Mike IX Williams, vocalist of Eyehategod, has further elaborated on the recent controversy where Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert (R) called for a boycott of a venue for an offensive Eyehategod admat. The issue began when Little Rock’s Vino’s posted an unauthorized image of the senator biting into an infant child. Rapert took to social media to express his disdain and protest against the admat, which called for a boycott against the venue.
Below is his post:
“Boycott Vinos in Little Rock
Friends, I rarely share with you the hateful posts and pictures that extreme liberals make about me to torment my stand for better moral values. But this time I want you to see what they have done. They use my image on an event without my permission and they depict me “biting a baby” in my mouth. A wicked and evil depiction on an event entitled “Eyehategod”.
I call on Vinos in Little Rock to cancel this event and apologize for such a disrespectful image that shows the dehumanization of babies lives. It is disrespectful of all who value babies lives and people of faith. They also clearly welcome the Satanic Temple in another post I am sharing. I urge you NOT to frequent Vinos and stand against their hateful rhetoric.”
When Williams came across Rapert’s post, he immediately replied back:
“Open letter to Sen. Jason Rapert (R):
Thank you for all the attention you’ve given the EyeHateGod show in Little Rock, Arkansas. Any image that was used of you is protected under the First Amendment, which supposedly protects us “Americans.”Please stick to destroying peoples lives by trying to ban same sex marriage, opposing medical marijuana legalization, threatening minorities, and absolutely attacking women’s right to choose. Your moral crusade against basic human rights will be fought at every turn.
Mike IX Williams
EYEHATEGOD
Southern Nihilism Front”
Now in a recent interview with Decibel, Williams revealed that the band had no previous knowledge of the flyer and that it was not created by them:
“…We toured the entirety of last year and we’re doing the same this year, so there’s a lot of flyers and Facebook event posts and things like this that just go straight by me because there’s so many of them.
We did not make the flyer. It was someone there at the club or the promoter or someone made that. I saw that after he made his post. After our good senator made his post, that’s when I saw the flyer.”
The frontman also went on to express how he found both humor and annoyance in this recent controversy:
“…I saw it yesterday morning, pretty early yesterday morning, so things hadn’t quite started snowballing yet. How did I react? I found it hilarious, but at the same time annoying that this guy’s got a right… He has an absolute right to do this, annoyed that people are offended by artwork or offended by the whole thing, but it is his face on the flyer so I can see where that would annoy or aggravate the guy.
They’ve since changed the poster. I think someone contacted the people there at Vino’s and maybe had a talk with them or something. I’m not sure exactly how that was told to them but the poster’s been changed. I reacted in both ways: Amazed that someone is always trying to stop people from having fun, and it’s obviously satire and it’s parody of this guy. He’s anti-abortion, so the eating the baby thing is pretty funny to me.”
Check out the entire interview with Decibel where Williams delves into more detail and discusses other Politcal issues.
All this talk about Eyehategod probably makes you want to see them live even more. Luckily, we have their tour dates below!
02/27 Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry’s Pizza
02/28 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
03/01 Los Angeles, CA @ 5 Star Bar
03/02 Tijuana, MEX @ Club Paradise
03/05 Osaka, JAP @ Club Quattro
03/06 Tokyo, JAP @ Club Quattro
03/08 Manila, PHL @ Darkside
03/09 Kuala Lumpur, MAL @ Ruma Api
03/10 Geylang, SNG @ Declinew/ The Obsessed:
03/29 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
03/30 Austin, TX @ Lost Well
03/31 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey
04/01 Oklahoma City, OK @ 87th Street
04/02 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
04/03 Huntsville, AL @ Sidetracksw/ The Obsessed & Antiseen:
04/04 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
04/05 Nashville, TN @ The Tap Room
04/06 Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
04/07 Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlies
04/08 Chesapeake, VA @ The Riff House
04/09 Chapel Hill, NC @ 506
04/10 Jacksonville, FL @ Nighthawks
04/11 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
04/12 Miami, FL @ Gramps
04/13 New Orleans, LA @ Howlin Wolfw/ Negative Approach * Sheer Terror:
05/07 Amityville, NY @ Music Hall
05/08 Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom (feat. Disassociate)
05/09 Boston, MA @ The Middle East (feat. Disassociate)
05/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge (feat. Disassociate)
05/11 Brooklyn, NY @ Kingsland (feat. FYPM)
05/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Kingsland (feat. Phobia & Disassociate)
05/13 Portland, ME @ Geno’s (feat. Phobia)
05/14 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar (feat. Phobia)
05/15 Frederick, MD @ Cafe 611 (feat. Phobia)
05/16 Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo (feat. Phobia & FYPM)
05/17 Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club (feat. Phobia & FYPM)
05/18 Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary (feat. Phobia & FYPM)
05/19 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop (feat. Phobia & FYPM)With Phobia, Deadbird & Seahag:
05/24 Little Rock, AR @ Vinos
