Thursday, July 26, 2007

Why does Michael W. Smith's Rocketown Promote Satanic Bands?

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried [riding] about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (fraud) of men, and cunning (trickery, DIVERT) craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Ephesians 4:14


So if anyone tells you, "There he is, out in the desert," DO NOT GO OUT; or "Here he is, in the inner rooms," do not believe it. Matthew 24:26

Click on any image to enlarge


Dear fellow Christians,

The following information will clearly show proof that Michael W. Smith is the Founder and currently on the Board of Directors of a club that specifically targets children and consistently books OVERTLY SATANIC BANDS to entertain the kids. I initially discovered Rocketown through information that I was given regarding occultic symbolism on MWS’ album covers. While the information seemed credible with adequate supporting documentation, I was not ready to accept it wholeheartedly. That information also had a reference to the Rocketown logo so I actually went to the Rocketown website in an attempt to disprove the theory that was being expressed. The information below has been my own completely separate investigation.

If at the end of reading this you feel compelled to call Rocketown and Michael Smith Productions to get them to stop promoting these satanic bands be my guest, in fact, I encourage you to. Maybe if more than just one or two people call they will stop bringing in bands that are “carefully chosen” all the while they invoke demonic spirits and encourage the kids to have sex with each other.

From www.growthtrac.com/artman/publish/article_323.php
Because of his success in music, Smith has garnered influence [...] He has used that influence, not for himself, but to build ministries like the new Rocketown Youth Ministries building in Nashville, Tenn. […] Smith and his wife, Debbie, originally launched Rocketown Youth Ministries in 1994 and lost the building lease in 1997. Relocated from Franklin, Tenn., to downtown Nashville and reopened in January 2003, [...] The 40,000 square-foot building is home to a coffee house, an all-ages nightclub, a 13,000 square-foot skate park and a cyber cafĂ©. At Rocketown, the staff not only provides safe entertainment, but strives to help the more than 1,000 kids who cross the threshold each week with problems such as eating disorders, alcoholism, drug abuse and neglectful parents. […] Of course the goal at Rocketown is to draw non-Christian kids and tell them about Jesus. Rocketown does have skate group Bible studies and well-known Christian bands that share their testimonies, but they also have secular music and bands (carefully selected). The key is to get to know the kids first and then share the gospel with them.

Sounds like a great place, right? If that is all I heard, I would send my child there. Now follow this path:
1) Go to http://www.michaelwsmith.com/. This is his official website.
2) Click on “Stand and Serve” (this used to be "Ministries").
3) Click on Rocketown.
4) Now click on the hyperlink in “To learn more visit http://www.rocketown.com/
5) Look around for a while. Ok, MAYBE the bands are just "alternative" as some of the bands do claim to be "hardcore Christian rock".
6) Lets go to the websites of some of the bands that have been playing at this venue for as long as I could find list their calendar on their website (early 2006). I don’t comment on all of them as I only have so much time, but honestly, how many more would be enough? Remember, these bands are “carefully selected”. Of the 20 or so bands I looked up, only a few claimed to be Christian and one of those was flashing the sign of the devil (see “Alcina” below). They do occasionally have what appear to be real Christian bands but they are by far the minority!
7) Click on "Photos" and then "Posters". This will take you to a page that shows many of these posters (at least as long as they leave it up).

www.myspace.com/alcinatn
Alcina
If they are Christian, as they used to claim on their website but no longer do, what is this about? Why are they flashing the “Devils Horns” and promoting bands such as Whitechapel. Interesting Christian lyrics don’t you think? Not overtly evil but hardly uplifting.

Gripping the floor, I will reach down my throat,
to crush anything, thats still beating, so you can feel better,
about yourself, about yourself,
now its hard to tell what your intentions were,
was it just for lust, my body frails, and works to the bone
i kissed your head, in hopes to come home,
like seasons we change, and lovers became liars
this could be the end of us, this will be the end of us

Against Me
http://www.againstme.net/. They enjoy using the word “fuck” or “shit” in almost every song.

