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TobyMac's Deep Hits Tour Stop Is a Bountiful Blessing at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville
TobyMac's Hits Deep 2025! tour hit the Bridgestone Arena on February 16, 2025. The dance party also featured Crowder, CAIN, Ryan Stevenson, Terrian and TobyMac's road band Diverse City. It was a night of uplifting music from an all-star lineup complete with many inspiring testimonies.
TobyMac and friends faithfully delivered the hits in Nashville. TobyMac is a contemporary Christian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He broke out on the scene with DC Talk and then had a successful solo career that includes seven Grammy Awards. As the story goes David Crowder was surprised to find that half the Christian students at Baylor University were not attending church. He became pastor of worship with the hopes of music drawing people in thus the David Crowder Band was born in 1996. They disbanded in 2012. Afterwards, David started a fruitful solo career as Crowder. CAIN was raised in the church in Hartselle, Alabama. As the pastor's kids they were drawn to music and they became a household name with their 2020 debut single, the RIAA Gold certified "Rise Up (Lazarus)" and the sibling trio has been on the rise ever since.
TobyMac and Diverse City are a well-honed arena act worthy of praise in their own right. Ryan Stevenson is a guitarist, singer and co-owner of Gotee Records with TobyMac. He has charted on Billboard with "Holding Nothing Back", "The Human Side", "Not Forgotten", "All Yours" and "Eye of the Storm". Terrian is known for her role as a vocalist in TobyMac's Diverse City but she is also an accomplished solo artist. Terrian released her debut song "God With Us" in 2019 and that music video has millions of views on YouTube. Plus, her most recent single "Honestly, We Just Need Jesus" is in steady rotation on Christian channels. So, you can see that it is no surprise that TobyMac was excited in advance of this year's edition that launched in January in Pensacola, Florida, when he said - "The Hits Deep tour is back for another year, and this one will be crazy special. We have invited some of our favorite artists to bring their Hits to the stage - can't wait to share who they will be very soon. Every one of these artists has written songs that echo through the halls of my home. And yes, I may even have some new songs to share that will be released over the next few months. Lets gooooo!"
Crowder brought the rock, blues and swamp vibe to his take on the Gospel message. As expected, headliner TobyMac with the very capable Diverse City Band enthusiastically kicked off their set with a lively "Lights Shine Bright" flowing into the hopeful "Hello Future" and "Love Broke Thru" with Toby recalling "the first time I called You Lord". Other danceable highlights included a guest appearance by Blessing Offor to sing "The Goodness" and Jon Reddick was in the house for "Nothin' Sweeter". Toby's music can speak for itself but his polished production was enhanced by the use of two stages connected by a ramp, lights and lots of visuals. Dance, harmonizing vocals, heavy percussion and keys added to the energy. Yet, for all the joy there was a subtle sadness.
CAIN is a family band with an appealing evangelical approach to entertainment. "But, when my world broke into pieces, You were there faithfully," declared TobyMac as he sang and testified to the fact that God does not promise believers won't endure hardships. Rather, He promises to be with us. The song "Faithfully" has become a deeply personal yet inspiring message. It was written after Toby and his family lost their 21-year-old son to an accidental drug overdose in 2019. Before that - "life was so good, I'm not so sure we knew what we had" and afterwards they faced a true struggle to trust in God. "I may never be the same man," he mused. Today, TobyMac is still a man who believes and effectively delivers a musical message of hope as he did in Nashville. What makes David Crowder so cool is that he runs the gamut from blues, gospel, rock, soul and even a ho-down version of "I Saw The Light". Crowder with a sizable band that included two drum kits had folks on their feet for most of the ruckus hits but also the reflective songs such as "Red Letters" played on piano. David is crafty with double entendres a trick often used in the blues. But, he utilizes this sometimes risque technique for the glory of God. He shares "I got stolen by the grave robber" (Jesus) who in turn robbed the grave when he rose from the dead. Later, both narrator and the Israelites are stating that "hope is not lost, hope is not gone" as "Even in Exile" portrayed a powerful message with multiple meanings for all the ages.
Ryan Stevenson - TobyMac label partner - is also a hitmaker with several songs currently on Christian radio. CAIN also had a unique approach. Their staging including two large flowers, they were all wearing glittery gold outfits and the visuals they used were bright and sunny. CAIN's cheerful presentation had a 70's Have A Nice Day vibe. They opened with the encouraging "Yes He Can". Later Caleb & John joined them for "Somebody Like Me" to promote an upcoming tour that will feature the two groups. Although their set was upbeat they did take a moment to pray for anyone in the audience who maybe hurting. As Beatles fans we totally loved CAIN's revision of "Come Together" and their rousing "Rise Up (Lazarus)" had us wondering is there a music category called Pentecostal pop – if there is - this song is it & it ended CAIN's set on a high note.
Terrian has emerged from TobyMac's band to achieve star status as a solo act. We have attended many concerts in a quarter center of work in the publishing business and even longer simply as fans of many genres. But, this Awakening Foundation production put on with support by World Vision, Altrua HealthShare, K-LOVE and Air1 Radio really stands out to be one of the most efficient concerts we have attended in all that time. TobyMac's Hits Deep 2025! ran like clockwork. If one band was on the stage in the middle of the arena the main stage was being setup so in almost seconds the next artist was up and playing. Ryan Stevenson shinned and Terrian connected with the crowd from the central position presenting some of their most popular songs. Terrian reflected her times with TobyMac with a holy-roller blend of hip hop and soul - and, she has a powerful voice. Finally, Toby and band fully utilized the secondary position to full effect in their headlining role.
Guitars and keytars were a key element of the three hour and forty minute concert in Music City. There was one longer break before TobyMac took the stage so that World Vision could tell the Nashville faithful about their mission with the goal of getting fans to sponsor a child. Per their website, World Vision works alongside communities, supporters, partners and governments to change the way the world works for children, focusing on three specific areas: emergency relief, transformational development and promotion of justice. World Vision also had tables set up on the concourse of the Bridgestone Arena. Plus, some of the artists were also out there ready to meet folks which only made this exceptional night of faith based, family friendly music even better. TobyMac's Hits Deep 2025! is scheduled to run through late March 2025 and he will be on road with another stellar lineup this summer so please check out his and the other artist's websites for tour dates and new music.
Sound the horns and remember to "Thank God for Jesus Music". Related Links: For more information on TOBYMAC and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - TobyMac | Crowder | CAIN | Ryan Stevenson | Terrian | World Vision | Bridgestone Arena | Crowder Draws a Huge Crowd at Spring Festival in Murfreesboro | TobyMac Kicked Off the K-LOVE Fan Awards Weekend with a Captivating Concert in Nashville
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