Third Day & Switchfoot

Influenced by the Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other artists such as U2 and Rich Mullins, Third Day was originally formed by vocalist Mac Powell and acoustic guitarist Mark Lee. The duo added bassist Tai Anderson and drummer David Carr from another local band, and recorded some demos. Third Day's live shows gradually built a loyal fan base, and just after lead guitarist Brad Avery joined, the band signed to Gray Dot Records. Their eponymous debut followed in 1996, with Conspiracy No. 5 appearing a year later. In 1999 Third Day returned with Time, and the next year Offerings, a collection of new and live material, came out, followed in 2003 by its companion, Offerings II: All I Have to Give. That same year, the American Music Awards tapped them with a nomination in the Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist category. For their fifth studio album, 2004's Wire (which was followed shortly after by Live Wire), Third Day returned to their rock & roll roots, a trend they kept up for 2005's Top Ten hit “Wherever You Are.” Switchfoot was formed in 1996 in San Diego, CA, by singer/guitarist Jonathan Foreman and his bassist brother Tim Foreman. With the addition of drummer Chad Butler, the band recorded their debut LP, 1997's The Legend of Chin. Two years later the band released the hit album New Way to Be Human with the title track garnering a 1999 Dove Award for Song of the Year. Keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas joined up for 2000's Learning to Breathe, which found Switchfoot taking more steps toward mainstream modern rock.
Sat., Oct. 11, 2008