Over the years, the guys in Needtobreathe would come out from behind their drums or keyboards and gather around one microphone up front to do an a cappella or acoustic number. They enjoyed it and the fans seemed to love it, so the band has talked for many years about doing an album and tour of acoustic music.
The label had other ideas, fearing fans might revolt if the group departed from its driving rock format. But finally in 2017, both sides agreed it was time.
If you go
› What: Needtobreathe› When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 1› Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.› Admission: Sold out› Online: tivolichattanooga.com
"We knew that we had established ourselves with our fans," singer/bass player Seth Bolt said in a telephone interview.
"A lot of people know that a lot of what they hear in a live show is prerecorded, so it is special to produce 100% of the music live."
The band - Bolt, Bear Rhinehart, Bo Rhinehart and Josh Lovelace - will perform a sold-out show Wednesday, May 1, at the Tivoli Theatre. The Rhinehart brothers formed the band in 2001 in South Carolina.
They were raised attending church camps run by their pastor father. The band was labeled a Christian rock band, something the band tried very hard to avoid. Not out of any shame or reluctance to share their beliefs and upbringing, but because they didn't want the music to be pigeonholed.
Bolt said the band is a rock band that does create Christian-based music, but that is not all. He said the fans are foremost in their minds when creating songs. As part of their deal with Atlantic Records, they insisted on being able to make records that could be sold at Christian bookstores.
"We were kids who grew up in Christian homes and we were forced to listen to Christian music, so we didn't want to turn our backs on kids like us. That was the only place we could buy records: Christian record stores. We were those kids. We know how excited we were when a Collective Soul record showed up in the one place we were able to buy music."
Bolt said the band's next album and tour will likely be a return to their hard rock form. He laughed at the idea that Ethan Luck, currently on tour with the guys as a utility player, was kind of shocked to see old YouTube videos of the guys.
"He only knows us from this acoustic tour, but we've always been a high-energy rock band.
"We were watching these videos when we would come out and do like an eight-minute jam to start the show. He didn't know that."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.