Back in 2001, one of my favorite Christian bands of the early 90’s made a comeback album (I didn’t actually hear it till years later). The name of the band was PFR (‘Pray for Rain’ on their first album) and I went to the Christian bookstore (I’m sure it was one of the last times I did that) just as I would have driven to the Captain’s Quarters back in 1992, and bought the album. Listening to it, I tried to love it. I tried to get into it, even telling my wife that she had to check it out. But alas, the excitement stirred mostly in the part of my brain that stores memories, because the music just wasn’t that good.
A few years ago, DC Talk posted an old logo, curiously by itself, on their Facebook page. Fans immediately took to social media to talk about it and wonder if the thing they had waited for since the very early 2000’s had come true. After a few days however, we all learned that there would be no tour, but for those of us who wanted to go on a cruise with the Talk and their other bands, we could pay the money and see them perform some songs.
Uh, no thanks.
Then last week a friend of mine sent me an article from Christianpost.com saying that Michael Tait had announced an upcoming tour with the band. My friend sent it to me and another friend of ours from high school, and he just responded to us with the words, “Whatever”.
To understand my friends response, and my own unwillingness to get excited about the new tour, let’s journey back through the annals of Christian music history in the last two decades and see why the news produced a lackluster response from us and no doubt from the rest of the Christian world.
When DC Talk finished back in 2000 or 2001, two things were true. First of all, they were easily the most popular Christian band of all time. Their last album wasn’t quite as outstanding as their 1995 hit Jesus Freak, but it was a solid album with ear pleasing pop tunes and slightly different influences shown within the album. When Jesus Freak came out in 1995, it is safe to say that the Christian world had been overtaken with some of the greatest music it had ever produced up to that point. DC Talk created an album for us to hold on to as “the best” Christian album most of us ever heard. Rock, alternative, rap and soul combined, I listened to it over and over and over, just being wowed with its content. Every play-through on my CD player created a concert like experience in my living room in Tucson, AZ.
The second thing that was true when DC Talk retired was the Christian music world was changing. Recording labels started to choose safe bets in regards to their music and “safe bets” meant worship music, including Hillsong United and Sonicflood, controlling the airwaves. Newer innovative bands like Switchfoot made a case for excellent “redeeming” music on a popular stage, choosing to avoid the Christian subculture of CCM and over time, the innovation that DC Talk, the Newsboys, and a handful of other bands ushered in crept away while the pop worship tunes of Chris Tomlin and such dominated the new Christian music industry, which had become a shell of its 90’s domination.
Honestly, in the first decade of the 2000s a lot of secular pop and alternative music created a safe experience for impressionable minds too. I remember listening to Linkin Park’s first album, Hybrid Theory. Angry, raw, and pleasing to the ear, it challenged my conservative notion that rock music had to focus on sex or vulgarity. Chevelle, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, and Creed were all examples of rock music influenced by Christian themes (and in many cases Christians) I could listen to on any radio station and not just ones that sounded like formulaic doctor’s office CD’s.
In the last decade of course, creative musical geniuses could make names for themselves (Christian or not) by using the tools of the internet and we no longer have to purchase entire albums, but can choose only the songs we want, making creativity both harder and easier for those wanting to build a bridge between their faith and the music they love. Gungor and John Mark MacmIllan expressed their talents of creating amazing Christian music starting with the internet.
So here we are, just a year and a half shy of waltzing into the 3rd decade of the 21st century, and DC Talk invites us to join them again, and we respond rightly with “Whatever”. I don’t want to tell the greatest Christian band how to do their job, but they’re going to have to play this the right way, and of course I do have some suggestions. Here they are.
- Let Toby write the music.
Throughout the years, from the opening trumpets of their first song “Heavenbound” to their solo projects, we’ve come to understand the writing genius behind DC Talk was Toby Mac. Hear me out, he wasn’t the most talented vocally, (That was Michael Tait, IMO) 
but the songs he wrote before and after the Talk made them who they became and made him one of the most popular Christian solo acts in the last two decades too. We now know who wrote the best songs and who the genius marketer behind the Jesus Freak Phenomena was, and we also know that he needs to lead the charge on this.