You thought you were living for is completely fucked.
This is no place to be. If we don't get out of here right now,
We're just gonna end up drunk, fucking, and fighting and working machines.


www.myspace.com/alertthesky
Alert The Sky
Notice that they are all flashing the sign of the devil. They have nice lyrics too:

Florida is for whores and wasted gas.
I'm Alabama bound. And we won't last.
I hope you choke. I hope you die alone
with your head between their legs.
Everything good is dirty.
You make me sick. Vomitous.


When War Breaks Out
www.myspace.com/whenwarbreaksout. They also really enjoy using the word “fuck”.

www.myspace.com/goatblaster
Goatblaster
Formerly known as This Is Renaissance. This is the background on their website which has endorsements for 666. Here are some of their lyrics:

this is sexy, mother fucker
take me on and take me out.
I've never seen the white in the floor,
I never touched the white in your eyes.
[...]
I remember when I was a god,
and you would gladly die
[...]
I am stunning, I am vain, I want to fuck her, as she keeps watching me. bad things happen at night, still bring your ass and shake it. let me see what you got. let me see what you got. and please without a virgin, this time. they get love all over my best sheets. with eyes to see, color to feel, fingers to rip, and hands to peel. you are a rose, and I am night. you are pink, and I am white. are you on the menu, I think she should be. so we can all, eat for free. show me your eyes tonight. we are all the lust. we are all the rage.

2 Cents
http://www.2centsmusic.com/ includes the ever-popular pentagram on the homepage. Their song “Fucked in the Afterlife” is also not a very spiritually uplifting song.

Bury Your Dead
www.myspace.com/buryyourdead. Website is clear enough I think. Nice shirts, huh?

Mindless Self Indulgence
http://www.mindlessselfindulgence.com/. They will be playing at Rocketown on September 9, 2007. With song titles like "Pussy All Night" and lyrics like this (trust me, I could have picked just about any of their songs) is there a question what they stand for?

Lyrics from "Backmask"
play that record backwards
it's a message from ____________
play that record backwards
and go go go go go go
kill yourself
muthafucka go kill yourself


MCChris
http://www.mcchris.com/ and www.myspace.com/mcchris. On his MySpace site he lists some of his influences as “spell books and runes”. Runes are serious business in the occult. Also, in case you can't read the subtitle, it says "Dungeon Master of Ceremonies"


Whitechapel www.myspace.com/whitechapelmetal
Album Title: The Somatic Defilement

About Whitechapel
Whitechapel are named after the London District in which the famous serial killer Jack The Ripper brutally murdered several prostitutes. Fans of Devourment, Impaled and Aborted will lap up this truly apocalyptic mix of earth shattering low end, blistering death grind and monolithic grooves. These are Knoxville's finest, and they fucking destroy. End Of Story.
I've sewn your lips to smile
With your own defecation on your lips
I'll knock that shit-eating grin right off your face
[…]
you have no choice but to comply with my scalpel, and my license to kill
Anal seepage flowing, I can't repress the urge
Thy coprophagist shall ingurgitate the filth
Grinding at your head with my bone saw breaking zygoma
I love these tools at my disposal, I'm alive
She cried out helplessly again
I ripped her limb from fucking limb
Just one less slut to walk this fucking earth
I will spit right in your fucking face, How does it taste
After the lips are sealed below your waist, You will never fuck again
My scalpel gleams, my attention cast aside
Hardening arteries begging for an inimical thrust
Byproducts of digestion soak the floor
I'm searching for a hypodermic syringe to draw the waste
Flowing in your jugular, the heart is pumping faster
As I lie and wait to watch you erupt from every orifice
[…]
I shall dismember and attain what is rightfully mine


www.myspace.com/joshhearing
Mr. Satisfaction
Do you think he is promoting abstinence?

I KNOW YOUR BODY, BETTER THAN YOU DO
HAVE YOU FORGOT I ALWAYS PLEASE YOU
I KNOW YOUR BODY, BETTER THAN YOU DO
Bounce your body with me girl, don't make me come and force you girl, I've been known to be a bit too much, I know you need to move that thang, I know you want to shake that thing, there's nothing wrong, with showing off, just let me prove, I know your body
Everybody's making love to my music, everybody's making love

www.myspace.com/heavyheavylowlow
Heavy Heavy Low Low
On their website it has links to “Free Adult Chat Rooms” as well as other sexually explicit and obscene things.



