Search - Tobymac :: Alive and Transported (CD/DVD)

Awesome, Incredible DVD!!!

J. Stucky | Wichita, KS USA | 05/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw Toby Mac live twice on the Portable Sounds tour and would have gone again had he been close! The live performances were incredible, the best I have been to, so when I heard they were making a DVD I could not wait. (I'm surprised there hasn't been more fanfare about this?) So I've watched once through (not on my 5.1 system, can't wait to try it on there) and its everything I expected. They really did an excellent job of capturing the excitement and enthusiasm of the live performance. The camera work is great, very crisp & clear. I wasn't sure if they could adequately convey the lighting effects but they do, and there's just the right amount of crowd shots to keep the excitement level up. Like I said I can't wait to try it on my 5.1 system but the audio quality on 2 channels was great, very clear and you could understand words easily. Its just a very high quality production all the way around.



This is a no-brainer, if you're even reading this review or looking at this item, BUY IT, its definitely worth it and I wish more artists would choose to do this, I walk out of many live concerts thinking I wish I could have a video to remember what it was like. Portable Sounds was just an incredible tour, I hadn't seen his previous tours but this will be hard to top, and I'm very glad its been recorded and offered on this DVD, I know I will be watching it many times!"

Perfectly captures everything a TobyMac show is about, and t

Nate McCooey | Lockport, NY United States | 05/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are many words that can perfectly describe what a TobyMac live concert is like. Fun. Energy. Excitement. Eclecticism. But above all of these, one sticks out and this live CD/DVD package shows it: Passion.



Toby and his eight-member Diverse City band (Nirva Ready, backing vocals; ShonLock, backing vocals; GabeReal, backing vocals; Tim "T-Rose" Rosenau, guitar/trumpet; Todde "Toddiefunk" Lawton, bass; Brian "Da Bomb" Haley, drums; Dave "D-Dubb" Wyatt, piano/keyboards; DJ Maj, turntables) put on an incredible performance here. One might think that with such a large band the talents of some members might be overshadowed by others, but this is hardly the case. Each member contributes something very special to the show, from the blazing freestyle raps and incomparable breakdancing of ShonLock to the searing riffs and solos of Timmy to the beautiful and soulful vocals of Nirva to the funky basswork of Todde and everywhere in between. This is clearly a very tight band, and removing any one piece of the unit would no doubt throw the show out of whack.



All three of Toby's studio albums (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, and Portable Sounds) are well-represented here, as well as a couple non-Toby album songs thrown in for good measure. Though there are several tracks I would love to have seen that didn't make the final cut, what is performed here is done so flawlessly. The show opens with "Ignition" from the Portable Sounds album, and from there all the way to the traditional closing song "Extreme Days" (from Momentum) the band doesn't miss a beat. Sure, the additional vocal work of Kirk Franklin on the studio versions of "J-Train" and "Lose My Soul" is missed, but Toby and the group manage to pull off great live versions of these cuts even without him. GabeReal (real name Gabriel Patillo) performs Mr. Franklin's part in the latter track and does an excellent job, giving it a bit of reggae flavor as opposed to the straight ahead hip-hop of Kirk. But there is one guest artist on the studio version of the song that isn't missing here: American Idol season 5 contestant Mandisa, in all her true beauty. I'll tell you something, even if you weren't impressed by her performances on Idol, you will be blown away listening to her sing on this song. She is that impressive. I was quite surprised to see her join the band on stage for this tune but definitely pleased. A very talented and beautiful woman to say the least. Other noteworthy performances here, in my opinion, include those of "Boomin" (listen for ShonLock's breakneck speed rapping before the final chorus), "Irene" (Rosenau's trumpet playing on this song where there would ordinarily be guitar is, in a word, gorgeous.), "Yours" (the way the band does the first chorus with slow and beautiful vocals by Nirva is spine-chilling), and the pure, unadulterated funk of "Diverse City." ("When I say Diverse, y'all say City!!!")



Even though those are some of my favorites from this concert, every song is a standout performance. Toby and crew even perform the contemporary Christian hit "In The Light" (although for only a brief time, in between "I'm For You" and "Yours"), as well as unleashing what was easily the most popular tune in the dcTalk (Toby's former band, for those who don't know) catalog, "Jesus Freak." The Diverse City band pull off this fan favorite effortlessly, and you can tell from the roar of the crowd that such a nod to Toby's musical past is greatly appreciated.



I saw these guys back in 2005 on a leg of the Diverse City tour (opening acts were Hawk Nelson and Kutless; the scheduled Audio Adrenaline were a no-show for some reason, but I wasn't a big AA fan anyway so I didn't complain) and while that was one incredible show it didn't quite stack up to this one performed in Houston, TX. Maybe that's because there was more material to go around here, or perhaps it was due to the band members themselves being more experienced and proficient. Whatever the reason for the change, one thing remains constant: TobyMac and the Diverse City band are the best, bar none, at blending music from several different genres into one easily identifiable sound. Pop, rock, soul, funk, blues, hip-hop, Latin, you name it...this band can do it all.



As an added bonus on the DVD, Toby takes us behind the scenes of one of his live shows, including pre-show rituals and interviews with each member of the group. But in my opinion the best part of the bonus material is the emotionally-charged segment which shows the band meeting with the 104-year old Otis Clark, a crusader against racism and a man who survived the brutal race riots in Tulsa, OK during the 1920s. The wisdom this man spouts during their meeting will touch your heart and soul, and if it doesn't you must be without a pulse."

Great in every way!

andra_sn5 | IN | 05/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"










I am a huge Christian music fan, and I love to hear music live. I've been to my fair share of concerts, and Toby and his band are by far the best live act I've seen in a long time!



I've seen Toby twice--once on the Portable Sounds tour and then last Feb. during the Boomin' Beyond Measure tour with Jeremy Camp. This DVD captures all of the fun, energy, and passion that one experiences at a live show.



The song selection included on the DVD is great too--there were only one or two songs that I wished would have been included. I absolutely loved the behind the scenes feature! It was great to hear more about each member of the Diverse City band. It really shows what I love most about Toby and his band. In all that they do, they put the focus on Jesus. When you listen to all of them, it is obvious that they see this as a ministry. They are not in it to glorify themselves.



I personally have been waiting for such a long time for a concert DVD from Toby, and I am thrilled that the finished product is here!

I would HIGHLY recommend this DVD to everyone who is looking for excellent music that honors God. You will LOVE it!"