Popular contemporary Christian band MercyMe brings their many hit songs to the Perot Theatre stage for a concert Sunday, Feb. 26.
Since their major label debut album arrived in 2001, the band has sold millions of records, won American Music and Dove awards, seen themselves nominated for a Grammy and scored monster hits along the way.
Guitarist Barry Graul says they'll perform those hit numbers at the show. And since they've been around for so long, they'll have plenty of them to perform, he said, numbers they enjoy playing live for their fans.
"We only get to make a record every few years, so for us it's all about the live show and being on the road," Graul said.
MercyMe is actually poised to release a new album this spring. Called "Lifer," it will be a studio album follow-up release from "Welcome to the New." In the interim, they also released a Christmas album. Thematically the two studio albums are a departure, said the guitarist, who joined the band in 2003.
"The new record is more about the victory," he said, contrasting it to the identity in grace theme that they visited in the last album.
MercyMe began work on "Lifer" around March, the quintet meeting every few weeks to work on it. That gave them an early jump and some breathing room to get it done, Graul explained.
"We didn't feel like this record was an emergency," he said about getting it finished. They could take their time, he explained, saying that the theme is that they're "lifers" for Christ. In another sense, they're also lifers for the band, too.
"This is the victory that we have in Christ, knowing who we are," Graul said. Rather than being bound up in the daily things to be done to earn God's love, this album's thematic explorations focus on the knowledge that Christ on the cross covers all their sins, he explained.
"It gives you freedom to live in a different way," Graul said. In this sense, it's more of a celebration. After all, he points out, one of the new songs is titled "Happy Dance."
Expect MercyMe to perform a song from the new album at the Perot show, but mostly they'll concentrate on the many hits they and MercyMe fans have loved over the years as they've played such famous venues as Radio City Music Hall and appeared on all sorts of TV shows and networks.
More recent hits for the band have included "Flawless" and "Greater." Other top MercyMe hits include "I Can Only Imagine," "Homesick" and "Here With Me."
Whether it's a new destination or a familiar location, traveling on the road offers the band plenty, Graul said. They try to tour for four days or so, then head home. Touring is a constant, though. Here in Texarkana, he said, they'll be sure to stop at Bryce's Cafeteria.
"We're just a big old family. We enjoy each other's company," said Graul, who joined the band after touring with them as part of another band. Forever a sideman in the music projects he worked for, he welcomed the chance to join MercyMe as a full-fledged member.
"This you can really sink your teeth into the ministry of it," Graul said.
Micah Tyler will perform as a special guest for this show, which is part of MercyMe's Texas Takeover Tour. Also joining them are We Are the Monks.
(Tickets: $45, $35, $30. More information and ticket purchase: trahc.org or 903-792-4992.)