Travis Tritt is putting his money where his mouth is.
Tritt has been an outspoken critic of vaccine mandates and restrictions. After Live Nation and AEG, two of the largest concert promoters and venue operators in the country, announced that they would begin requiring vaccinations to get into their venues, Tritt spoke out against the restrictions, saying that “any form of discrimination should be condemned.”
He also expressed his frustration that venues he was booked to play were implementing these policies after fans had already bought tickets:
But now he’s taking it a step further, saying that he will no longer play shows at venues where vaccines or negative tests are required.
As a result, Tritt has cancelled four of his upcoming shows at Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, the Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois and Louisville Palace in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tritt said it’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make, and that he would work to reschedule shows at other venues in the cities that he canceled.
“I’m putting my money where my mouth is and announcing that any venue or promoter mandating masks, requiring vaccinations, or pushing COVID testing protocols on my fans will not be tolerated.
Any show I have booked that discriminates against concert-goers by requiring proof of vaccination, a COVID test, or a mask is being canceled immediately.
Many people are taking a firm stand against these mandates around the country, and I wholeheartedly support that cause. I have been extremely vocal against mandates since the beginning.
This is a sacrifice that I’m willing to make to stand up for the freedoms that generations of Americans have enjoyed for their entire lifetimes.
There are plenty of promoters and venues around the country that appreciate fans and the freedom of choice in this great country, and those are the promoters and venues that I will be supporting.
I’m sorry for any inconvenience this situation creates for anyone who had purchased tickets to these shows. We will try to reschedule unrestricted shows in these areas as soon as we can.”
We’ve seen a few artists come down on one side or the other as more and more venues are implementing these vaccine/negative test requirements.
Jason Isbell announced that he wouldn’t play at any venue that did not require a vaccine or negative test, and has canceled or moved a handful of shows from venues that wouldn’t allow him to implement these requirements.
And siding with Tritt, The Steel Woods have also canceled shows at venues that were requiring a vaccine or negative test for entry.