- Find your voice and stick with it.
One of the hard things about aging is you know you’re getting older, but it doesn’t feel like it. Toby, Mike, and Kevin will never make original culture changing hits again. At least not in the 18-34 demographic. But they could transform the way Christians in their 30’s, 40’s and above think about God, culture, politics, and other things that people our age must think through. Each of them have spoken out to culture in matters such as racism and the cross, and they could and should continue to influence people with their music. Just don’t try to be who you’re not. I remember the last time I attended Inside Out Soul Festival in New Hampshire and seeing one of my fave bands, Petra, walk out of their van and into the venue. John Schlitt the lead singer, donned his trademark outfit from the early 90’s – Tight black leather pants and a loose fitting white shirt. Unfortunately it was the middle 2000’s and the outfit didn’t look so good on a 60 year old.
- Help us understand once again what it is to be a “Jesus Freak”.
Toby once said in an interview, “We’re not going to cross over, unless we can take the cross over.” Their music was edgy, hard driving, and in pace with much of the alternative scene in the middle 90’s, yet they rarely sacrificed the meaning behind their lyrics. In a world where universalism runs rampant in the walls of the church, it wouldn’t be a stretch for them to “speak some serious life” into a group of people having a hard time trying to find their identity in a changing world that has little interest in a Messiah or his bride.
So Toby, Mike, and Kevin, you may never read this, but I beg of you, please don’t screw this up. So help us understand what we have become. You have our ears and you’ll have our money (or at last our streaming revenue), so when the time comes for you to speak/sing an “un-socially acceptable” message about the Nu things God is still doing, know that the stakes are high. You could bring life to a dying genre, and truthfully, we would like it, love it, and even need it. A new innovative proclamation with equally great music that stirs the apathetic church to rally around a message for those of us who are into Jesus isn’t too much to ask, is it?
Time is ticking away guys so say (or sing) the words.
Word. To the Father.
What about you? Will you listen to any new DC Talk music once it releases?
I’ll absolutely be listening, but will I keep coming back to it or put it down after one take?!?! I hope they do read this article and that they “don’t mess this up.”
Thanks Al! Appreciate your comments!
Hey hey, tell me haven’t you heard? The Dc Talk cruise is a turd.
Uh, that’s John SCHLITT.
I appreciate what you’ve said here, but I think you need to did a bit deeper. Give a listen to AWOL, Kevin’s last cd. In my opinion I think his solo music since the “intermission “ has been highly underrated and obviously ignored by people in the ccm industry. Which could be considered a good thing considering what they have been putting out the past 10 or 15 years. The 3 of them writing new music together will blow people’s minds.
Leslie Leslie Leslie.
AWOL wasn’t his last. You talk like you’re some mega fan and you don’t even remember Romeo Drive? Of course Kevin’s gotta send all his little sheep over here to defend him. Poor wittle Kevipoo can’t take any criticism.
Lol. Chadi said last cd. Romeo Drive is not on cd….is it? I am absolutely a Kevin Max fan and a proud black sheep. He didn’t send me or anyone else. We all just don’t care for shallow articles written by amateurs who don’t do their research.
We all know Kevin can’t take any criticism and has to send his lackies to bust some knee caps whenever someone says they don’t like his music.
Chad…who busted any knee caps? Is Leslie not entitled to her own opinions? Do you personally know Kevin that gives you some kind of authority to know his heart and mind?
Did I miss where someone said they didn’t like Kevin’s music?
Show me to them, and I will subsequently bust the caps of the applicable knees.
