It’s no secret where Travis Tritt stands on his politics.
As one of the more outspoken artists in country music, chances are you either agree with political views, or vehemently oppose them, but whether you’re willing to separate that from the music or not is totally up to you.
Some folks refuse to get on board with an artist or entertainer if they don’t align politically, and other don’t give a shit at all. Some folks (Aaron Lewis fans) love hearing about politics at a show, and some hate it.
BUT… you’re gonna need to hop on the internet to hear about Tritt’s politics because you’re not going to see it at a show. Believe it or not, a Travis Tritt concert doesn’t turn into a political convention, and that’s very intentional.
In a recent tweet, Tritt expressed the desire to give fans a “great evening of music,” not a lecture on politics.
“Unlike some of my peers, I choose to make my political statements only on social media and never onstage. Why? Because fans do not buy my concert tickets to hear my political views.
They buy tickets to be entertained with a great evening of music and to just enjoy themselves.”
And to be honest, it’s not a bad way to go about it.
We can debate the “shut up and sing” arguments against the obligation to “use your platform” arguments all we want, but let’s be honest… most people want the artist they disagree with to “shut up and sing” and the ones they agree with to “use their platforms.”
It looks like Travis has found a way to do both.
Travis Tritt vs Vaccine Mandates
Of course, Tritt has also been one of the most outspoken country artists against vaccine mandates at venues.
He recently announced that he would be canceling all shows that have a COVID mandate for entrance, including mandatory masks, proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test.
He noted that these concerts have proven to not be hotbeds for the spread of COVID, none of the mandates put in place were instituted by the State or local government, and that fans were not offered refunds on the shows they were forced to miss.
“It came as quite a shock to me and a lot of my fans, when after the first week of October, a lot of these shows had restrictions placed on them, not by the state, not by the local city government, not by the local health department and municipalities, but by the actual promotors/venue owners, and there was nothing that justified it.
I started getting a ton of messages from fans, who were basically not warned about these mandates or restrictions ahead of time, showed up at the gate and were turned away, and were not even offered refunds. They were offered credits to an upcoming show that had to be used within the next 12 months.
It was just heartbreaking to me. People have been getting shut out from getting to see concerts for over a year, and they’re finally getting a chance to do that again and now they’re being turned away for some unexplained reason.”
For Tritt, these mandates aren’t about safety… they’re about shame and division
“This is not about following the science or trying to look out for the safety of the people there, this is about something else.
This is trying to divide people, this is trying to shame people, this is basically trying to discriminate against people that they don’t feel are clean enough to be a part of enjoying a concert like that.”
He went on to explain that he grew up with nothing and was incredibly fortunate to have the long-term success that he has had. But more than that, he understands his fans because before he was playing music, he was just like them.
“These are hardworking Americans that just want to take care of their families, put food on the table, put a roof over their head and occasionally go out and experience a concert, enjoy themselves, forget about their troubles for a little while.
And to be able to enjoy all of those different things… I just felt like I had to stand up for freedom. Freedom for all of those people to be able to go out and enjoy a concert without being harassed.”
And he added that he was more than willing to lose money to do so.
