Between Thieves was a Christian musical group that formed in Dallas, Texas in 1990. Their name represents the location of Jesus Christ at his death

Death and Resurrection of Jesus

The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...

; "And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left." They formed under the name Judah, and during both periods they were comparable to the Newsboys

Newsboys

Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...

.

Background

After producing two albums independently they signed with Tattoo Records in 1997, changing their name to Between Thieves. A CCM Magazine review of their eponymous Tattoo Records debut found that their music contained the best of both power pop and punk music. Their single "Despite The Rain" became a #1 hit on Christian radio, and the band toured with Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics (band)

Code of Ethics was a primarily 90's band that wrote and performed many genres including New Wave and pop.-History:Code of Ethics formed in the early '90s with Barry Blaze and Eric Switzer. The duo released Visual Paradox as a self-published project, which was later picked up by indie label R.E.X....

.

The lyrics of Between Thieves spoke of general struggles of life and the frailty of the human spirit, retold New Testament parables, and generally had an evangelical

Evangelism

Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....

 focus. The band considered evangelism to be their primary function, and each live show included an altar call

Altar call

An altar call is a practice in some evangelical churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is so named because the supplicants gather at the altar located at the front of the church building. In the Old Testament, an...

. Unfortunately for the band, extensive touring proved costly, and they lost three members within a year of its release.

Water, produced by Steve Hindalong

Steve Hindalong

Steve Hindalong is an American drummer, percussionist, songwriter and producer best known for his work with the alternative rock band The Choir...

, had a theme of renewal in times of trouble through Jesus Christ. Specifically, one reviewer found that the album contained "deeply personal" lyrics about God's providence and a general message "extolling Christ as God and Provider." The sound presented on the album also changed, showing a southern rock

Southern rock

Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...

influence alongside their pop-punk roots.

"Live" Self produced by Between Thieves is a live recording of the band's final show in 2000. Jason Wesson and Jason Davis being the last of the original band members decided to part ways and pursue other endeavors. "Live" featured two never before released songs "Break Me" and "Enemy" that showcased the change in musical direction that the band was following. Just as "Water" lead a more southern rock vibe. The newer songs showed a heavier direction combined with a slight industrial music vibe.

Discography

As Judah:

• 1994: Simplistic (independent)
• 1996: Lay It Down

As Between Thieves:

• 1997: Between Thieves (Tattoo Records)
• 1998: Water
• 2000: Live

Members

• Jason Davis - drums
• Jason Wesson - vocals
• Aron Vaughn - keyboards (-1997)
• Jason Reeves - bass (-1997)
• Jimm Varner - guitar, vocals(-1997)
• James Yourman - Bass (1997+)
• Josh Watkins - guitar (1997+)
• River Tunnell - Bass (1999–2000)
• Kane Kelly - Guitar (1999–2000)