Third Day Returned to the Stage with CTS AVL and JBL Professional VTX Systems on 30th Anniversary Tour

Christian rock band Third Day returned to the stage for its 30th anniversary reunion tour, marking the band's first large-scale tour together in more than a decade. Known for helping shape contemporary Christian music throughout the 1990s and 2000s with chart-topping albums, arena tours and live worship performances, Third Day launched the 30-city U.S. tour with a JBL Professional VTX system supplied by CTS AVL. The production marked a major return for the Grammy Award-winning band and required an audio platform capable of supporting a wide range of venues while maintaining the scale and impact expected from one of Christian music's most recognized live acts.

Production company CTS AVL partnered with tour promoter Awakening Events to provide complete audio, video and lighting production for the spring tour. With sound quality identified as a top priority from the outset, CTS AVL selected a JBL Professional VTX system centered on VTX A12 line array loudspeakers to support the band's return.

"The music of Third Day has been a major part of Christian music for decades, so the audio experience had to meet a very high standard," says Michael Taylor, president of CTS AVL. "We wanted a system that delivered clarity, musicality and consistent coverage in every room on the tour. JBL VTX gave us the performance and flexibility we needed while also simplifying logistics across a wide range of venues."

The main PA system featured two hangs of 16 JBL Professional VTX A12 line array loudspeakers for the primary arrays, complemented by two hangs of 12 VTX A12 loudspeakers for side coverage. Low-frequency reinforcement was provided by 18 ground-stacked JBL Professional VTX B28 dual 18" subwoofers and 12 flown VTX B28 subwoofers. Stage monitoring included five JBL Professional VTX F12 loudspeakers, while two JBL Professional VTX B18 subwoofers supported drum and keyboard monitoring. Additional coverage for front audience areas was handled by eight JBL Professional VRX932 loudspeakers. The entire system was powered by Crown I-Tech 12000HD and Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers.

CTS AVL selected the JBL VTX system not only for its sonic performance, but also for its scalability and deployment efficiency throughout the tour schedule. Because JBL VTX systems are widely supported in major touring markets, the team was able to maintain consistent system configurations without carrying supplemental PA for different venue sizes.

"This was my first tour with the JBL A12 system, and CTS sent out the perfect crew for it. The ease of flying the rig allowed the team to move quickly and effortlessly, and as both TM and FOH on the tour, that made the audio side something I didn't have to worry about," says Curtis Flatt, front-of-house engineer and tour manager for Third Day. "We played several older, acoustically challenging venues, but vocal clarity remained exceptional night after night. With audience levels regularly exceeding 100 dBA, it was critical that every lyric and spoken moment remained intelligible for the audience. The JBL A12 system consistently delivered that clarity in every room on the tour."

"We designed the production around what the artist wanted to achieve and what made sense operationally for the tour," Taylor says. "The flexibility of the JBL VTX system allowed us to scale the show efficiently while maintaining the same sound signature from city to city."

The 30th anniversary reunion tour represented a significant moment for Third Day, whose catalog and live performances helped shape contemporary Christian music throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The tour also highlighted the collaboration between CTS AVL's engineering and production teams, who managed the system throughout the run. Key crew members included project manager Trent Stegink; front-of-house engineer and tour manager Curtis Flatt; front-of-house system tech Jonathan Smith; monitor engineer Jeremy Simmons; systems engineer Josiah Novinger; and lead patch Brooke Colebank.

As the tour concluded with its final stop in Duluth, Georgia, Third Day's 30th anniversary reunion run reaffirmed the band's enduring connection with audiences across the country. The tour was met with strong audience response and prompted plans for additional touring activity following the anniversary run. By combining JBL Professional VTX systems with Crown amplifiers, CTS AVL delivered a touring audio system capable of supporting the scale, emotion and production demands of Third Day's long-awaited reunion performances, the company says.