Christian Rock Growing as Economic, Social Force

Throngs of adrenaline-rushing, rhythm-craving, guitar-loving young people will travel from near and far to descend on Universal Studios on Friday and Saturday (March 23-24) for “Rock the Universe,” a musical event featuring a slate of emerging bands with national appeal.

But if you expect the Universal happening to be just another pop music festival, think again.

The promoters are promising plenty of rock ‘n’ roll, but you can forget about the sex and drugs. The first major concert event at Universal Studios held inside the theme park and not at Universal Amphitheater, “Rock the Universe” is also the latest example of the expanding appeal of a musical genre based on faith, worship and Christian family values. No longer relegated to the Bible-Belt periphery of American culture, Contemporary Christian and Gospel an umbrella term for a wide range of musical styles with Christian-themed lyrics has been gaining adherents across the nation and overseas in recent years. So far in 2001, Los Angeles is the No. 1 market for Christian album sales.

“The time was right,” said Brian Pope, vice president of marketing for Universal Studios Hollywood, which is staging its first Christian rock event following the success of similar events at the company’s Florida theme park. “The market has clearly grown, and it’s really strong. There is a great fan base.”

According to industry tracker SoundScan, Contemporary Christian and Gospel which includes everything from metal-tinged “extreme” to traditional hymns generated sales of slightly more than 44 million albums in 2000. That was down about 6 percent from the previous year, but it followed a five-year run that saw album sales ramp from 25.7 million in 1995 to a peak of 46.8 million in 1999. Even with last year’s dip, Contemporary Christian and Gospel was the sixth best selling genre in the United States in 2000, ahead of jazz, classical and new age combined.

Even more promising for the Christian music industry, a growing number of artists are demonstrating crossover appeal in the mainstream pop, rock and country and western genres. More than half of the Christian and Gospel albums sold in the United States last year were purchased in mainstream retail outlets, a major departure from a decade ago when Christian book and music stores were just about the only place to find such recordings. That trend has not escaped the notice of the major record labels.

“Last year, Atlantic, Capitol and Elektra decided to sign Christian artists and put them through their own marketing machine, and they’ve been very successful,” said Frank Breeden, head of the Gospel Music Association and president of the Nashville-based Christian Music Trade Association.

Radio driven

Fueling the popularity of live Christian music has been the proliferation of Christian-themed radio stations. There are now more than 1,700 such stations in the United States, with at least 500 dedicated to a Christian Contemporary Music format, said Brandt Gustavson, president of the Washington, D.C.-based National Christian Broadcasters.

“We are at a zenith now,” Gustavson said. “As society becomes more complex, people want more spiritual and uplifting music, not music that is raunchy and tearing down.”

Pushing ticket and albums sales in the Los Angeles area was the debut in October of KFSH (95.9 FM), a new local station owned by Camarillo-based Salem Communications Corp., the largest Christian broadcaster in the nation.

“A strong, consistent radio presence is key,” Breeden said. “We’ve already seen it increase album sales in Los Angeles. There’s a huge upside for us, as KFSH continues to make a connection with listeners.”

Los Angeles’ position as the No. 1 market for Christian album sales is largely an extension of the region’s huge population base. When it comes to ticket sales for Christian concerts, though, the region lags near the bottom of the top 20, Breeden acknowledged.

That could be poised to change as more younger, rock-, pop- and even rap-oriented bands emerge on the scene. One such band is San Diego’s P.O.D. (Payable On Death), which parlayed its status as the hottest Christian rock band in the nation last year into a recording contract with Atlantic Records.

With rare exceptions, tours by individual bands have yet to generate enough ticket sales to justify booking major venues, but promoters of Christian rock have had success packaging several acts together into festival formats. This summer, the Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline, the two headlining bands at this week’s Rock the Universe show, will embark on a 30-city tour with eight other bands as part of Festival Con Dios, or Festival With God, which is being organized by the Newsboys themselves.

While a handful of Christian artists like Amy Grant and Jars of Clay have garnered substantial commercial success, bands like the Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Pax 217 and the other artists on the Rock the Universe bill are not exactly household names. Still, they possess impressive drawing power, particularly when packaged with other bands as part of a big event.

“We’ve been getting interest all the way from Utah and Washington,” Pope said. “We expect to get a lot of guests (for Rock the Universe) that wouldn’t come to Universal Studios normally. People are making it a weekend destination.”

While Universal Studios Hollywood is a latecomer to the Christian concert segment, other local theme parks have been milking an enthusiastic Christian music fan base for years, emerging as the top venues for those shows in the region.

In Valencia, Six Flags Magic Mountain began hosting Christian rock bands two decades ago. Eight years ago, the park established its semi-annual Hallelujah Jubilee, featuring four Christian rock bands on two stages. Spokesman Andy Gallardo said the Jubilees are among the most popular days of the year at the park.

“The top bands have quite a following. They draw from more than just a 20- or 30-mile radius,” Gallardo said. “The bands are getting more pop, more mainstream. That crossover into the mainstream market makes them more popular.”

For more than a decade, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park has dedicated one of its most lucrative days of the year, New Year’s Eve.

“We have a pretty core group who attend every year,” said Susan Tierney, director of public relations at Knott’s.

Jalane Sclafani, spokeswoman for Salem Broadcasting, said the Los Angeles Christian music market is ripe for growth.

“We did some research before we decided to go with a 24-hour station here (and) found that there’s definitely an under-served market in L.A.,” she said. “Contemporary Christian transcends those who are considered an evangelical audience. It’s pop music without the smut.”