MercyMe 'Christmas 2011 Tour' with special guest Bebo Norman

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, will present MercyMe on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mainstage Theatre, located at the Center for the Arts, North Campus. Bebo Norman will open the show.

For the men of MercyMe, spreading positivity, hope, and love is very much a life-long calling. This passion for others has been the fuel for the concept of the band's sixth album, "The Generous Mr. Lovewell."

"People are taking the concept 10 miles further down the road, trying to top each other's random acts of generosity toward strangers," says singer Bart Millard. "We want to see this become a movement that's bigger than the record itself."

The strong dedication that MercyMe has shown to its music and ideology has helped the band reach a higher level of success than many of its Christian music contemporaries. The band's career first took off in 2001 with the No. 1 crossover smash, "I Can Only Imagine." Since then, MercyMe has enjoyed an unbroken streak of platinum and gold records, numerous Dove awards, and several Grammy nominations. The group has also had 13 consecutive top five singles on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, with seven of them reaching No. 1.

About "The Generous Mr. Lovewell," The Hollywood Reporter has said, " 'The Generous Mr. Lovewell' is a beautifully executed set that celebrates how the power of love can change the world." Breathecast.com has said, "The music throughout the whole album is dynamic and upbeat and the drums make you move along with the tracks. ... Well done MercyMe!"

Tickets for MercyMe are $42, $32 and groups are $38. Tickets are available at the Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations including ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets, call 1-800-745-3000 (in Canada, 416-870-8000). For more information, call 716-645-2787. For group sales, call 716-645-6771.