Hagar & Foghat, New USBs, Immortal Fest Update |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
Believe it or not, the person in the photo below is not Fred Savage from The Wonder Years. No, the little savage in question is actually ApologetiX keyboardist Rich Mannion, circa sometime in the ‘70s. |
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Earlier this month, Rich celebrated seven years as a member of this band. Now, some people say that seven is the number of completion, but that doesn’t mean his time with us is complete. Perish the thought! Others say seven is the number of perfection and wholeness, and we can attest to the fact that Rich has been a perfect addition to this team, and we love him a whole lot!
Rich hasn’t been playing on as many songs with us recently, but that’s only because we’ve been spoofing a lot of hard rock songs that don’t feature keyboards. The timing has worked out well, because he took a full-time job about three months ago and hasn’t had as much time for studio projects while getting acclimated to his new duties and schedule.
Even so, Rich has appeared on 13 of the 22 songs we’ve released thus far in 2025:
“Run Unafraid” (keyboards and backing vocals), “In the Garden of Eden” (keyboards), “Nothing’s by Accident” (keyboards and backing vocals), “Sin Should Be Gone” (keyboards and backing vocals), “Know How to Love” (keyboards), “You Call a Man (Long Knives)” (keyboards and backing vocals), “And the Crippled Will Walk…” (keyboards), “Moses” (keyboards, bass, and backing vocals), “Shush” (keyboards), “I Ain’t Myself, Lord, I’m Something New” (keyboards), “Climb Down” (keyboards), “Zebulun (It’s Not a Musical)” (keyboards), and “Still Isn’t Right” (keyboards and bass).
He’s also featured on both songs on our next single, playing keyboards on one and singing backing vocals on the other. Those are the last songs needed for our 79th CD, which we hope to release in late July or early August. We’ve already mapped out the songs for our 80th CD, and all 12 tracks require his prodigious talents.
We initially made contact with Rich in April 2018 through the recommendation of ApX alum keyboardist/producer Bill Hubauer. Our first Mannion-handled parody was "L.S.F.” Although that single wasn’t released until July 9, 2018, he sent us his keyboards parts for it on June 5, 2018.
Since then, Rich has participated one way or another in the vast majority of our musical endeavors. If you count the two songs on our next single, he is featured on 272 ApX recordings. Of those, he played keyboards on 260, sang backing vocals on 91, and programmed electronic drums for 78. Moreover, he was also responsible for bass on nine, guitars on seven, vocoder on two, talkbox on one, and kazoo on one.
He’s practically a one-man band … and definitely one man we need for this band! Thank you, Rich! We praise God for you! |
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New Single Spoofs Sammy Hagar & Foghat |
On Sunday night, we released our 11th single of 2025, spoofing a couple heavy-duty rockers from 1977 and 1981. |
Heaven’s Metal - Heavy Metal - Sammy Hagar I Just Want to Take After You - I Just Want to Make Love to You (Live) - Foghat |
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The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the stories behind the songs on our 11th single of 2025:
HEAVEN’S METAL
I first read about Stryper in Rolling Stone while in college. Christian metal? Sounded preposterous to me. Once I became a born-again believer in 1988, a friend from Bible study lent me all their albums and two by Rez. I liked 'em a lot. He also gave me a bunch of issues of Heaven’s Metal, a magazine that primarily covered Christian rock but interviewed secular artists, too, about their spiritual views. Great stuff!
Meanwhile, I'd bought (and enjoyed) some of Petra's harder-edged material. Then I read a couple books about the supposed evils of rock (even Christian rock). My final analysis: I judge music by the lyrics, not volume or chord structure, but it's a matter of personal conscience. As the theme song to Diff’rent Strokes taught us, "What might be right for you may not be right for some.”
In 1995, Heaven’s Metal changed its name to HM. They started reviewing our CDs in the late '90s and even did interviews with me in 2000 and 2004. I eventually met Heaven’s Metal founder Doug Van Pelt in person at an ApX show in Texas. We exchanged humorous messages many times in the years before and since.
But that wasn't why I wanted to spoof Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal" in 2025; I just felt led to do it. When I got around to writing the words, "Heaven's Metal" was a natural fit. Then I remembered the magazine was celebrating its 40th anniversary. I asked Doug if he'd mind if we used that title in a parody about Christian rock, and He graciously gave his blessing.