Hey, Chad, one thing Kevin can do that it seems you can’t is love and accept people. He also has put out absolutely amazing music that hordes of intelligent, thinking people appreciate tremendously. It makes our days, and we read these immature comments like yours and shake our heads…and after sticking up for Kevin (of our own accords—I don’t even know him personally), we are going to be moving on. Haters gonna hate and any time this amazing guy spends defending his art takes away from his music. And the time WE spend defending him, though we are eager to, takes time away from our enjoying it.
Hey Hannah. Mind if I call you Hannah? Yeah hordes of people listen to it? I guess a horde is like 200 people now.
Thanks for your well researched response Leslie.
While I agree with most of what you wrote, namely that cruises are lackluster (but this last one everyone raved about…multiple full on concerts by dc Talk, plus each member in their own solo careers) and that they need to focus on their demographic. Judging by the way Kevin, Michael, and Toby have progressed as they aged in their solo careers as well as watching video from their concert on the cruise they, as always, seem to be keenly in tune with their crowd…their demographic.
I strongly disagree with leaving the writing only to Toby. One of the things that I loved about dc Talk was that every new album was leaps and bounds better than the last with the last 2 albums being neck to neck as best. Supernatural is my favorite album for speaking to the personal relationship between God and a person. Jesus Freak is my favorite in speaking to how our personal relationship with Christ ought to play out with the world around us. These albums are the best dc Talk (and arguably the best Christian) ablums because Toby was not the only one writing. That is not a slam against the increible talent of Toby but a testament to the incredible talent of all three very unique individuals who somehow create ultimate greatness together.
I will be at their concert and I know it will be phenomenal even if they just perform a montage of past hits. However, the real question for me is will they write new music? If so, after following each of them separately what would their next album of new songs sound like as they have each grown and expanded? If they combined this into the phenomenon of ‘dc Talk’ what would that sound like? Kevin simply amazes me as a solo artist…I listen to his vast vault of music every day.
Hey Chad, AWOL was his last CD. Romeo Drive was only digital.
Dude semantics. Really? His last “release” was Romeo Drive. Who gives a crap if it was on CD or not? I guess we don’t count that one because we all know Kevin’s forays into electronic music sucks. Look at his Cotes album.
Just looked at it. It’s brilliant.
The artwork maybe. The album is atrocious though. That’s what happens with labels putting you with awful contributors like 3kstatic and pop will eat itself. He should stick to his artsy fartsy Lennon-Bowie hybrid wanna be stuff. Electronica sucks
Go ahead and just call me “Hannahpoo”. If it’s good for Captain Kevipoo it works for me.
Weaksauce baby. Weaksauce.
“weaksauce (not comparable)
1. (slang) Boring or disappointing.”
[Wiktionary]
The definition of nearly all your comments in this section. Some, I grant you, were not boring. They did give me a good laugh.
Look, man, you started this whole thing by a caustic and poorly educated comment in reply to LESLIE, of all people, telling her she ‘talks like some mega fan’… people are gonna stand up for what they believe in. And defend someone they love. And be just as passionate as you are being (though, hopefully, not quite so rude).
Moving on now. I have much better things to do like listen to some KMax music or go out and be kind to somebody. Good luck and I personally think you ought to be nicer. ✌🏼
If you truly had something better to do you wouldn’t keep coming back or posting about me in the fokm.
Thank you for your thoughts Kat! I am looking forward to listening to more of Kevin’s music.
I enjoyed every dc Talk album more than the previous one, and may be in the minority as I prefer Supernatural over Jesus Freak. Both are great albums but I feel like the group continued to grow and morph and was always left wondering what ‘step’ the next album would have taken. Maybe we will find out someday. All 3 guys bring their own flavor to the group, and like Kevin has stated, something supernatural/spiritual happens when they are together.
Thanks Jim! Whatever album it is, I look forward to DC Talk bringing it!
Oy… dude. Have you listened to any of Kevin’s 14 solo albums since the intermission? Did you even know Kevin’s released 14 solo albums? His craft in writing is impeccable.
Supernatural gave us some of that flavor – of all three writing. Since the break, they’ve grown so much musically, lyrically, and vocally. If and when a sixth album comes, it’s going to be at its best with all three writing.
