Welcome to the Freak Show is the name of a live audio and video recording by DC Talk

DC Talk

DC Talk is the first studio album released from vocal trio DC Talk. It is the most hip hop-oriented of all of their albums as each later album gradually progressed into a more rock-centered sound. Michael Tait stated that their original goal for the album was to sell 10,000 units. It sold 7,142...

. Chronicling the Jesus Freak Tour in the spring of 1996, they were released separately two months apart in 1997

1997 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...

 on CD and VHS, respectively. A DVD version was later released in 2003. Each version has been certified gold by the RIAA (audio for 500,000 units and video for 50,000 units sold). Track listings differ slightly between the two. Select videos included a bonus audio disc that remains one of the rarest recordings in the DC Talk catalog. The audio version won the 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Gospel Album".

Jesus Freak Tour

Jesus Freak released in November 1995 to first-week sales of 85,000 units, a record for a Christian album at the time. This placed it at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Anticipation was already high for the scheduled 65-city tour set to begin in the Spring of 1996, but DC Talk's record label, ForeFront Records

ForeFront Records

ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...

 launched a massive marketing blitz to increase awareness. The tour debuted to a sold-out crowd at the Bren Center on the University of California campus. It later included stops in several European countries (which is documented in the video). Audio Adrenaline

Audio Adrenaline

Audio Adrenaline was a Christian rock band that formed in the late 1980s at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. During the band's 17-year existence, they were awarded two Grammy awards, multiple Dove Awards and they released 17 number one singles. They were regular performers at the...

 opened for DC Talk on the tour.

Track listing

1. "Help!
   Help! (song)
   "Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
   
   " – 1:02 (The Beatles
   The Beatles
   The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
   
    cover)
2. "So Help Me God" – 4:27
3. "Luv Is a Verb" – 4:54
4. "Like It, Love It, Need It" – 7:58
5. "Colored People
   Colored People (song)
   "Colored People" is a song written and recorded by Christian rock band DC Talk. The song was one of several radio singles released from the their 1995 studio album, Jesus Freak.-Music and lyrics:...
   
   " – 4:47
6. "Jesus Is Just Alright" – 5:58
7. "What If I Stumble" – 6:12
8. "In the Light" – 5:02 (Charlie Peacock
   Charlie Peacock
   Charlie Peacock is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, session musician and author. While growing up in California Peacock was inspired by John Coltrane and began playing the piano. After completing his education, Peacock formed a band and began a career as a professional...
   
    cover)
9. "Mind's Eye" – 6:04
10. "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
    It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
    "It's the End of the World as We Know It " is a song by the rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987...
    
    " – 7:18 (R.E.M.
    R.E.M.
    R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
    
     cover)
11. "Day by Day" – 4:35
12. "Walls" – 2:16
13. "Time Is..." – 3:51
14. "Alas My Love" – 2:12
15. "The Hardway" – 5:43
16. "Jesus Freak
    Jesus Freak (song)
    "Jesus Freak" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released on August 1, 1995, it was the lead radio single from the group's self-titled fourth album. The song was written and produced by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann...
    
    " – 6:03

Description

The audio version was recorded in the Pacific Northwest, more specifically in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, as evidenced by the band dialogue in several places, such as following "Like It, Love It, Need It" (Michael and Kevin banter about what they like about Seattle). Of notable absence is "Just Between You and Me

Between You and Me

"Between You And Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk...

" which was the album's biggest mainstream hit. This song's rise on the Billboard's charts was a result of the partnership with Virgin Records

Virgin Records

Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

 that came after the close of the tour. "Just Between You and Me" was not played until the last dates of the tour, which was after this recording had taken place.

Awards / Recognition

The audio recording was awarded the 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Gospel Album." It was certified gold by the RIAA (500,000 units sold) on October 25, 2000.

Track listing

1. "Help!
   Help! (song)
   "Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
   
   " – 1:02 (The Beatles
   The Beatles
   The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
   
    cover)
2. "So Help Me God" – 4:27
3. "Luv Is a Verb" – 4:54
4. "Colored People
   Colored People (song)
   "Colored People" is a song written and recorded by Christian rock band DC Talk. The song was one of several radio singles released from the their 1995 studio album, Jesus Freak.-Music and lyrics:...
   
   " – 4:47
5. "Like It, Love It, Need It" – 7:58
6. "What If I Stumble" – 6:12
7. "In the Light" – 5:02 (Charlie Peacock
   Charlie Peacock
   Charlie Peacock is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, session musician and author. While growing up in California Peacock was inspired by John Coltrane and began playing the piano. After completing his education, Peacock formed a band and began a career as a professional...
   
    cover)
8. "Mind's Eye" – 6:04
9. "Day by Day" – 4:35
10. "Walls" – 2:16
11. "Time Is..." – 3:51
12. "Alas My Love" – 2:12
13. "The Hardway" – 5:43
14. "Jesus Freak
    Jesus Freak (song)
    "Jesus Freak" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released on August 1, 1995, it was the lead radio single from the group's self-titled fourth album. The song was written and produced by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann...
    
    " – 6:03

Description

The video was filmed in a variety of U.S. locations. This is evidenced by the fact that band members are wearing different clothes within the same songs. Footage was obviously spliced together. As with the audio version, dc Talk's mainstream hit "Just Between You and Me" had yet to be added to the set list at the time of recording. "Jesus Is Just Alright" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" were left off the video recording due to time constraints. The video, however, added short segments between songs that were filmed at various stops in Europe.

Awards and Recognition

The video was certified gold by the RIAA (50,000 units sold) on March 2, 1998.

Track listing

The DVD has the main feature of the VHS versions but adds the following bonus features:

1. Jesus Freak (music video)
2. Just Between You and me (music video)
3. Colored People (music video)

Bonus Disc

Included with an extremely select number of videos in 1997 was a 4-song bonus disc. The cover reads "Limited Edition EP" although is more commonly called the "Freak Show Bonus Disc" among collectors of dc Talk's more rare releases. It contains the extremely rare release of "Colored People (Organic Mix)."

Track listing

1. In The Light (Freak Show Live Version)
2. Day By Day (Freak Show Live Version)
3. Colored People (Organic Mix)
4. What Have We Become? (Album Version)

Live Band

• Jason Halbert - Keyboard, Organ
• Otto Price - Bass
• Mark Townsend - Guitar
• Brent Barcus - Guitar
• Will Denton - Drums
• Marvin Sims - Percussion

Production

• Jeff Boggs - Editing
• Dan Brock - Executive Producer
• Stan Coty - Assistant Engineer
• Tom Davis - Art Direction
• Eddie DeGarmo - Executive Producer
• John Hampton - Mixing
• Joe Hayden - Assistant Engineer
• Louis Leluca - Photography
• Toby McKeehan
  Toby McKeehan
  Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
  
   - Producer, Mixing
• Martha Neumann - Photography
• Damon Riley - Editing Assistant
• Tim Roberge - Engineer
• Tim Roberts - Assistant Engineer
• Kevin Max Smith
  Kevin Max
  Kevin Max Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk...
  
  - Poetry, Art Direction
• Robert Tassi - Engineer
• Erik Wolf - Mastering