Lyrics from "Tell Shannon"
you would make the prettiest of brides
you would make the prettiest rape victim
god damn i hope i overdose your mouth is open
[...]
fucking ears off id jab an ice pick in my eardrums if i could someday regain my hearing
i envision snapping your neck tilt back your head and fucking take it
Lyrics from “A S V L N”
you'll choke on 3 words
but you won't choke on dick
swallowing pride swallow your pride
like drunken friday nights whose next?
and i'm thinking that this could not be so bad
girl eats boy, boy eats girl, we all get fed
I've always viewed this as masochistic
we all have our vices and mine is getting "fucked"
in every way, once more, we see where you stand
fuck you.


www.myspace.com/getyourgunsmetal
Get Your Guns



Avenging Agony, At The Gates of a Crimson Hell
We've Got Stampedes, We've Got What You Need!
[...]
In The Wake of a City Burning,
A City Burning Down GO!
[…]
Swallow The Poison Down, Take A Swallow,
Drink All The Poison Down





Spockadelic
www.myspace.com/spockadelic. Every song has swearing, drugs and/or sex.
You're for the death penalty, pro life hypocrite
You call it religion, you're full of shit
The kind of people that wanna lock me up
If God forbid I pick up a sake cup
You know one or two shot's gonna fuck me up
[...]
this man with a joint in his mouth and a drink in his hand, goddam
Whenever you're shaking that ass for me
You're my every fantasy
[...]
Yo once I started caring it became apparent
That she won't let me focker till I meet the parents


More Bands
As I said, this is just a sampling. Although there are some bands whom seem to be genuine Christians, such as With Blood Comes Cleansing, you will find that the vast majority that perfrom at Rocketown are not followers of Christ. Should we just turn a blind eye to the fact that not only is Rocketown enabling these satanic bands to play in front of a youth orientated audience but they are also actively helping promote these bands with CD release parties? Is that what Jesus would want?






Do We Really Need More?

Two events that made me really stand up and take notice were:

Strange Event #1

This was the initial post on the Rocketown website … but it got changed to this one during my research in 2006
They helding an event for Blood Water Mission http://www.bloodwatermission.com/ on November 11, 2006. It seems like a good organization trying to help the African people (I am not saying anything about the BWM as I have not researched it), but what bands are playing at Rocketown?

Band #1 - Fixed til Tuesday (the tamest and notice it begins to go WAY DOWN from there)
www.myspace.com/fixedtiltuesday. The claim they are Christians and their lyrics are spiritually based.

Band #2 - Absalom Absalom
www.myspace.com/absalomchesta. First, for those who don't know (I didn’t either until I looked it up), Absalom was a murderer (2 Samuel) however they may garner their name from William Faulkner’s 1936 novel. I am not sure.

Band #3 - From the Grave
This is the same band that played at Rocketown. It was on their website's calendar. THEY ARE CLEARLY SATANIC. You can also read their lyrics on their website. THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. SATAN WORSHIPPERS ARE REAL!!! A sample of their lyrics (all their songs are like this). To get to their website, first go to www.stereokiller.com/bands/FromTheGrave then click on "Official Site" under Info (top right) and it will take you to this site http://www.thedeadareamongyou.tk/

Lyrics from their self titled song “From the Grave”
upon the living we feast, sent straight from the beast
we are the evil deadcasted out of hell,
in your nightmares we dwell, we are the evil dead,
we are from the grave
Lyrics from “13 Demon St”
close the blinds, lock the doors, we don't want eyes to see,
just exactly what goes on here at 13 demon st,
we'll raise our glasses in a toast, as your blood fills our plate
eat your flesh and grind your bones, from this house there's no escape

www.myspace.com/herdeathwassosilent
Band #4 - Her Death was so Silent
Website is clear enough, especially the titles of their songs and the write up:

“Her Death was so Silent was formed out of the ashes of two other bands. After a number of lineup changes, and a couple of cock smokers trying to destroy our dreams, we finally found the right people and quickly started to develop our sound...We're ready to crack fuckin skulls with punchy ass break downs, and unleash fuckin chaos in the pits. Get ready mother fuckers, show us what you got, leave some blood on the floor, and come back for more! As always: F.T.M. MOTHER FUCKERS!!! More ultra-violent lyrics.

