Mac Powell Says Third Day’s 30th Anniversary Tour Is a Celebration of God’s Faithfulness
Fitting the top songs from more than a dozen albums into a single concert isn't easy, but Third Day frontman Mac Powell says the band is ready -- ready to reunite after 11 years, ready to stand before their fans once more, and ready to testify to the God who brought them together in the first place.
Powell and his original bandmates Mark Lee, David Carr, and Tai Anderson will reunite next spring for the much-anticipated Third Day 30th Anniversary Tour, some 11 years after they last sang together and before they disbanded.
The group reshaped Christian music over their 13 studio albums, with 11 Grammy nominations and four wins -- and nearly too many Dove Awards to count.
"We didn't want to call it Third Day Eras, but we were very close," Powell said, joking about the name of the recent Taylor Swift concert tour that also features numerous songs over many years.
Since they last played together, Powell launched a solo career while his bandmates started other careers. But over the past couple of years, he said, "we've connected more."
"We had dinner the other night at my house, and it was the first time that all four of us have been together in 10 years," he told Crosswalk Headlines.
Powell prefers to say the band "disbanded" instead of "broke up" because, he said, "we had hoped that one day we could play music together again on a tour, a cruise or festival or something.
"And a couple of years ago, we started having those conversations: What would it look like? How would this happen? How can we make this happen?
"And, thankfully, it's coming together for the spring of next year."
The band's initial formation was organic. He and Mark Lee had formed a "duo" band when they met Carr and Anderson in the early 1990s.
"We played at their youth group, and they joined in. That's how the band started. And that was around '92, '93."
Third Day released its first record on a major label in 1996.
"We had been in a band for about five years by the time anybody knew who we were," he said. "And we thought, man, if we get to make a couple of records and tour across the country back and forth a couple of times -- that'll be great, and then we'll go get real jobs. Well, we had no idea it was going to last almost 25 years. And so when the band was over, they actually did go get real jobs. I don't know what else I can do. I have no other skills. So I continued to make music as a solo artist."
Powell is looking forward to singing with his longtime bandmates once again.
"I love being with the other musicians, and whether it's with Third Day or whether it's with my band, and doing my solo stuff -- just hanging out and making that music together and sharing that with an audience can be very, very special," Powell said.
"I love sharing my faith -- talking about how God has changed my life and just been such an amazing, faithful, loving, kind Father to me."
Meanwhile, Powell's voice remains remarkably similar if not identical to how it sounded in the 1990s -- soulful and instantly recognizable.
"I can't sing very high. I can't sing very low. I often joke that I've got a four-note range, but I can use that very well. But because of that, I haven't really had to push it too much through the years."
Third Day's set list will span two hours and include more songs than is typical. Zach Williams is opening.
"I would imagine we're going to try to do a little bit of something from every single record that we put out -- get to the hits, but play some of those fan favorites as well that weren't radio hits," Powell said. "So we're going to try to get as much music as we can in there."
Tickets go on sale Friday, June 27, at 10 a.m. local time. Visit ThirdDay.com.
Photo Credit: ©Awakening Foundation
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published June 26, 2025.
