The Boomin’ Beyond Measure tour is kicking off the year with a trio of awesome performers – Jeremy Camp, TobyMac, and Matthew West. Some may think this is an odd combination, as the three performers’ styles vary from worship to rock to hip hop. Even so, the night was packed with excitement, and all three gave fantastically lively performances that had the audience hopeful for an encore.
Up first was Matthew West. His set opened with a video about his recent experience without a voice. Just before he was scheduled to begin recording for his latest album (ironically titled “Something to Stay”), West was informed he needed to have surgery on his vocal chords, and there was every possibility he would never be able to sing again. The video highlighted the experience he went through with his family, and pointed out that through all of it, West knew God would lead him through. It was an awesome opening to the night, letting the audience know why we were there – to celebrate the awesomeness of Christ.
The ever-so-popular “13” was the first song West played. He talked a bit about how the song was a personal testament to how he came to follow Christ. “Only Grace” was next, a song about how all we need is God’s grace to get us through. I would have to say this was my favourite song of his for the night, as you could definitely hear the sincerity in his voice, which was awesome. He closed his set with “More” and “You Are Everything”, the latter of which is off his new record. Though he only played a few songs, his performance was solid, especially considering it was just him and his guitar on stage.
After Matthew West left, TobyMac came out and joked about how he and Jeremy were going to arm wrestle backstage to see who would play first (which, if you’ve ever seen Jeremy, I think the outcome would be easy to predict) for the tour. After a coin toss, he said, they determined Jeremy would play first…and so he did.
With exuberant lighting, and no lack of enthusiasm, Jeremy started his set with “Give You Glory”, followed by the rockier “Take My Life” and “Tonight”. He then talked a bit about how we need God, and how God wants to use each and every one of us. He followed that up by singing “Take You Back”, a song about the unconditional love we’ve been given, emphasizing the fact that God will always take us back; He will always love us no matter what we do.
“I Still Believe” and “Walk By Faith” were next, both songs that talk about having faith in God even when everything seems to be going wrong. Jeremy told the story of how he lost his first wife, Melissa, to cancer several years ago, and how these songs were sort of a reflection of that time. Even though it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, he had faith, and God was able to use him and his story to reach others. I’ve seen Jeremy in concert several times now, and the thing I love most about his shows are his enthusiasm and his unhindered passion for God.
He finished his set by playing a mix of songs from various albums, including “Show Me What it Means”, “No Matter What”, “Lay Down My Pride”, and more. Just before playing the final song, the band left, and Jeremy took a few minutes to talk about his support for Compassion International, a company whose mission is to help children in less than ideal situations, by providing economic, physical, and spiritual help. He even encouraged people to sponsor a child instead of purchasing one of his CDs, which was pretty cool. Finishing on a worshipful note, he concluded his set with “Give Me Jesus”.
Finally it was time for the last performer of the evening – TobyMac. He started out with “Catchafire (Whoopsie-Daisy)”, followed by “J Train”. I would have to say “Love is in the House” was my favourite. He prefaced it with a bit about how as Christians it is not about the words we say or the music we sing, but rather the love we show to others. The song is a reminder of that fact - that we need to show love in order to inspire others to want the love we have in Christ. Among others, he continued with the classic song “Gone”, as well as the sincere “Irene”, “Diverse City”, and “The Slam”, in all its rap glory.The hit radio-single “Made to Love” was the final song, which the audience had been anticipating all evening. If they weren’t hooked before, by this point pretty much everyone there was on their feet singing along.
TobyMac seemed genuinely passionate about all his songs, making it clear what his music and ministry were all about. I’ll be honest and say TobyMac’s style of music isn’t exactly my “cup of tea”. I do have to say, however, I found his performance to be fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone maintain such a high level of energy for such a long period of time while still being able to sing on key. Let me tell you, he is one talented man! Not to mention, he definitely had the crowd going with the catchy beats of his songs and the exuberant dancing. Accompanied by several band members who added to the enthusiasm, TobyMac’s set was actually remarkably entertaining.
Altogether, the Boomin’ Beyond Measure Tour is an eclectic yet fantastic group of artists, who provide an awesome night of fun, music, and even worship. I definitely recommend checking out these artists when they're in a town near you!
Article by Ariel Body
