Last fall, dc Talk performed at Sky Sox Stadium in Colorado Springs, right in Breakaway's backyard. The guys delivered their trademark high-adrenaline punch-despite zero sleep and major jet lag. (dc Talk had just returned from London.) How do they handle the pressure? (And where do they get such Duracell strength?) What are they really like offstage? Most important, are they staying true to their calling (spreading the Word)? Breakaway wanted to know. So we asked dc Talk if we could spend a weekend with them on the road. They agreed. Join us an unforgettable three-day adventure.
FRIDAY EVENING
SKY SOX STADIUM
10:30 p.m. - Outside the Dressing Room
The show is over, but the guys are still going strong. And now they face one of their favorite parts of the evening: hangin' out with the crowd. For the next 30 minutes, they sign autographs, share their faith, offer encouragement to a few hurting teens, pose in dozens of last-minute
pictures, give final hugs, and say good-bye. Just five years ago, Toby, Michael, and Kevin were unknown roadies for Degarmo and Key. Today they're three of the hottest singers in CCM. And
they're making their way into mainstream.
10:45 p.m. - Packin' Up
On the other side of the stadium, the road hands work at a frantic pace breaking down the stage and packing up all the concert goodies. They look like an Indy 500 pit crew in action.
11:45 - Travel Time
Denny Keitzman, the road manager, breaks up dc Talk's after-show party.
"We're pullin' out, guys, so everyone who's leaving better board NOW," he orders. I climb aboard and look around. The inside of the bus is - As Michael says - "comfy."
"We have all the conveniences of home," he points out. "Two TVs and VCRs, a stereo, sodas, a healthy supply of cereal and - what matters most when you're tired - a bed." Actually, the bus has 14 beds: one up front for the driver, 12 bunks in the center and a couch in the back converts into a full-size bed. (That's my room for the weekend.) As we roll out of Sky Sox Stadium and past a few die-hard fans braving the chilly evening, I take a seat up front by Toby. Our destination: St. Joseph, MO.
SATURDAY MORNING
CRUISIN' THE HIGHWAY
12:30 a.m. - Snack Attack
I scan the tight quarters and begin counting. Toby, Michael, Kevin, three dancers, a guitar player, a bass player, a drummer, a sound man, a light man, a manager, a bus driver and . . . me. Fourteen people on this bus! A frenzy of arms dart in every direction. . . . Pouring Fruit Loops and Life Cereal, dipping chips in salsa, slapping peanut butter and jelly on bread. And a dozen conversations are going at once. They range from favorite movies and fast-food hangouts to embarrassing moments in the world of dc Talk. Toby starts to pour a bowl of Life cereal, but the box is empty. He turns to Michael.
"You pig! You had three bowls of this stuff." Michael smiles.
"I can't help it. . . . Mikey likes it." The bus sways and I glance at the driver, then Toby.
"You guys must really trust him," I say, "because your lives are in his hands."
"He's a good driver and a cool guy," Toby says. "The company we rented the bus from provided him. He used to drive for Skid Row and Aerosmith. I'm not sure if he's a Christian, but we've been sharing with him." Michael fills me in on the realities of a bus ride:
"There's nothing worse than being in your bunk when the bus starts swerving. You're totally helpless in this dark hole, and you hear rocks pelting the bus. Your heart starts pounding and you wonder if you're gonna crash. It's scary, but you put it all in the Lord's hands." A few hours later, some of the guys pop a video in the VCR. Toby, Michael, and Kevin decide to turn in. I muster up my courage and head to bed, too.
2:30 a.m. - Sleeping on the Bus
"Be sure to sleep with your head pointed toward the back of the bus, " says Juan Otero, one of the dancers. "Because if you don't and the driver suddenly slams on the breaks--"
"OUCH!" I interrupt. "I'll end up a few inches shorter." With Juan's advice in mind, I fluff the pillow and climb under the covers. The bus rocks and rumbles. That's when an unpleasant thought enters my head: I'm not going to get a wink of sleep... possibly for days. I shut my eyes and spend the rest of the evening (I mean, morning) drifting in and out of a half-conscious state.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
ST. JOSEPH, MO.
1:42 p.m. - Waking Up
The bus rolls into St. Joseph and pulls up at a Holiday Inn. Andy Dunning, the band's lighting director, taps on my door then peeks into the compartment. "Denny says it's time to rise." I pull myself together and head to the front.
"How'd you sleep?" asks Will Denton, the drummer. I smile.
"Sleep? Is that possible in a moving bed?" Life slowly begins to surge through the bus as the guys wake up one by one. A dancer darts by with a bag in his hands. Then Toby and Michael poke their heads out from the bunk room. Next comes Kevin.
"Good morning," I say in a syrupy, singsong voice. Kevin squints and yawns.
