Customer Reviews

Alive and Transported (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw Toby Mac live twice on the Portable Sounds tour and would have gone again had he been close! The live performances were incredible, the best I have been to, so when I heard they were making a DVD I could not wait. (I'm surprised there hasn't been more fanfare about this?) So I've watched once through (not on my 5.1 system, can't wait to try it on there) and its everything I expected. They really did an excellent job of capturing the excitement and enthusiasm of the live performance. The camera work is great, very crisp & clear. I wasn't sure if they could adequately convey the lighting effects but they do, and there's just the right amount of crowd shots to keep the excitement level up. Like I said I can't wait to try it on my 5.1 system but the audio quality on 2 channels was great, very clear and you could understand words easily. Its just a very high quality production all the way around.

This is a no-brainer, if you're even reading this review or looking at this item, BUY IT, its definitely worth it and I wish more artists would choose to do this, I walk out of many live concerts thinking I wish I could have a video to remember what it was like. Portable Sounds was just an incredible tour, I hadn't seen his previous tours but this will be hard to top, and I'm very glad its been recorded and offered on this DVD, I know I will be watching it many times!

There are many words that can perfectly describe what a TobyMac live concert is like. Fun. Energy. Excitement. Eclecticism. But above all of these, one sticks out and this live CD/DVD package shows it: Passion.

Toby and his eight-member Diverse City band (Nirva Ready, backing vocals; ShonLock, backing vocals; GabeReal, backing vocals; Tim "T-Rose" Rosenau, guitar/trumpet; Todde "Toddiefunk" Lawton, bass; Brian "Da Bomb" Haley, drums; Dave "D-Dubb" Wyatt, piano/keyboards; DJ Maj, turntables) put on an incredible performance here. One might think that with such a large band the talents of some members might be overshadowed by others, but this is hardly the case. Each member contributes something very special to the show, from the blazing freestyle raps and incomparable breakdancing of ShonLock to the searing riffs and solos of Timmy to the beautiful and soulful vocals of Nirva to the funky basswork of Todde and everywhere in between. This is clearly a very tight band, and removing any one piece of the unit would no doubt throw the show out of whack.

All three of Toby's studio albums (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, and Portable Sounds) are well-represented here, as well as a couple non-Toby album songs thrown in for good measure. Though there are several tracks I would love to have seen that didn't make the final cut, what is performed here is done so flawlessly. The show opens with "Ignition" from the Portable Sounds album, and from there all the way to the traditional closing song "Extreme Days" (from Momentum) the band doesn't miss a beat. Sure, the additional vocal work of Kirk Franklin on the studio versions of "J-Train" and "Lose My Soul" is missed, but Toby and the group manage to pull off great live versions of these cuts even without him. GabeReal (real name Gabriel Patillo) performs Mr. Franklin's part in the latter track and does an excellent job, giving it a bit of reggae flavor as opposed to the straight ahead hip-hop of Kirk. But there is one guest artist on the studio version of the song that isn't missing here: American Idol season 5 contestant Mandisa, in all her true beauty. I'll tell you something, even if you weren't impressed by her performances on Idol, you will be blown away listening to her sing on this song. She is that impressive. I was quite surprised to see her join the band on stage for this tune but definitely pleased. A very talented and beautiful woman to say the least. Other noteworthy performances here, in my opinion, include those of "Boomin" (listen for ShonLock's breakneck speed rapping before the final chorus), "Irene" (Rosenau's trumpet playing on this song where there would ordinarily be guitar is, in a word, gorgeous.), "Yours" (the way the band does the first chorus with slow and beautiful vocals by Nirva is spine-chilling), and the pure, unadulterated funk of "Diverse City." ("When I say Diverse, y'all say City!!!")

Even though those are some of my favorites from this concert, every song is a standout performance. Toby and crew even perform the contemporary Christian hit "In The Light" (although for only a brief time, in between "I'm For You" and "Yours"), as well as unleashing what was easily the most popular tune in the dcTalk (Toby's former band, for those who don't know) catalog, "Jesus Freak." The Diverse City band pull off this fan favorite effortlessly, and you can tell from the roar of the crowd that such a nod to Toby's musical past is greatly appreciated.

I saw these guys back in 2005 on a leg of the Diverse City tour (opening acts were Hawk Nelson and Kutless; the scheduled Audio Adrenaline were a no-show for some reason, but I wasn't a big AA fan anyway so I didn't complain) and while that was one incredible show it didn't quite stack up to this one performed in Houston, TX. Maybe that's because there was more material to go around here, or perhaps it was due to the band members themselves being more experienced and proficient. Whatever the reason for the change, one thing remains constant: TobyMac and the Diverse City band are the best, bar none, at blending music from several different genres into one easily identifiable sound. Pop, rock, soul, funk, blues, hip-hop, Latin, you name it...this band can do it all.

As an added bonus on the DVD, Toby takes us behind the scenes of one of his live shows, including pre-show rituals and interviews with each member of the group. But in my opinion the best part of the bonus material is the emotionally-charged segment which shows the band meeting with the 104-year old Otis Clark, a crusader against racism and a man who survived the brutal race riots in Tulsa, OK during the 1920s. The wisdom this man spouts during their meeting will touch your heart and soul, and if it doesn't you must be without a pulse.

I am a huge Christian music fan, and I love to hear music live. I've been to my fair share of concerts, and Toby and his band are by far the best live act I've seen in a long time!

I've seen Toby twice--once on the Portable Sounds tour and then last Feb. during the Boomin' Beyond Measure tour with Jeremy Camp. This DVD captures all of the fun, energy, and passion that one experiences at a live show.