Thanks Joel! Appreciate your thoughts here!
Kevin Max has been making brilliant music in his solo career. Give it a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcrKtIuRHpX4mwYhJKXA9wQ
Thanks Stephanie! Will give them a listen
“Whatever” is only one word, first off.
Secondly, to think that Michael Tait is the most talented vocalist of the three . . . don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid vocalist. But I don’t think either of them can hold a candle to Kevin Max.
Third . . . the band has NEVER tried to be someone they’re not. Your fear that they’re going to do something akin to a rock band dinosaur who cut his teeth on Midwest hard rock in the 1970s is completely unfounded. TobyMac and Kevin Max have both been making music with their own signatures in their solo careers since 2001, and both have been doing quite well (Kevin Max, in particular, has been highly prolific). Tait has also had success, both as a frontman with his own band and with Newsboys, as well as several other projects. Their voice is actually three collective voices, each adding their own distinctiveness to the dcTalk pastiche.
Fourth . . . CREED??
Thanks Zach, for your thoughts!
As someone who went on the first DCT cruise, I wouldn’t do it again. I’ll stick to my CD’s and DVD’s. I won’t bother with any land tour. Maybe if I win tickets to a show. They’re just a nostalgia act and it’s not a happy nostalgia it’s a cringe kind of nostalgia.
Chad you seem a little bent on dissing Kevin and the Fiefdom. If you knew any of us you’d know we have no problem with people who don’t get Kevin’s music. Try critiquing without personal insults.
Peace and love ✌️🖤
I don’t see how I laid any personal insults in my last comment re: the cruise and land tour.
And there we go. Peace and love. Copying Kevin. He sings be yourself but all his fans copy him.
He also sings Be Love. Any insight on when that will start, Chad?
When he’ll start singing Be Love? You’d have to ask the man.
My last comment then I have to go do something else.. as much as I love Kevin and all of his music and he certainly has inspired me to let the hippie back out, I don’t think he was the one who started the whole Peace and Love business. Even if I did copy him on that, why would that matter? We should all be copying that. That WAS pretty much the message in the dc Talk music. Oh and a guy named Jesus had the same message.
Yeah yeah. You know what I’m referring to. Since his dct days every autograph always has peace and love. So of course all his fans gotta be like him. Stereotypeb is message is lost on all of ya’ll. Your not black sheep your just sheep.
That was lame.
Say it Leslie 🙌🏼
1) the comment section devolved hard core here. Thanks, Chad.
2) as for the original article, the author will see how dumb his ageist attitude is before he knows it. We all age. Relevance has nothing to do with age.
3) why should toby write the music? The others have had hits. It should be organic and however /w whomever they dang well choose to write it.
4) the cruises were awesome. Sorry you are jealous. I heard amazing music and got a great tan.
im buying any new dctalk tour. i would have gone on a the cruise if i wanted to spend the money, but thats too much. i hoping a land tour is in the future. if not, im still listiening to dctalk, toby solo. kevin solo and newsboys. BTW-ive been to several United shows. they are amazing! love they way the have basically 2 sets.
All three men have extraordinary talent but IMO if you listen carefully to dc Talk music, you will notice that Kevin has the purest voice. I’m sure that is why Toby and Michael asked Kevin to be in their band in the 1990s.
A few things.
1. No offense to Michael. But Kevin’s voice is probably the best voice in music. The range and simple fact that he can sing anything sets him apart. But his voice isn’t as traditional as Michael’s.
2. Toby has a lot of pop sensibility when he writes, and that great. But when you combine that with the collaborative writing influence of the group as a whole, you get something magical, like Jesus Freak and Supernatural. It’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Kevin has actively been writing music and recording new projects since the intermission. He’s constantly pushing the envelope.
I for one would love to hear his writing and Toby’s (along with Michael’s) together. It’s the spark, the three of them being creative but having to limit themselves because they’re not the lead vocalist/main guy, and the solutions that come out of that that makes DC Talk something special.