You stare at me and i stare at you,
and i hate all the fuckin things that you do
but you know what a hate about you most
Your Eyes Your Smile You Never Cared (Ry-Ry)
Cut your throat with a knifedrowned in your own blood
you will die tonight you will die tonight, FUCK YOU
I will not live my life, I will not sell my soul
I will not let you live (YOU WILL DIE)
Killing off everyone, Living off every soul
I will not let you live
[…]
YOU WILL DIE IN INFAMY BECAUSE ILL HIDE THE BODY
YOU WILL DIE IN INFAMY BECAUSE ILL HIDE THE BODY
YOU WILL DIE

All four of these bands performed as (supposedly?) a benefit for Blood Water Mission three nights before Michael W. Smith held another fundraiser, and no one told him this?

Strange Event #2
Now I am not an expert on homosexuality but can we all agree that this poster is somewhat odd? I could hardly believe this myself! Couple this interesting poster with the bands that played at this event and we have a very odd coincidense indeed!



Hollywood Handgrenade
Along with swearing in all of their songs the comments from friends on their website are calling them “bitches” and one had a picture of guys kissing each other? www.myspace.com/hollywoodhandgrenade

Ending Time
Could not find any information on this band.

www.myspace.com/graveyardkidshc
Graveyard Kids
A newer band that formed out of some defunct bands. The lyrics to their songs are not positive at all, and do some have homosexual connotations to them?

The way you make your way around!
You can’t even stand on your own two feet.
You are a toy built to weak
Do you know what this means?
Best friend, says more then it seems.
Yea you have a new best friend.

I hope he will be there in the end.
You sold us out, You sold your soul.
I hope to hell, you'll never know.


www.myspace.com/brokeasses
Broke as a Joke
"Give us your used condoms, we collect." "We're cocky assholes". The say their music "sounds like getting your dick slammed in a car door." Under their Influences it says "[…] and alot of other things, but above all, GOD......AHH HA!!! SIKE!!!" Does this banner for a different club they played at really say, "NO FUCKING CHRISTIANS"?


Now make sure you are sitting down because this next band, all the way from Canada, is anything but subtle. THEY HAVE ALSO PLAYED AT ROCKETOWN ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION...

Triceratops
The picture to the left IS NOT one of their band members. They just liked the way he looks! On their website they talk about how one of their band members became “overcome by the phallic power of this item” (a guitar) and in their write up it says:

About Triceratops
The band was formed on January ?, 2005. Originally supposed to be a boys-band, Triceratops turned into something else...some kind of musical Frankenstein. In a nutshell: from our uneasy beginnings, through our mythical rise, disturbing rumours of strange occult practices, power struggles and human sacrifices to our latest hits, we have been a rather musical band.

www.trashrecords.org/triceratops and www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomtriceratops

From http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=71903536
Mitch and Cliff have finally given up on locking me up in an oxen-pulled cage and displaying my naked self in front of the over-excited crowds. From now on, they shall hang me upside down (still butt-naked) and have four transvestites dressed as ballerinas tickle my feet and private parts.

They also have “The Hamster Song” (for those of you who don’t know about the stories of hamsters, I will spare you the details). On their blog they discuss how one of their band members “goes out with Mr. Spooky” who brutalized him.

“Axel had gone out with Mr. Spooky and his band about a week before that recording session. I warned him about those guys but he said he could handle himself. Well, we didn't hear from him for a whole week, then suddenly, we were going into the recording studio one morning, when a van pulled up, the door flew open and someone threw Axel out. They didn't even slow down. He could barely stand. He was so dehydrated and had lost a lot of skin off of his back. We asked him what had happened, but all he could remember was Mr. Spooky handing him a drink the week before and then waking up just after he had been thrown from the van."

