DC Talk brought their massive "Freak Show" tour to Louisville Gardens Tuesday, April 2.
Featuring an elaborate light show, a full live band and supersize film effects projected onto a screen behind the band, the tour is the largest of its kind in Christian music. Minus their trademark dance team, the DC 3 kept the show fast-paced, exciting and fun.
Musically, DC Talk mixed a liberal amount of the more alternative rock-style songs from their new album Jesus Freak with a representative smattering of older material, including raved-up versions of "Jesus Is Just Alright," "Walls" and "Love is A Verb." New songs, such as "Colored People," "Mind's Eye" and "So Help Me God" were accompanied by vivid, powerful images to match the messages of the songs.
The band was rock-solid, yet loose enough to allow a little spontaneous interplay with Toby, Michael and Kevin. The boys were in good voice, particularly Toby, who, for the first time on tour, sings more than he raps. All three shone during a short acoustic set, where they performed "In the Light," an impassioned "What if I Stumble" and a cover of Larry Norman's classic "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." Saving their smash hit "Jesus Freak" for the encore sent the crowd into near hysteria, cheering the song's title in mass unison. They were not disappointed.
Audio Adrenaline opened the show with a well-received set of their fun, thumping original funk-rock. It was odd seeing them there, since Audio's appeal is sizable enough to gain them a serious headlining tour of their own. Nevertheless, they went over well, playing a number of songs from their new album, Bloom, without the hype production and big lighting that DC Talk had.