"Heaven's Metal" features J. Jackson on lead vocals, Tom Tincha on guitars, Keith Haynie on bass, Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion. I JUST WANT TO TAKE AFTER YOU
One of Amy Grant's first hits on Christian radio was "Father's Eyes," written by Gary Chapman. It includes these lyrics:
"When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say: She's got her Father's Eyes … Eyes that find the good in things when good is not around / Eyes that find the source of help when help just can't be found / Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain / Knowing what you're going through and feeling it the same /Just like my Father’s Eyes.”
This parody is sort of a hard-rock variation on that theme. I had a wonderful dad, and one of the best compliments anyone can give me is to say, "You take after your father." In fact, on June 9, 2025, at 8:30 p.m., my Aunt Mary emailed me and said, "You have your dad's genes, and you remind me so much of him. Always positive!!! Keep your faith and don't ever change.” Oh my ... I just checked, and I went into the studio to sing this song 14 hours after she sent that email!
Two of the verses quoted in the lyrics are: "Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Ephesians 5:1) and "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). If I aspire to be more like my earthly father, how much more should I want to emulate the attributes of my heavenly Father? That's what Jesus did, and Romans 8:29 promises: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
"I Just Want to Take After You" features J. Jackson on lead vocals, Tom Tincha on guitars, Keith Haynie on bass, Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion. |
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ApX at Immortal Fest (Live and Livestream): 2 Months Away |
As we mentioned earlier this year, ApologetiX has been asked to return for the fourth annual Immortal Fest Part II, which will once again take place on Labor Day Weekend (Immortal Fest Part I takes place in late July).
This time around, we’ll be playing on Saturday night, August 30, at 8:15 p.m. We’re currently planning to do a bunch of songs we’ve never attempted live before.
The event is also available as pay-per-view live-streaming. You can get tickets for either on the event’s website. Tickets are available for each individual day or for the entire weekend.
THIS YEAR’S ARTISTS
Here’s the current line-up for that night we play:
James Durbin - 4:30 p.m.
Les Carlsen, lead singer of Bloodgood - 5:45 p.m.
The Daniel Band - 7 p.m.
ApologetiX - 8:15 p.m.
Bride - 9:30 p.m.
Other artists scheduled to play this year include: Ignescent, Images of Eden, King James, Neon Cross, The Protest, Sacred Warrior, Randy Stonehill, Stryken, Trytan, and Weapons of God. The emcee will be the legendary Pastor Bob Beeman of Sanctuary International.
LOCATION, LOCATION!
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Immortal Fest II
BMI Event Center
791 E. Main St
Versailles, OH 45380
BMI Event Center is Miami Valley's best concert venue. The 1500-seat indoor concert hall includes a 330-seat balcony.
Here are some nearby cities and how far away they are from Versailles:
Dayton OH (45 miles), Muncie IN (50 miles), Cincinnati OH (95 miles), Columbus OH (100 miles), Indianapolis IN (110 miles), Toledo OH (130 miles), Ann Arbor MI (175 miles), Lexington KY (175 miles), Detroit MI (190 miles), Louisville KY (195 miles), Cleveland OH (225 miles), Chicago IL (250 miles), Pittsburgh PA (285 miles), Saint Louis MO (350 miles), and Nashville TN (365 miles).
TICKETS & MORE INFO
CLICK HERE for more info on the artists, the schedule, the event itself, and tickets. |
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New USBs in Stock, Include Latest CD and New Single |
Our new batch of ApologetiX USB thumb drives arrived on Monday, a day early! We sent out all pre-orders that same day.
They include our latest CD, Quite Ironic, and our brand-new single “Heaven’s Metal / I Just Want to Take After You.” In fact, they contain the digital versions of all of our CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren’t on CD yet.
Emblazoned with the band's logo, our USBs have a storage capacity of 16 GB, and they’re write-enabled, so you can add more music to them if and when you get future ApX downloads.
They’re available for a donation of $150 or more. If you've donated for our complete library before, they're available for a donation of $50 or more. |
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Get ApX Complete Library, USBs, Songbook |
To get the complete ApologetiX library, ApX USB thumb drives, and/or the new ApX digital songbook — or to get more info about them — just click on the item(s) you want below. |
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Bible-Reading Plan for 2025 |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3. Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. (Titus 1:15) |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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