A few audience members charged The Zac Brown Band of using "demonic imagery" in its opening weekend of shows of its residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
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"Country music star Zac Brown is facing accusations that his Las Vegas Sphere show featured a dark, satanic-like ritual theme," posted one user.
"Fans say the visuals plunged the audience into hellish scenes filled with demons, tortured souls, and imagery that included a crown resembling devil horns. Zac Brown says the show simply tells the story of his life and personal journey."
Well, there is one person who disagrees with this assessment: the Satanic Rev. Jared Mammon of The Church of Satan. He shared his opinion of the show with TMZ.
The Reverend Thinks We're Heading Back to the 1980s
Mammon recalls that four decades ago, the news often focused on claims that media—especially music—was Satanic. To him, the current uproar over Brown's concert imagery suggests we're revisiting that era.
He adds that the church still performs Satanic rituals, and the "Chicken Fried" singer's show is not that. He says this is a part of a recurrence when people will believe that "everything that amounts to glorified Halloween decorations as 'Satanic.'"
So no, that giant smiling skeleton wearing the giant crown behind Brown is not out to steal your soul.
"Those who are frightened by theatrical skeletons wearing crowns to pause for a moment to reflect on their knee-jerk reaction and consider the implications before jumping to lengths worthy of an Olympic Gold medal," Mammon says.
Mammon Appreciates the Publicity That the Zac Brown Band Has Generated
Mammon points out that accusations of Satanic imagery in performances often backfire, inadvertently providing publicity to the Church of Satan. He hopes that the show will interest people in learning about Satanic rituals or reading The Satanic Bible.
For its part, the band called the opening night of the new show a "ride" on social media.
"After dreaming this one up for a long time it feels surreal to finally live it," it said in the caption. "We've played a lot of shows, but nothing like this. Grateful for everyone who showed up and we can't wait to do it all again tomorrow night."
You can check out some of the "demonic" imagery from the show below.
