As one of the most notorious Christian bands of this generation, MercyMe hits center stage with a soft bang. With their blunt message of the love of Jesus Christ, MercyMe is a band that has stepped out of the protective Christian box into the secular music industry where the message hasn't necessarily been heard previously. With their new DVD, MercyMe LIVE, the band hopes to spread the message farther than ever before. Filmed during The Imagine Tour, this live DVD is full of good times.

Although I haven't seen MercyMe live in concert yet, I have heard that they put on quiet a show, and this DVD proves it. Signed with iNO Records, MercyMe consists of a group of young men who want nothing more than to bring glory to God.

The double DVD includes a live concert and a bonus DVD. There are many aspects of the concert that stood out to me; including the set list, lighting, random insights about The Imagine Tour, and much more. DISC 1 begins with MercyMe's performance of the renowned "In the Air Tonight" written by Phil Collins. Highlights from the set list also include favorite MercyMe songs like "Word of God Speak" and "I Can Only Imagine," which has been playing on Christian and secular radio nearly nonstop. MercyMe also performs "Here with Me" and "Homesick" from their current album Undone, as well as one of their newer songs "Here I Am".

MercyMe presents themselves in a mellow and structured yet exhilarating way in which you're singing along to the familiar songs before you even hit the bonus Karaoke feature on the next disc. By watching their show, you would be surprised halfway through the concert when in a random insight they claim they rarely rehearsed for it.

DISC 2 ends the package with more entertainment. Included with the bonus material, you will find behind the scenes footage from rehearsals, band member interviews, "Bus Life," singing of the Star Spangled Banner at Major League Baseball games, and the story behind the most well known MercyMe song, "I Can Only Imagine." You can also enjoy watching the making of the ‘Cartoon Pizza' Theme song and the 2004 Dove Awards performance. DISC 2 also bears a serious side with devotionals with Max Lucado. The disc also also includes other multimedia tracks like karaoke to your favorite MercyMe songs, which I must say I enjoyed.

So, personally, although MercyMe sang a few songs by other artists and were somewhat more mellow in sound and performance than I'm used to, I thoroughly enjoyed this stylistic change. MercyMe fans will definitely enjoy watching their beloved band play live in concert from their home video screen without having to contend with a large crowd at a live show. But, after watching the DVD, I am going to make an effort to see MercyMe live and I suggest you do it too!

- Review date: 10/26/04, written by Jessica Vander Loop of Jesusfreakhideout.com