Kickoff to TobyMac ‘Eye On It’ Tour | Dallas Music Photographer

The Tour.

Fresh off a record-setting No. 1 debut on Billboard Top 200, Christian recording artist TobyMac purposefully launched his ‘Eye On It’ tour from the UTA College Park Center in Arlington, Texas earlier this month.  During a pre-show Q&A, Toby explained that he chose the Arlington location because many of his Dallas area shows in the past had been festivals or special appearances (e.g. Six Flags Over Texas ). “We wanted to bring our crew, our show, our lights, our stage to Arlington.”  And did they ever bring it.

The DiverseCity band is once again on the road supporting TobyMac on the ‘Eye On It’ tour, which also features guest artists Chris August and Jamie Grace .

The Show.

I’ve been enjoying Toby’s music and following his career since 1989 –beginning with his start in dc Talk, through the founding of Gotee Records and into his successful solo career.

TobyMac’s message, music and heart are as true and consistent as always and the show he’s created for the ‘Eye On It’ tour is a feast for the eyes, ears and soul!  I hope you can catch a TobyMac show as it comes to a venue in your area.

Photographers.*

The bulk of the show I shot with my trusty workhorse, the Nikon D700 which was armed with a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for most of the night.  I love using my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR for just about anything, but surprisingly I shot less than half the time with it on this particular night.  If I was forced to choose one lens for a show, the versatile 24-70 would be my choice for a lone companion.

Another equally important piece of equipment during the evening were my new Etymotic Research ER20 ETY Ear Plugs.  Simple but crucial to comfort, I discovered these little guys do exactly what they claim: keep out the bad sound and let in the good.

I was allowed to shoot from the pit through both supporting acts and the entire 14 song set (plus encores!), a generous surprise.  Lots of dramatic lighting and plenty of action in this show, including a couple of drumline numbers and a surprise relocation of Toby and two band members to a small stage at the back of the venue for a few songs…which made for a dramatic return trip through a delighted crowd during TobyMac’s pilgrimage back up onto the main stage.

Check out a few of my images from the Arlington, TX TobyMac show…and kickoff to the ‘Eye On It” Tour…

Guest artist Jamie Grace with TobyMac

Chris August performs on the ‘Eye On It’ tour

TobyMac hits the stage and it’s all on!