To help celebrate Petra’s 50th Anniversary, this is the 1st in a series of 7 live concert recordings taken chronologically from points within the “More Power To Ya” Tour in 1982-83.
This album and tour marked the Petra’s 10th Anniversary in 1982. It came right on the heels of a busy “Never Say Die” Tour that covered 119 concerts from Oct. of ’81 thru early September of ’82. The “More Power To Ya” album had been recorded in June/July of ’82, and was scheduled to be released in September. However, Star Song Records’ new distributor, WORD, decided to hold the release until November to maximize some added promotional avenues. But the tour to support an early fall release was already booked, so Petra launched the first leg with a sold-out hometown show at the Nashville’s Polk Theater, and then proceeded to go coast-to-coast and border to border with 42 concerts across 32 states and British Columbia in 52 days without returning home.
Over 8,100 miles logged in a box van that had 6 bunks built into it, pulling a U-Haul trailer. The 5 members of the band, plus the two person crew of Kim Hartman and Marc Wozniak, literally weathered lots of physical as well as psychological challenges along the way. The exhausting trek became known as the “KTBT (”Kill the Band Tour”).
Since the “More Power To Ya” album was not released until near the end of this fall run, the audiences were being surprised nightly by hearing quite a bit of material that was foreign to them. The “Never Say Die” had generated a lot of interest in the previous 12 months, so the band was still playing 7 songs from that collection, but the guys were itching to play new material of which they were very proud, so 4 tracks were featured in the initial week of shows (“Let Everything That Hath Breath,” “Run for the Prize,” Stand Up,” and “Second Wind”). By the 2nd week, they added the title track, as it was just being released to radio stations as the first single.
With this first recording from that leg, captured in Newark, Delaware (the 3rd show of the tour) the band was still trying to sort out pacing of the set list. You can sense that the crowd of 400 that was gathered at Faith City Church was a bit tentative in their response to the new songs. Since there were some electric surge failures causing PA issues, this recording here commences with the third song of the set (“Chameleon” and “Let Everything That Hath Breath” were missed). During “The Medley” the cassette tape ran out during “Jesus I’m Thankful,” and was not turned over until “Backsliding Blues” starts. The final 40 minutes of the concert is here in its entirety.
The “More Power To Ya Tour” eventually entailed 158 concerts in 45 states and Canada, with a total attendance of over 225,000. The story of the whole tour will unfold with each of the subsequent videos.
These recordings will be accompanied with images of my concert photos, press clippings, tour memorabilia, and other rarities from that era. I hope they help bring these concerts and the hard work of the band and Petrafied Productions crew to life as you listen to these previously unreleased recordings.
Petra was Greg X. Volz on lead vocal/rhythm guitar; Bob Hartman on electric/acoustic guitar and backing vocal; John Slick on keys and backing vocal; Mark Kelly on bass and backing vocal; and Louis Weaver on drums. Kim Hartman (Bob’s wife) was the sound engineer and head of merchandise; Marc Wozniak was the stage manager.
This video and audio were edited by Mark Hollingsworth and Grace Jester.
Here’s the rundown of songs:
0:00. Never Say Die
04:21 Angel of Light
09:08 Run For the Prize
14:56 Coloring Song
19:29 Taste and See
24:30 Stand Up
27:56 Second Wind
33:59 For Annie
41:36 The Medley: Come and Join Us
43:08 The Medley: Jesus I’m Thankful
(Missing Magic Mirror and Greg Volz/Bob Hartman Duel)
44:44 The Medley: Backsliding Blues
47:11 The Medley: Bob Hartman Guitar Solo
51:02 The Medley: God Gave Rock and Roll To You
54:35 The Medley: Louie Weaver Drum Solo
55:55 The Medley: God Gave Rock and Roll To You (Reprise)
56:41 Greg Volz Litigates Christian Rock
1:00:10 Praise Ye the Lord
1:05:10 Without Him We Can Do Northing
1:11:39 Ask Him In
1:15:59 Greg Volz preaching
1:24:10 Worship Jam
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