Posted on April 13 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have seen the impact of Bibleman about six years ago when I lived in Wichita, Kansas when it played with the original Bibleman Willie Aames, and when it was staged for about 4,000 people at a venue that most of the flock referred to informally as "Six Flags Over Jesus". I think that I was the only one in the crowd to attend because of the "creepiness" factor, but was welcomed in the cavernous lobby by the sales of Bibleman paraphenalia that included:

Bibleman Swords
Bibleman Shields
Bibleman Action Figures
Bibleman Flags
Bibleman DVDs
and my favorite....Biblegirl hair extensions

And while the ground was fertile in Kansas for this type of Jesus/Merchandising tie-ins, it was interesting to see that the kids saw this as a bone fide Super Hero, not that different than Superman or Spiderman, so at the end when all the kids were asked if they wanted to meet Bibleman (and take Jesus as their personal saviour), the parents eagerly pushed their kids up to the front knowing that the kids were just hearing "Meet Bibleman" and not necessarily the Jesus part.

The most interesting irony was that one of the featured songs in the Bibleman show (which included two Jumbotron screens, a live band, and fireworks inside) was the use by Bibleman of the song "Easy to be Hard" (check it out, ASCAP and BMI for rights uses). The woman next to me said "What a wonderful song - it's fabulous to hear such a heartwarming Christian song." When I pointed out to her that it was from that "Christian Musical 'HAIR', she all but denounced me as a fear mongerer, and that couldn't be true.

I'll have to say that the Bibleman Action Figure I bought re-sold on eBay for a hearty profit. Take that, moneychangers! POW! BAM!

Yer pal.

On It's Bibleman!

Posted on January 30 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Last year, a couple was having their wedding ceremony by the reflecting pond in Saratoga Spa State Park, and it happened to be right during the sound check for the group JOURNEY. I went to the SPAC stage and asked them if they could do me a favor and wait about 15 minutes before they continued the sound check. They were great and they asked if there was anything they could do for the happy couple, and I shouted "FREEBIRD". The couple got through their ceremony, and as they kissed, JOURNEY played "FREEBIRD".

The bride turned around and said "Good thing it wasn't 'Smoke on the Water' "

Rock On, Phil!

Yer Pal,

Alan Edstrom

On None