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Rich Serpa (Stryper expo founder) interview
By: Brett
Date: April 2000
December 22, 1991 was the last time all four members
of Stryper were on one stage together. As alternative
music ruled the 90's, Stryper and a majority of the
other rock bands faded from the limelight that once
held their favor. Although many rock fans held onto
their music, many also moved on. But as in all things,
music also comes around full circle. How many fans have
dreamed of seeing Stryper play once again? Well, if
you are one of those people, now you can. But only one
date. Only one show. Only one time. So what are YOU
doing May 21st of 2000?
The correct answer to that question is "I'll be
watching the once in a lifetime Stryper jam at the Stryper
expo!" If you did not answer that question correctly,
there's still time! For those of you who haven't heard,
the Stryper expo will be held in New Jersey, and is
your chance to spend a day with the members of Stryper!
Door prizes, giveaways, merchandise tables, several
concerts, and a chance to have your question answered
by the former band members only sweeten the pot. The
guys will be signing autographs, but there will be a
limit of 3 autographs per person to help keep the schedule
on time and avoid writers cramp! As word of the expo
spreads, rumors have also followed. The most popular
of these rumors is that Stryper has reunited, and will
be having a reunion tour. The expo is not a reunion
of Stryper, but a celebration of what Stryper was and
has done. There also are no other expo's planned, so
if you miss this one, that's it!
This expo will truly be a Stryper fan's dream. But
how did it all come about? Rich Serpa from Planet Rapture
Productions is the brains behind what might possibly
be one of the most exciting moments in Christian music
history. "When I saw Michael Sweet and Sin Dizzy
in Puerto Rico last year, I noticed that there was so
much opportunity that they were not taking advantage
of. If there ever was a band that would be perfect for
an expo, it's Stryper. So before I talked to any of
the guys about it, I researched how much it would cost
and how to do it right. I then approached each of them
individually, and they all said to go for it. This is
a great time for the expo to happen. Mike and Robert
have their solo albums coming out, the Stryper.com site
is up and running and the Stryper book should be out
soon."
Indeed, there's an electricity in the air. Although
Stryper hasn't been around as a group in over 8 years,
they're fan base is still quite large. In the year 2000
alone Stryper has been mentioned on VH-1, Metal Edge,
HM Magazine and tons of online sites. "How many
bands can say that a song they performed was instrumental
in changing a life? Not many bands can say that, and
that's why people are so loyal to Stryper. Some people
wrote me and said that when Stryper hits the stage at
the expo, they're probably going to cry. This is a chance
for the fans to say thank you."
Rich's interest for Stryper started back when they
were riding high and packing stadiums. "When I
first saw Stryper in the late 80's, I wasn't even a
Christian. A friend invited me to go to the concert;
I didn't know anything about them. I was only into secular
music, and Kiss was my favorite band. I had my arms
crossed when they were playing, but I was actually starting
to like them. We were about 60 feet from the stage when
they started throwing the bibles out. All the books
were going out in a lazy type of fashion, but all of
a sudden one hit me like a guided missile in the chest.
My friend teased me, telling me that they were trying
to tell me something. Needless to say that they completely
blew me away, and from that day on I felt a connection
there. About 4 months later I saw them in Florida, and
I brought about 30 people with me. I was a fan at this
point, but was still had a spiritual void. I didn't
know if the bible hitting me the first time was a fluke,
so I asked God to show me a sign. Well, the exact same
thing happened. A bible hit me right in the chest! Then
Tim Gaines flicked his pick out, and it hit a light
and landed on my shoulder. People were fighting for
this stuff, but nobody tried to grab it."
It was no accident that Rich went to both concerts,
because God had plans for him. "In 1998, I really
started having struggles with being a Catholic. I always
expected lighting and thunder when you became born again.
It's not like an angel flew down on my head, but I can
now see why certain things happened. It's funny because
I would always go to these music expo's, and would always
think of things I would have done differently. I don't
think it's a fluke that I always used to go to different
expo's, and that I now work for a major publishing company
where I learned how to put these things together. I
know what it means now to have a labor of love, because
this is a lot of work and I'm loving it!"
Many people have written in and asked why the expo
will be held in New Jersey instead of another location.
"If I had the connections, I would have had the
expo in Orange County, California. That's where it all
began for them, and the expo would have been a home
run right off the bat if I could have had it there.
But I picked New Jersey because it's my hometown, and
I know all the properties and vendors. I have more contacts
and resources here than if I would have went over there
where I didn't know anybody."
Another question people have been asking is if they
can buy their tickets at the door. You can, but why
risk being turned away? "In Puerto Rico they were
expecting about 6 or 7 thousand people, but 12 thousand
actually showed up. It was like the Beatles were coming
into that stadium, it was wild! I just started advertising
here locally in the Tri State Voice, who has a distribution
of 18 thousand in the Christian community. So if there's
some people who are thinking of waiting and paying at
the door, there might not be any tickets left."
Some fans are viewing this expo as an answered prayer.
Although it's not a reunion, the opportunity to see
them play live has fans jumping. There are even reports
of fans traveling overseas just to see them play! On
the other hand, some fans plan on skipping the expo
and waiting for a full blown reunion and tour. While
we never know what God has in store for us, the chances
of a Stryper reunion is currently slim. "The only
other thing I know that's planned for Stryper is this
expo. There's no other tours or expo's planned, they
aren't even together as a band. So this might be everybody's
last time to see the greatest Christian band there's
ever been on stage."
Not only will fans get a great concert, they will be
able to stay at the top notch Sheraton Parsimony Hotel.
"The hotel it will be at is a real upscale hotel.
The rooms there are beautiful, and I negotiated a deal
with them for $89 a room. The expo tickets are $25 person,
a great deal for a full day event like this. We're expecting
a large crowd, and everyone's safety is our concern.
We'll have off duty police officers there, as well as
other security throughout the crowd."
We here at Stryper.com will have a booth there, so
make sure you stop by and say hello! We'll have a ton
of Stryper collectibles set up, and also will have special
guest Kenny Metcalf! Ken was the persistent friend that
would witness to them in the early days, and also became
their keyboard player for their first 2 tours. Read
more about Ken in this exclusive interview, and also
a review of his band's CD. Click here for the official
site of the Stryper expo. If you're not able to make
the expo, you'll be able to read all about it here at
Stryper.com.
Brett Christensen
www.Stryper.com
Keeping The Fire Burning!
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