The song selection included on the DVD is great too--there were only one or two songs that I wished would have been included. I absolutely loved the behind the scenes feature! It was great to hear more about each member of the Diverse City band. It really shows what I love most about Toby and his band. In all that they do, they put the focus on Jesus. When you listen to all of them, it is obvious that they see this as a ministry. They are not in it to glorify themselves.

I personally have been waiting for such a long time for a concert DVD from Toby, and I am thrilled that the finished product is here!
I would HIGHLY recommend this DVD to everyone who is looking for excellent music that honors God. You will LOVE it!

tobyMac puts on the best show around. Period. DiverseCity is an amazing, tight band... great sound, great performance. The CD really captures their live sound almost perfectly. Absolutely stellar performance. DVD... just as good. Thankfully this isn't one of those '5 camera changes in 5 seconds' (for the most part).

Alive and Transported is great. It comes with 2 cds.The First one is Audio, so you can download it to your ipod or mp3. It includes The Slam,Made to Love,Diverse City,Boomin,and more songs. The 2nd cd is a dvd. It has all of Tobymac's greatist hits and Jesus Freak,Live. Also on the 2nd dvd, there is a extra bonus that has all backstage features and other stuff. Must BUY.

This concert is off the chain! The dvd is great quality and they put on a great show. We recently saw Toby Mac live and this is so close to what we saw that it's like re-living the concert all over again! The band is so dead-on tight and TMac is really on. I cannot recommend this cd/dvd enough, my 3yr old son and 4 yr old nephew put on a show every time they watch the dvd. They want to listen to the cd all the time too!

Concert CD's are a bit hit or miss. Most can succeed by drawing the listener into the audience, and make them part of the experience, with the energy, sing-a-longs and the like. However, if you just do a straight up live CD and don't try to bring the energy or new material, you'll flop every time. Thankfully, when it comes to Christian Music Mistro TobyMac, you don't have to worry about a lack of energy.

During uptempo songs, he'll be jumping on the stage, in the air, and in the concert's most satisfying moment, into the crowd. And it's not just Toby; his band is as energetic and get their party on just as easy, and every member gets their moment. I especially enjoyed Toby's guitarist, Tim Rosenau, with his great work on the guitar and the trumpet. He looked like he was having a pretty good time, getting into the action and the energy, all while strumming at the guitar.

But, to experience this high energy atmosphere, you have to watch the DVD, because this energy is only amplified by the camera works that zips, zooms, jumps, and then zooms again. It's like everybody took a can of Red Bull before starting the concert.

There are some problems with the collection though. You might listen to just the CD portion, maybe twice when you own this collection, even if you're a hardcore Mac fan. By the contrast, the CD actually seems a bit sleepy, and a bit devoid of a jolt. But even if you watch the DVD, there are a few songs that just don't translate to this live CD. "Boomin'" was meant to be boomin' out your car studio in full surround sound stereo in your car. Live, it just sounds like it's missing something.

The song selection is pretty good. All the hits, and a few favorites from DC Talk. However, all those songs you didn't really care for on the albums, your opinion isn't likely to change on them with this CD. While I did like "J-Train" a little better, I only liked that crazy energy with the others.

But wait, that isn't all, I must either criticize the audience, or the sound guy, because when Toby had the crowd sing along to a couple songs, the crowd sounded pretty weak. Whether the mike just didn't catch it, or this was a Monday concert, we might never know.

Overall, a must for Mac fans. It's energetic and you get the feel when you're watching the DVD. And while the CD won't serve you much use, the DVD will be your companion for all those sleepy study nights. I don't know what TobyMac will do next, but he always seems to have something new up his sleeve, and it's usually something pretty good. But next re-mix CD, is going to have a lot of ground to cover.

I have been to the Hello Tonight Tour Featuring Chris Tomlin and tobyMac and I loved tobyMac's performance. I think this DVD is a great way to remember the concert. The camera work is good and they do a great job of capturing the excitement of tobyMac and the Diverse City band. This DVD/CD features all of tobyMac's biggest hits from his first three CD's (Momentum, Welcome to Diverse City, and Portable Sounds). The only complaint I have against it is that it does not capture the excitement of the crowd as much as I expected even though it is an awesome DVD. If you have ever been to a tobyMac concert, then you know that the crowd is screaming and going crazy the whole time. In the DVD, you don't get caught up in the excitement of the crowd as much as you would in a real concert, although you get caught up the excitement of the singers and everyone in the band. If you are a huge tobyMac fan, then you must buy this CD/DVD package. It is great and I do not regret buying it.

All and all, an awesome product! You have to get it!

Unbelievable DVD - when we heard it was coming out, I literally counted down the days. We love TobyMac and we have watched this DVD no less than 20 times. I've shown it to friends and family. People who have never heard of TobyMac will sit there with their mouths open in awe. No joke. Toby appeals to the young and the older (me). My son has been a TobyMac fan since he was old enough to talk. I never tire of watching this concert. I have to tell you, though.....his new CD - TONIGHT - is even better than anything he's put out before. It is the most incredible CD I've heard and I listen to it almost daily - I certainly hope TobyMac and the Diverse City band plan to put out another DVD concert with songs from Tonight. I've seen some of them on YouTube and they ROCK!!

THIS IS A MUST HAVE DVD!! We misplaced it once, and I was at the store buying another copy. We found the other one, but we are keeping both in case anything happens to one!!

There is nothing better than hearing the message of Jesus Christ and being able to feel it in your soul and your heart while moving to the tune. L.O.V.E. it! Also downloaded "don't want to gain the world and lose my soul" awesome