Their songs “Ulysses” and “Song for my Friend” have homosexual innuendos. The lyrics from their song “Sack Religious” leave little to the imagination:
God, I’ve got a beautiful scrotum, I think it must be divine
It must have been sent from heaven, Just like my lovely behind
God I’ve got a beautiful scrotum, I worship it every day
You can say I’m Sack-Religious, But to my sack I will pray
Baaaaaallll-sack…I love you, Nuuut-pouch…I’ll always be true
You’re my god…You carry my rocks
You’re so hot…right under my cock

What in the world is going on here at Rocketown??? Need I remind you that supposedly “Rocketown is a safe place” and “the goal at Rocketown is to draw non-Christian kids and tell them about Jesus”. When Jesus confronted demon-possessed people or Paul was confronted by Elymas the sorcerer, did they invite them to share their craft or entertain the people or did they confront them directly and drive them from their presence if they did not relinquish their evil ways? There is a distinct difference between “meeting people where they are at” and financially compensating them for unabashedly exposing children to demonic influences.

Well, maybe…

Now, you might be thinking, "Well, maybe Michael is just so busy, he doesn't know what is going on." Well, let’s take this into account.

Michael W. Smith is the Founder and on the Board of Directors. MWS lives in Franklin, TN which is only 30 miles from downtown Nashville. His sister, Mary, along with her three children live in Nashville. Rocketown is located in downtown Nashville on the corner of 6th Avenue South and Shirley Street, just south of Broadway and right behind the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Michael W. Smith performs concerts at the Gaylord Entertainment Center (i.e. Dec. 19, 2004, Dec. 10, 2006). Michael W. Smith had a fundraiser at Rocketown on November 14, 2006 and will be having another one on August 10, 2007. I understand that he is on tour a lot but don’t you think that SOMEONE would have brought this to his attention especially since I know of at least one other person besides myself that has contacted people at Michael Smith Productions? Also, a seemingly Christ centered Church (http://www.midtownfellowship.org/) holds their Sunday morning services at the Rocketown facilities.

Well, maybe Ted Haggard seemed reputable too. We are commanded to use our critical thinking skills to examine people’s actions, not their image! In early 2007 I called Rocketown when I saw that Brandi Harless, the program coordinator, was no longer listed on their website and I was informed that she left @ December 1, 2006. I left a message for Kelli Davis who was listed as the Entertainment Manager but never received a call back from her to explain their choice of musicians. I also sent an email to another worker at Rocketown and have yet to receive a response other than she will look into it. I re-emailed her since that time but have not received a response. Now (August 2007), Kelli Davis is now no longer there but the bands have continued to stay the same! How could someone at Mid-Town Fellowship or a discerning Christian working at Rocketown NOT have tried to bring to the attention of MWS the fact that Rocketown is compensating Satanists to share their message with our youth? Is this possible…yes. Probable, I do not think so.

Another interesting observation here is who Rocketown’s top sponsor is…Scion , a subsidiary of Toyota. Have you seen Scion’s latest ad at http://www.scion.com/? Make sure to go to the link at the bottom http://www.littledeviant.com/. To save you the time, here are some other sayings from the “Book of Deviants” game.
"skim a little extra (blood) for your war paint"

"it's all fun and games until this Sheeple loses his eye, and his other eye, and his flesh...that's when it gets really fun"

"machinery [...] their blood is the ideal lubricant"

"one last Sheeple thinks he'll fight back instead of running scared. Show him how wrong he is."

After the Book of Deviants game you can redirect to http://www.want2bsquare.com/ and play the game that features the devil’s horns. Wonderful!!!

Once again I will pose the question, what is going on here at Michael W. Smith’s Rocketown? This is where you now come in…why don’t you call Rocketown and Michael Smith Productions yourself and tell them to stop booking these “carefully selected” entertainers and see what type of response you receive? If they tell you that they are trying to share Jesus with hard to reach people, like those from Columbine, then ask them why they enable multiple bands to come and perform concerts that advocate rape, murdering people and worshiping satan. The question we should always ask ourselves is not WWJD, it should be what DID Jesus do? Oh, one more thing, check back in a month or two (at this site or research the bands for yourself) and see if anything has been done about it.

Next post, “Occultic symbolism on some of Michael W Smith’s albums” and "Why does Michael W Smith list The Alan Parsons Project as one of his major influences?"