That Christian parody band, ApologetiX, is adding another guitar player to the line up and they've put out a call for auditions.
While the band, which takes current hit songs and turns them into Bible lessons, may have been ignorned by most of the Christian industry (when the band started, no label wanted to touch them), they have a huge fan base and have achieved enough success that when they were approached by a label a few years ago, they turned the offer down.
The band is relentless in maintaining a relationship with their fans, keeping track of how many shows fans attend, letting fans perform once in a while, recognizing birthdays, and letting fans help pick the songs to parody.
Most importantly, the band is committed to using the music to teach people about the Bible and to share the gospel.
The band grew out of a Bible study, held in the early 90s near Pittsburgh, PA, where the band's founders J. Jackson and Karl Messner were leading worship. One evening, J. played a cover tune of the Tommy James and the Shondells' hit "Mony Mony," substituting the words "Jonah, Jonah" and telling the classic Bible story in song using the familiar melody. People loved it, and before long, the group was receiving so many requests to perform at events that they developed a regular tour schedule and gave themselves a name: ApologetiX, a take off of the Christian word "apologetics", which is a defense of the Christian faith.
A few years ago, Karl, who has since left the band to pursue other interests, told me, "We'd write songs so we'd remember what we learned in the Bible study," kind of the same way we all learned the alphabet.
And now they're thinking about adding a new guitarist. If, after reading their story, you might be a good fit, here's the info you need to know to apply, from J. Jackson:
We're considering adding another lead guitarist to ApologetiX. If you (or someone you know) are interested in applying for the position, here's what you should know:1. You should enjoy and excel at playing many styles, including classic and modern rock.
2. You should be able to sing backing vocals.
3. You need to live close enough to Pittsburgh PA that travel isn't a problem. When we fly, we leave from Pittsburgh Airport. When we take our bus, we leave from Ellwood City PA or Monroeville PA, depending on our destination.
4. You need to be available from Friday morning through Monday morning for travel. Our concerts are almost exclusively on weekends (and we do take occasional weekends off), but we often leave extremely early on Friday mornings and often return in the wee hours of Monday morning. Occasionally, we have a plane flight that doesn't get us home until Monday afternoon.
5. Sorry, no females. All of the guys in the band are married men, and we are often alone together in the same room and vehicles. We can't allow any opportunity for even the appearance of impropriety.
6. You should be at least 21 years old.
7. This should go without saying, but you should be a Christian and affiliated with a local church.
8. You should have a good sense of humor.
IMPORTANT
Although playing in a nationally touring Christian band and being in a full-time ministry is an honor, it's hard work and not as glamorous as it looks.
The person who gets this position will be paid for his work, but you shouldn't expect "rock star" riches. All four of the members of the band have some other form of supplementary income.
HOW TO APPLY
There are two options:
A. Via Email
Email us a resume of your musical experience (with references, including your pastor), mp3 and/or a link to a video clip of you playing, and a few paragraphs telling us why you'd like to play with ApologetiX and why you think you'd be a good fit.Send it to: apxguitar@gmail.com
B. Via Postal Mail
Send us a resume of your musical experience (with references, including your pastor), CD and/or DVD of you playing, and a few paragraphs telling us why you'd like to play with ApologetiX and why you think you'd be a good fit.Send it to: ApologetiX, New Guitarist Tryouts, 1168 North Mayfield Dr., Clarion PA 16214
Thanks. We look forward to hearing from you!
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I wonder if anyone who used to want to be a drummer for Spinal Tap might be interested in the gig?
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