Joel you said the author and I deserve a high five to the face. Where’s that “Be Love” now, you hypocritical sycophant?
When did I say that?
You know where you said it. Buddy. Being facetious….so last year’s model.
Hmmm… Nope, can’t say that I do. Kind of an odd thing to accuse me of.
Sure. Lie.
The author and Chad both could use a high five. To the face. With a chair.
Yeah dude. You keep saying that. It’s a witty retort, I get that. But I’m not sure where you’re seeing this.
https://ibb.co/SvdC8p7
I remember that comment! That dude is pretty hilarious actually.
Interesting. So you’re a part of the group that you’re currently hating on? Why be a part of that group?
Nah he’s more of a jackass really. And I ain’t hating on the group in general. Just the blind followers. Ohmigod kmax is best singer eva! He dissed kmax I gotta defend him!
Well good for you for sniping people within that group in this thread. Must take a lot of courage to be an anonymous ass here, while remaining a member of the group. You’ve got to feel pretty good to be part of a group whose members you can make fun of from behind the keyboard. Strong work.
Also kuddos for taking the time to set up an account on a website to anonymously upload a screenshot of a comment. I wish I had your free time.
I feel fine honestly. And I didn’t have to make an account to upload a foto. And school’s out for the summer so I got all the time in the world. Lulz
Cool. Hit me up on Facebook messenger sometime. Would love to chat sometime.
I’m good broski
Thought so.
Oh big bad Joel thinks he scared away the poor wittle Chad. Nope. I just have better things to do than talk to an incel on a messaging platform I don’t use.
I think that the Holman report has failed in it’s mission statement today. The comments made by Chad are a disgrace. This is very saddening. I think the Holman Report should apologise for allowing all this. You may as well shut down if this is what you stand for.
Hi Ian, thanks for your opinion. Unfortunately shortly after this was written I went on vacation to Spain. This is a young magazine, and most of its content is written by me alone, though others do contribute. I will only say this. If you think that Chad is the only one who wrote rude comments here, you’re probably a part of the group that is also the problem. I allowed it mainly because I was on vacation, but also because I want people to be able to disagree, even with me. Plenty of people disagreed with me on this thread, and many did so rudely, but you said nothing about that. Enjoy Kevin’s music and have an awesome life!
FYI I don’t represent the Holman Report. I represent myself.
Chad Chad Chad. You obviously have an issue with Joel, Brendan and me. Personally I don’t give a flying monkeys butt what you think of me. I’m old and have learned to not let insignificant remarks from bullies determine my self worth. I do not feel the need to defend Kevin from the likes of you. I do support him as God has used him in major ways in my life the last few years. If you think I’m just following blindly you are wrong. If you are a part of the Fiefdom you should know better. We don’t treat each other like crap. We may not all agree. We may not always get it right. But we are family.
I take issue with 90% of people in the fokm because they all blindly follow the kmaxman. He covers a song omg it’s da best version ever and so much better than the original. Kevin can’t relwase a bad song. Every album is 5/5 100% metacritic and he’s being held down by da man. Could it just be possible his music ain’t that good. There’s a reason Toby and mike still get AirPlay.
If you guys just wouldn’t be such blind sheeple. Even I can admit when my favorite band puts out. A dud. St. Anger was awful and I can admit it. None of all ya’ll can admit something like that
Sorry everyone for the ruffling of the feathers. I was just having a little fun on this slow news day. Joel I got you good! Leslie, too. Peace out
I disagree with most of what you said. I really like Toby’s music, but it gets overplayed and I get sick of it pretty fast. Kevin’s solo work I come back to again and again. His poetry in music, his voice, his subject matter, lyrics, all of it. I also love that as an artist, he plays around with different musical styles. The awesome thing about them going solo was that you could hear each member’s influence in the whole. No one was more important than the others; all were integral. I would love a reunion tour as I never got to see them live. I (in the minority) would NOT want a new album because I feel like Toby and Tait would limit Kevin’s artistry, and he was always my favorite of the three. I like his solo work better than DCT. However, we all know CCM sucks, and I do appreciate that they would turn it on its head, but I think it should just die a painful death.
