It's been 14 years since the first time I saw one of TobyMac's "Hits Deep" tours. I don't recall if that was his very first Hits Deep run, but it was a pretty massive ticket. For that 2012 tour, Toby had along with him Brandon Heath, Group 1 Crew, Britt Nicole, Chris August, Mandisa, and Jamie Grace. It was like a mini-Winter Jam. The Hits Deep Tour has happened again occasionally in the years since, with all kinds of new and familiar talent supporting Toby each time. For 2026, the lineup is considerably smaller, but no less impressive, with three big names on the docket this time: Jeremy Camp, David Crowder, and TobyMac. The end result is a massive show that feels like three big CCM heavyhitters united under one stadium roof.

Anyone married and/or with kids knows how hard it can be to arrive anywhere on time. So, when it came to getting my family out the door to the center of Philadelphia on a Saturday evening for an event, we discovered it to be a challenge to get on the road on time. I'd never been to The Liacouras Center, which is part of Temple University, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The Center is right in downtown Philadelphia (at least - that's how I'd describe it), and parking is definitely tricky. There's a parking deck across the street from the entrance to the venue, and event parking was $27 for the night. There was a lot of traffic around getting to the parking deck, and then threading through the lane climbing up the structure. By the time we parked, took the elevator to the bottom, got through security (which only accepted clear bags - thank God for photo passes), opener Jeremy Camp had already begun.

The stage layout for the tour is pretty impressive. One look at it and you instantly can understand why there are three full size tractor trailers parked out front. It's massive. The front of the stage expanded to include a full-size cross-shaped stage extension. I've found cross-shaped stages to seem a little tacky at worship events and such, but in this context, it somehow feels less gaudy and more practical - especially in how it would be used during the night. Jeremy used the stage about mid-way to get closer to the audience, and it worked well for his set. He had a full band and, while we were there, performed hits like "Keep Me in the Moment," "Getting Started" and "No Survivors." I was pleased to see him not being afraid to lean into his rock roots a bit more, too, and it made for a more captivating set. The night supposedly began around 7pm (I wasn't there on time to verify that), but Camp was done with his set around 7:35.

When Jeremy left the stage, DJ Maj - from TobyMac's Diverse City entourage - showed up on the crossbeam part of the cross-shaped stage to perform a bit of a "dance party." It was a fun little set where Maj mixed popular mainstream and Christian pop hits together to get the crowd moving and on their feet. Considering how set changes can feel long and like mood resets, it was a really effective way to keep the party going as we waited for the next act. DJ Maj incorporated such notable tracks like "God is Good All the Time," "Feelin' So Fly," "Can't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Edge of My Seat," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "Jump Around," "Ice Ice Baby," "Somebody's Watching Me," and "Can't Touch This," among others.

Crowder took the stage next with a massive live band. Two drummers, keys, strings, backup vocalists -- it was a sight. He opened with "Grave Robber" and then continued on with "Milk and Honey" before stopping to greet the audience and then perform "It Really Is Amazing Grace." The stage also displayed a massive vertical screen hanging behind the band, with two more horizontal screens on either side. I'd never seen anything quite like it. They displayed a mix of live footage throughout the night, random imagery to go along with the song being performed, lyrics to sing along to (at least in Crowder's case), and pieces from music videos. It was almost like someone set a gigantic smartphone behind the artists. While it's nice to get a break from screens at a live show - and it's hard not to focus on screens when they're right in front of you - it was still a neat addition to the stage setup. "It Really Is Amazing Grace" was next, then a mash-up of "Somebody Prayed" and "Goodness of God," before a piano was wheeled over to David and he sat down to share a fun story about how both he and Jeremy Camp can owe meeting their wives to TobyMac (and dc Talk). Coincidentally, "Red Letters" followed - not the dc Talk version - and "Come As You Are." The piano was then wheeled back away and Crowder stood for the rest of his set, performing one of my favorites, "Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)," which he segued into "Crushing Snakes." Crowder then closed with the worshipful hit, "Good God Almighty," bringing his live and boisterous church service to a close around 8:29pm.

