TobyMac's Sears Centre show to be 'all about the songs people know and love'

In a music industry driven by the quickest, biggest, easiest hit, religious music has a tendency to be marginalized by the mainstream.

But over the course of the last 30 years, TobyMac has broken through that, selling more than 10 million albums both as a member of Christian rockers DC Talk and as a solo artist.

Hit songs will be at the center of the “Hits Deep” tour when TobyMac arrives in the suburbs alongside Jeremy Camp, Jordan Feliz, Ryan Stevenson, We Are Messengers and Aaron Cole Saturday, March 9, at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

“It's called 'Hits Deep' because it's hit songs all night long. The tour is deep in hits. It's not made to dig deep into records, it's made to dig deep into hits,” explained TobyMac. “If an artist has three hits, he's doing three songs. Ten hits, 10 songs. We're trying to make it all about the songs people know and love. It moves fast - there's two stages and not a lot breaks.”

TobyMac's latest studio album “The Elements” crossed over, cracking the top 20 of the Billboard 200 albums pop chart upon release in October thanks to savvy pop culture placement of his songs in film, on television and during sporting events.

“I don't think you have to believe just like me to enjoy my music or to be inspired by my music. The concepts are beautiful for all humanity in my opinion,” TobyMac said. “That's exactly what I'm intending when I'm writing: this music is for everyone. This music is not in a small box or a niche, it's for everybody.”

Over the years, TobyMac has covered a lot of ground musically. As one of the most popular Christian music groups ever, DC Talk moved deftly between rap and rock, and as a solo artist he's achieved some of his biggest success crafting well-structured pop songs.

Some of the most famous church hymns and songs predate the rock 'n' roll era. Built on strong melodies, that music has stood the test of time. TobyMac found it as a teenager and it's undoubtedly impacted the pop music he makes today. But growing up, secular music made just as big an impact.

“I always call the four corners of Toby's music The Police, Beastie Boys, Bob Marley and Run-D.M.C. That would be sort of the parameters that I like to play in and where I learned to write,” he said of the early influence of rock, rap and reggae. “I grew up listening to hip-hop but I've always had an ear for soulful melodies - anything from Hall & Oates to New Edition and Alicia Keys.”

Today, teams of songwriters and producers create songs for pop stars via a digital assembly line. It's often difficult to find the hand of the artist anywhere other than the vocal. But TobyMac takes an old school approach to his music, investing in polished pop and the album as an artistic statement despite a gradual industry shift away from both.

“I think it takes patience and I think it takes craftsmanship. It's a singles-driven society but if you're patient and craft it right, you can create something that has singles but is at the same time a body of work. And that's what I set out to do this time,” said TobyMac of “The Elements,” which sold 22,000 copies in just its first week. “I'm a song crafter. I take my time. I want my songs to be about something. But I'm a pop guy. So I figure out what kind of music best supports what the song is about and I craft a lyric in every line to be moving toward the target of how I want that song to resonate with someone.”

A willingness to address the world in song defined some of DC Talk's finest moments. TobyMac heads in that direction on “The Elements” too. “Starts With Me” tackles race relations and the album itself examines all of the things that can impact people during turbulent times.

“I wanted to be very transparent, where it's the good, the bad and the ugly of Toby's life. The world is a cold place and it can make you want to look after yourself, when I set my mind to looking out for others. Those elements can wear you down throughout the day,” he said. “I wanted to begin to unpack that a little on the rest of the record. It sort of lays out that this record is about the elements - some of them are really hard things you face and some of them are the beautiful times where someone pulls you through.”

Despite the often divisive nature of a world where keeping the faith can be difficult on a daily basis, TobyMac sees music as a necessary unifying source.

“I think you can listen to my records and know that I think the role of the artist is to bring people together - to let music be that amazing language that can speak to people where mere words can't,” TobyMac said. “Faith is something that offers hope. And I think hope can be a beautiful thing in these times.”

TobyMac

<b>When:</b> 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9; doors open at 5:30

<b>Where:</b> Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, (847) 649-2222 or www.searscentre.com

<b>Tickets:</b> $18-$89.75