Zac Brown Band recently debuted their Love & Fear residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, bringing fans the hits along with tracks from the band’s newest album, Love & Fear. After the first two concerts, the group was likely surprised to find that the show garnered some controversy among fans, notably those who thought some of the imagery involved was promoting devil worship and perhaps even serving as the backdrop to a “Satanic” ritual.
The imagery in question involved some of the first visuals of the show, which opened with Zac Brown Band performing “Heavy Is The Head,” a rock song from the group’s 2015 album Jekyll & Hyde. During the song, the Sphere’s screens showed a giant skeleton in a fiery wasteland, as well as a large dog in chains and other similar imagery. Frontman Zac Brown performed the track while wearing a spiky-looking crown, and Sphere is lit up red throughout. A counterpoint to the demonic allegations is the fact that the song’s visuals end with an angel, who seemingly prepares to fight the evil below.
The imagery generated plenty of reactions online, and when Love & Fear returned for its second pair of shows this past weekend, Brown addressed the controversy and explained that the residency’s main themes are in fact love and light.
“Thank y’all for such an incredible, incredible night tonight,” he stated. “I want to say a little something about this show, ’cause there’s a lot of people that pick it up online saying that we’re doing some kind of Satanic ritual or something like that. I don’t think we can put any more love and light into a show than what we put into this one right here, ladies and gentlemen.”
“And I think there are forces out there that don’t want this message to get out. So, if you get a minute, drop somebody a comment or something online that’s trying to say that we’re trying to worship the Devil, which is horses—t. You know what I’m saying?”
The singer concluded his message with a thank-you to fans, sharing, “Thank y’all for the love that you give us. Thank you so much for giving us our jobs and our life and music. We’re so grateful to be here.”
Love & Fear had its first run during the first two weekends of December and will return to Sphere on January 9, 10, 16 and 17. When the residency was announced in July, Brown told fans that the shows would be “the story of my life” and are his “masterpiece.”
“Bringing our new album Love & Fear to Sphere Las Vegas is a dream come true. It’s my masterpiece so far,” he previously said in a statement. “This show is the story of my life that I have never shared, a journey through my imagination, music and stories that have defined who I am. All of this brought to life in the incredible immersive environment of Sphere. It will be a unique experience where you can really feel every note, every word, right there with us. We can’t wait to share it with the fans.”
Zac Brown Band’s Love & Fear Residency at Sphere in Las Vegas will continue with shows January 9, 10, 16 and 17. For tickets and additional information, visit their official website.