To my surprise, when the stage went dark, a spotlight illuminated a lone guest speaker, none other than Jason Roy of Building 429. Jason was there to promote Food for the Hungry, encouraging the audience to sponsor a child to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He quoted Psalm 121:1, shared about his own experiences sponsoring through Food for the Hungry, and then left the stage around 8:48pm, saying Toby would be out in about 10 minutes (giving people a chance to hit the restrooms, check out the merch tables, or grab some food).

So, around 9pm, TobyMac and the Diverse City band took the stage. I later realized it's been about 7 or 8 years since I last saw TobyMac perform, but I was still a little surprised to see so many new faces in the Diverse City band. It kind of felt like a "Next Generation" deal, but - as you can always expect - Toby knows talent and knows how to surround himself with some of the best in the biz, so you can expect him to have an entourage with him that impresses. I was surprised to hear him open with "Light Shines Bright" from This is Not a Test, which he immediately followed with "Hello Future" from The Elements. They seemed a little like deep cuts to me, but they were solid openers. Toby wasted no time dancing with his bandmates and kicking up the energy. "Everything" was next - complete with featured horn and keytar accompaniment, and then he busted out the smash hit "I Just Need U." "Heaven on My Mind," followed, and Toby made use of the screens to insert a pre-recorded duet with Forrest Frank - a little trick he'd utilize again later. He then walked out on the catwalk and shared a bit about his testimony before playing "Love Broke Thru" and "Help is on the Way." The worshipful "Cornerstone" was next, and Toby paused to share a word on Psalm 9:9-10 (MSG), and then continue the song, adding a pre-recorded guest spot by Zach Williams and concluding the song with a chorus of "Lose My Soul." Streamers burst into the air for "The Goodness," and then Toby and his bandmates marched down the center stage to "Move (Keep Walkin')."

At this point, Toby paused again to share from his heart, saying how, about 6 years ago, he decided to try reading the Bible from start to finish, and that, two months into that venture, he lost his oldest son, Truett. He talked about the importance of having a relationship with God, and then sung the worshipful "Faithfully." "God Did It," from his latest record Heaven on My Mind, followed, along with "a lil Church (nobody’s too lost)" from the same album. The full band migrated to the center of the cross stage for the next portion, and Toby announced the challenge to perform a medley of 5 TobyMac songs in 5 minutes - complete with a countdown. As he moved through the songs, the jumbo screen showed animations of the singles' album covers coming into focus. With Philadelphia native Hollyn as a special guest (who is also signed to his record label, Gotee Records), the band performed "Backseat Driver," "Funky Jesus Music," "Diverse City," "Me Without You" and "Feel It." The only one who had remained on the main stage was DJ Maj, and he launched into another party medley as the band made their way back to their places (but not before jumping around on the cross stage). He played a mix of "Sweet Caroline," "September," "Ooh Ahh" by Grits, and dc Talk's "Jesus Freak" - complete with Toby returning to the microphone (after a wardrobe change) for his signature rap solo. Serving as a kind of encore, TobyMac and the Diverse City band launched into "Can't Stop Me," "Til the Day I Die" - complete with Toby waving a gigantic flag, "Promised Land," and closing with "Nothin' Sweeter."

The night ended with a firm finish at around 10:30pm, with Toby offering thanks and a quick blessing to the crowd before walking off stage. After all these years, it's amazing how TobyMac can still bring it - not because I'd ever think he couldn't - but just that the guy has not lost his edge. The Hits Deep Tour continues to deliver. Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't say I'm absolutely surprised that Camp and Crowder never reappeared at any point during Toby's set. It felt a little like a missed opportunity to have this lineup and no collaboration between any of them. (Especially since Toby went out of his way to include pre-recorded guest spots, which didn't really seem necessary.) The night was certainly not lesser for not including these possible collaborations, but I think it still would have been a standout moment in the night.

With that said, the 2026 Hits Deep Tour is still a fantastic show with great songs, great performances, and energy for days. Don't miss this one when it rolls into (or relatively near) your town!

From the merch table: Oh, there were lots of goodies for fans to choose from. Prices seem so much steeper these days, so hoodies were $70 and shirts were $40, but some of the booths had discounted items. I was surprised to see Toby wasn't selling any vinyl records, but he did have $10 CD's, and Crowder had Milk & Honey and The Exile on vinyl. There were a lot of other accessories, too, like bracelets, hats, posters and drum sticks - so there were definitely some fun items to check out. (You can see the quick mobile photo snaps I grabbed below.)