Third Day was founded by Mac Powell and Mark Lee after graduating from high school, and has gone on to become one of the most prominent Christian rock bands in the industry.

A page closes in Christian rock, this year, as one of the genre’s most well-loved bands says goodbye to its fans. Third Day, one of the most prominent and successful bands in the genre, has chosen to end their run together with a twelve-show tour, giving fans one last opportunity to see them live; they began their tour in Seattle, before coming to Portland for their third performance.

Formed by lead singer Mac Powell and guitarist Mark Lee shortly after they graduated from high school, it only took a few years before the fledgling band found success. After a somewhat unsuccessful release with an independent label, the band signed with Reunion Records and re-released their debut album, the self-titled Third Day in 1996. The album contained several tracks that would help define the band in years to come, including “Consuming Fire,” which won a Billboard Music Award for best Christian video, and “Blackbird”.

Inr the following two decades, the band went on to become a well-known name in the Christian rock genre, winning several Grammy awards for best gospel albums, including one for Come Together, their fifth studio album, as well as being nominated for several more.

Their farewell tour is designed to celebrate the band’s long history, showcasing work from each of their thirteen albums as well as introducing what was coming next for the two remaining founding members. The Portland concert opened with performances from Lee and Powell’s new projects. Lee, having chosen to pursue a solo career, performed several of his new songs, including one that serves as a companion to his recently released book, Hurt Road, which tells the story of how he was inspired to create the music he has spent the last 25 years creating.

Powell also showcased his follow up to Third Day, the recently formed band Mac Powell and the Family Reunion. Powell also announced the release of the band’s first album which was released for the first time at the concert.

When Third Day finally took the stage, they immediately opened the show with a performance of “Consuming Fire.” Well known for their incredible live performances, the band continued this trend from the very first song. From there, they began a journey through their history, performing a song or two from each of their albums. When transitioning from one album to the next, Powell would take a moment to talk about the band’s journey during the release of each album.

Though a farewell, the concert was consistently lively and energetic, with Powell constantly inviting the audience to join in and sing along with the band or clap along with the beat of the song. Energy buzzed through the Theater of the Clouds, with much of the audience choosing to follow Powell’s lead.

After performing a song from their most recent album, Revival, the band left the stage before returning shortly after to perform the final two songs of the concert. Beginning with “Blackbird,” a fan favorite from their first album, as a tribute to their longtime fans, Third Day then closed with one of their most popular worship songs, “God of Wonders.”

Over the next month, the band will continue its tour throughout the United States before performing their final show in Denver, Colorado on June 27.