"Yeah, right." I can't help laughing. Standing before me is a rare sight: dc Talk with bedhead... and sleepy gunk in their eyes... and - gulp - morning breath! (Yes - the guys are human!)
"Hey, isn't it, like, only 10 or 10:30?" Kevin asks. (That's early for the guys. They usually get up between 12 and 1 p.m. Their schedules often keep them up until 4 a.m.!)
"We're in Missouri," someone explains. "We're on Central Time."
"No...we're on dc Talk time," Kevin says. "My body doesn't know what zone it's in." He heads back to get dressed. I step off the bus and run into another of my favorite musicians - Steven Curtis Chapman. He's standing outside the hotel, chatting with a friend. Tonight, Steven will join dc Talk on stage.
"It's Mr. Breakaway Magazine," he says as he sticks out his hand. "So, you're ridin' the bus with this wild bunch."
"Yeah, I'm sorta the fourth member of dc Talk," I say with a grin.
"No, I thought I was!"
2 p.m. - Z-Z-Z At Last (Not!)
After checking in, I head straight to my hotel room and flop on the bed. This has got to be the worlds greatest invention, I tell myself as I stretch out. And it doesn't move! Hello, Mr. Sandman! Suddenly, the phone rings. "Mike, this is Toby. How'd you like to grab some lunch, then head to the mall?"
"Food? The mall? Sounds perfect." (Hey, who needs sleep?)
2:45 p.m. - Fuelin' Up
Awhile later, Toby, Kevin, Juan, and I are downstairs in the hotel's
restaurant, munchin, and talkin'. (Michael plans to catch up with us a
little later.)
The guys have showered and are ready to face the crowds again. Toby is
decked out in a skater-style tee and shorts. Kevin's sporting some shoes he
bought in London. They're bizarre, but cool.
"My watch says it's almost 3, but it feels like 12," Toby says as he sits
down. "We've been on five different time zones in the last few days, so my
body is confused. To be honest, we usually don't know the time - just when
to be on stage."
Juan breaks in: "That's why dc Talk never gives their ages, they don't know what day it is...or how old they are!" We all crack up. Then I ask a question that's eating my brain.
"When do you guys sleep? I mean, lets' get real - it's impossible on the bus."
"Doing weekend dates, like this trip, sleeping is a joke," Toby says. "But when you're on a regualr tour and are out for 90 days at a time, you get used to the bus. It's really not as bad as it seems." I shake my head.
"Life the road is intense, but it must be in your blood."
"That's really true," Toby says. "The three of us love the road and enjoy travelling. We get at our wit's end sometimes, but I really believe God has handpicked us for what we do. We have friends in every town, and we sometimes stay at their houses when we're on the road. That gives us a chance to minister to them, and they reach out to us. And each of these experiences helps us write songs - which, in turn, reaches to others." Kevin leans back.
"When we're on the road, we can't wait to get home. Then when we get home, we can't wait to go back on the road again." And it's definitely paying off, because dc Talk is touching a lot of lives. Their current album, Free at Last, recently hit gold status and is on it's way to platinum. They also pack concert halls from coast to coast. I glance at my watch and think about their upcoming shows. In less than five hours, the guys will be sharing the stage with Steven Curtis Chapman and Cindy Morgan. But the cool deal is that nobody's getting paid. Toby explains.
"It's a benefit concert for flood victims here in St. Joseph," he says. "When we were asked to do it, we jumped at the chance. Even though it's costing us money, it's worth it. All the proceeds will be used to help people who've lost everything during the floods. We're supporting an important cause."
The waitress stops by and hands Toby the bill. "Guys, I don't mean to kick you out, but we're closing."
"Hey, it's time to hit the mall, anyway," Toby says.
3:30 p.m. - Taxi Talk
A taxi pulls up in front of the hotel, and Michael joins us. We all cram in
and continue our conversation.
"Have you guys ever gotten into a town and forgotten where you were?" I ask.
"YES!" Kevin says. "We were in Greensboro once, and Michael raced across the stage yelling "Hello, Detroit!'" Toby laughs, then says:
"In Cincinnati, Mike goes, 'What's up, Columbus?'" I look at Michael.
"Did you always know your future would be music?"
"I had no clue," he says. "I wanted to be a pilot, but that dream was washed away when I discovered my eyesight wasn't 20/20. It just goes to show you that God is in control of our lives - not us. He calls us right where we should be. It's up to us to obey Him."
Toby says, "I wanted to be in politics or a basketball player. I wrote raps when I was 14, but I had no idea that would be my future. Our careers in music started at Liberty University. But for each of us, sharing our faith comes first. That's our motives as singers, and that's why we jumped into music."
The taxi pulls up at our destination. We hop out and invade the local hangout.
