and down songs! Those kept us warm!)

These are not great pictures, photo quality-wise, but they are a good look at the Third Day concert in College Station on March 27, 2009. I wanted to share them with you. Like I said, we were not close to the stage, even in the front row. And it's hard to take good photos when your fingers are just frozen! But it was a good show and these photos show it. Just click here.

Corpus Christi Photo Album!

My photos of Third Day's Revelation Tour in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 29, 2009, are in the new photo album to the left. Take the shortcut there by clicking this link. (Right click and save all the photos you want, just please be sure to put my name in the file name, so that you will remember who took it and then if you should ever repost it, you can credit me. Thanks!)

Don't forget, the deadline to enter the contest below and win one of two autographed copies of Third Day's Live Revelations DVD/CD combo is Monday at noon Central Time.

Third Day - Live Revelations DVD/CD!

Third Day's new DVD Live Revelations, as the cover promises, features the band On Stage, Off Stage, and Backstage. It gives you a pretty good idea of what it's like to be on tour with Third Day, what they go through on a daily basis with planning, rehearsing, performing, meeting fans, and just hanging out.

This is Third Day's sixth DVD and like Live Wire, includes a CD of the live songs featured on the DVD. I like that, because you only get to watch the DVD when you get the chance to be home in front of your computer or TV, but you can listen to music anywhere! So get in the car and crank up Third Day live! (That's where I like to listen to music best, mostly because I can sing my heart out and not hurt anyone's ears.)

Another thing I like about this DVD/CD set is that it was recorded during the Music Builds Tour in different cities including Raleigh, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, the boys hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, and my hometown, Houston, Texas. So you get an idea of what the show looked like on several different nights.

(Continue reading and see how you can win an autographed copy of Third Day's Live Revelations DVD/CD! Click below.)

Revive Photo Album

I'm going to see Third Day this weekend! First time since October. The past few years, it seems to run that way. Seems I get to see them in March, April for GMA Week, and October. Sometimes there are a few other shows peppered in here and there. This year looks to be the start of four lean years for concert going for me. My youngest enters college in the fall, and the bumper sticker is likely to be true, "My son and my money go to the University of Texas." So I'll enjoy this weekend like it may be my last Third Day run for a while. Of course, I'll have my usual crew with me, my husband Dan, best friend Debbie, and "adopted daughter" Lori. (She's a friend who keeps reminding me that she was born the year Dan and I were married. It's either hit her or consider her a daughter.)

In getting ready for this weekend's run of the Revelation Tour with Third Day, Revive, Brandon Heath/NeedToBreathe, I decided to gather all the photos I've taken of Revive, burn them to a disc, and give them to them when I see them. I also put them up on Flickr, so you can see them, too! Many of these are already in my photo albums to the left there, but there are more here. Come take a look at the album or click here to see the slide show (which always looks better.)

A Look at the Revelation Tour

Getting excited about your upcoming Third Day show and wanting a little preview? Here's a video by Sunnie from the Green Bay, Wisconsin, Revelation Tour on March 7. (Thanks Sunnie!)