Also, Chad is clearly a child and a troll. Stop feeding the troll.
Yes i would! I used to love DC talk so much. I was super moved by their tunes and their lyrics. Lets go!!!!
Jolie who am I?
I’ve never heard anyone before now refer to dcTalk as “the Talk” Sounds very cringy. Each member has individually made their mark in different ways. Toby & Kevin individually as solo artists. I do like Toby’s body of work, it’s different then Kevin’s. His concerts are electrifying and his energy at the age he is, is definitely encouraging & inspiring. He’s a good guy too. Kevin’s solo work I think is more thought provoking, I like that he is not afraid to go different routes (genres) with his music. In the article it states that you can tell who the writing genius is of the band. I guess that is personal opinion. I think they are all better than decent writers. That’s the beauty of dcTalk they’re all talented writers, but IMHO Kevin’s writing is more suited to what I like & need. Kevin’s lyrics hit a place that NO other writer hits. dcTalk or otherwise. Also, critiquing ones voice is also personal opinion and again I give the nod to Kevin. In fact, Kevin’s voice is my personal favorite for any singer of any genre of any time. I came purely for the article but since a poster has his input I’ll have mine. I am a fan of Kevins BIG TIME and “FOKM” has nothing to do with what I believe. I was a fan of dcTalk, Kevin, Toby and Michael and any other work they have been a part of long before a thing named FOKM started.
I hate to get involved with the personal derogatory comments made on here but someone seems to be taking things a little to personal which is sad. I wonder why someone would be a part of a group where they have issue with 90% of its members and continually cut down the person the group is about. That makes no sense to me. Also, fans of a certain individual, any individual that may be, will fight on their behalf. Call it defending someone’s honor. Any human should fight for who and what they believe in. Especially when they see their friend attacked if they have any guts, which I do. And NO ONE has to tell me to fight for them. I do. One last thing, I DO personally believe any of Kevin’s covers are better than the originals because that’s what I believe. Am I not allowed to believe that, if i truly believe that? No one has to guess who “Chad” really is, you can tell by the defensive style of writing & derogatory comments. Chad if you have issue with 90% of FOKM members and Kevin himself why are you even in FOKM? If I didn’t like 90% of a groups members I sure as shinola would no longer be a part of that group. It would seem aggravating to me to be a part of something where I have issue with dang near everyone.
Noone has to guess but you’re guess is wring
To Chad, “but your guess is wrong” Not sure how my guess is wrong when I didn’t write whom my guess is. Maybe it’s wrong and maybe it’s right. We’ll never know Chad unless you’re man enough to say who you really are. Then again, it doesn’t really matter. Have a great day.
Never know? Buy you said no one has to guess. That means you already know. Who am I? Get it right and illl confers leave fokm.
Hi. My name’s Marty, and I wrote the article. Almost immediately after I wrote the article I went to Spain. I’m back at my desk, having never known Chad, but if you are saying that Chad wrote the article, that would be incorrect. He’s simply saying (and by the looks of this whole thread he’s not far off) that groups of Kevin’s fans picked a target they disagreed with and attacked. I’m not a fan of some of his attacks, but I appreciated his pointing that out, just as I appreciated the opinions of others who said they agreed or disagreed with me. I’m not God so my thoughts can only go so far. Thanks for reading.
I am going to say…. you are old man Jenkins..and you would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for hear nosey kids.
Can we make this a drinking game and each wring answer we take a shot?
Do whatever you want heather. But your gonna be too drunk considering you’ll never get it right. Because I’ve already left the fokm.
Looks like I won
Jeez don’t look now! They’re all striking his ego now about his vibrato. Oh it’s the best! More vibrato! Honestly he’s over the top and needs to cool with his vibrato.