3:50 p.m. - Mall Commandos
We step through the doors and check out the scene. I nudge Toby, "Based on
first impressions, how would you classify this place?"
Toby wrinkles his nose. "I don't mean this as a slam, but this isn't too
good of a mall. You can tell by the stores they have."
"Do you guys have a mall rating systems?" I ask.
"Yes," Toby says, "and this is definitely a C-level mall," Michael adds: "Any mall with a Gap gets an A."
"But if it has a Gap with the old orange logo," says Toby, "then it's definitely a B-to-C-level place."
We find ourselves in front of a Christian bookstore and decide to go in. The clerk looks a little stunned, and a few customers begin to whisper. Juan checks out some new pop releases, while Kevin digs into some heavier offerings. Toby and Michael pull Free at Last from the rack. "Boy, is the store manager going to be mad," the clerk says to Toby.
"He left early so he could get a good seat to your concert tonight!"
On our way out of the store, the guys sign a few autographs and answer peoples questions. Soon, as we continue our mall tour and end up at Taco John's. Suddenly, we hear a strange page over the PA: "Kevin McKeehan, please report to the information counter."
"Did I hear Kevin McKeehan?" Kevin asks.
Toby looks stunned. "I bet Denny is paging us."
"That means it's an emergency - like maybe the concert was canceled," Michael says. Toby finds a phone and dials the road manager. Seconds later he hangs up.
"Yep, it was Denny. We're late for a TV interview."
5:30 p.m. - Lights, Camera...
We cruise into the Holiday Inn. Denny is waiting for us in the lobby.
"This way," he says. "A reporter from Newswatch 2 is in a conference room down the hall." Seconds later, the guys step in front of the camera.
"Tell our viewers what dc Talk stands for," the reporter says, then sticks the mic in Toby's face.
He smiles and begins: " 'Decent Christian Talk." You see, all three of us believe in Jesus Christ...and He's the One we sing about..."
For the next 30 minutes, dc Talk tells their story and discusses the concert they're about to perform. Then at 6, we hop in a van and head to the arena.
7:30 p.m. - Word 2 the Father
The entire crew is on the bus scarfing pepperoni pizza and chocolate
brownies. We're scrunched around the table, on the couch, anywhere we can
sit.
Toby gets everyone's attention. "We've been busy the past few days. Let's
talk about how you're holding up and spend some time praying for each
other. Then let's pray for all those people out there. Some of them lost
everything in the floods."
I look around the bus at all the tired faces. Then a thought hits me. This is what keeps the guys going. I recall hearing Michael say "Every night before the show, we have a devotional time. It's the best time of the whole day because we're very open and honest. If we have any problems with each other, we work them out right there - before we go onstage."
8 p.m. - Show Time, Again
The guys repeat the concert they perform more than 125 times a year. But
this time, the encounter a snag.
During one tune, Kevin decides to hop off stage and shake hands with the
front row. He leaps off, lands behind a megasized speaker - and disappears!
"Where is he?" Denny yells to a crew member. "I hear him singing....but don't see him."
"I think his foot is caught," says another stagehand. Denny races to the rescue. By 2 a.m. we roll out of St. Joseph. Next stop: St. Louis.
SUNDAY
SIX FLAGS, ST LOUIS
1 p.m. - Kickin' Back
It's an unusual day during dc Talk's tour - relaxed and lazy. Kevin uses
the time to soak up some rays, while Michael visits with friends and checks
out Six Flags. Toby talks business with Denny.
4:30 p.m. - Sound Check
As rollercoasters speed by in the distance, the guys rehearse their tunes
and practice a few moves on stage.
"Let's try those kicks again," Toby says to the dancers.
Every detail is rehearsed and perfected.
After a hearty meal, the crew spends time in prayer. Then it's time to hit
the showers and get dressed for the show.
6:58 p.m. - Countdown in St. Louis
It's two minutes before show time.
The fog machine floods the stage, and the crew take their positions. Will
Denton climbs behind the drums, while guitarist Dave Kennick and bassist
Otto Price step on stage. Next come the dancers - Juan Otero, Teron
"T-bone" Carter, and Stacey Jones.
They jump onto the risers and freeze.
Backstage, Toby and Michael perfect a few moves. Kevin flexes and limbers
his legs. Fog is quickly pouring into the hall where they are standing.
"Remember the last time we did a concert here?" Toby asks the guys.
"It was with Petra," Kevin says. "The fog machine flooded the dressing rooms." Suddenly, the music begins and the trio spring into action. The crowd goes ballistic. When the concert came to an end in St. Louis and dc Talk said their last good-byes, so did I. It was a little hard leaving - sorta like returning home after camp. "Hope we answered your questions," Toby said. I grinned.
"All but one. I still can't figure out when you guys sleep. But I do understand what keeps you going."