In 1995, Third Day felt they needed one more addition to the group to really complete the Third Day sound. The guys had seen Brad play with another singer/songwriter around town named Chris Carter. Everyone was impressed with his playing, gear, and hair. So the guys asked Brad to join the group. Brad was hesitant at first as Third Day still only occaisonally played in tune. At the first rehearsal, Third Day played the song Consuming Fire. Everyone immediately knew that Brad was the right man for the band. Third Day had found its sound.

During 1995, Third Day continued to play numerous concerts and even began to play around the southeast. Third Day was starting to get paid more frequently with the help of Jeff Gregg who signed on to be Third Day's booking agent. The band saw concert attendances rise, especially in Atlanta at a venue called the Strand Theatre. The management at The Strand decided to sign Third Day to a new independent record company called Gray Dot Records.

In the spring of 1995, Gray Dot Records signed Third Day to a one album deal. They took the tracks from Contagious and added the songs Consuming Fire and Nothing at All.

Over 20,000 Gray Dot records were sold which was actually very substantial for an independent record company. Shortly after the album's release, Reunion Records signed Third Day to a multi-album deal which included the masters from the Gray Dot record. The album is no longer in production but is often auctioned for less than $20 on Ebay.

In the photos: Brad was the champ of the long-haul drives. He would often drive for 12 hours straight. Here he is in our second touring van. Our first one's engine blew up. This van would suffer about 6 blow-outs and a cracked rear axle.

Third Day performs at the 7 ball stage at Cornerstone festival in the summer of 1995. This was Third Day's first festival appearance. The stage/tent also featured Jars of Clay and the Prayer Chain.

In the summer of 1995, Third Day traveled to Holland for the Flevo Festival. We also performed at some churches and a festival in a city called Gouda (where the cheese comes from). This was the first time Third Day had ever flown anywhere for a show. To save $500 on airline fare, Third Day drove 13 hours to Washington D.C. to catch the flight.

Third Day's first cover story. The newspaper was called Visions of Gray and was a publication put out by the folks from Gray Dot Records.

Third Day plays at a roller rink in Austell, GA. Yes, we paid our dues. It really was a great deal when you consider the skate rental was free and they did have new, quiet floors.