Populist folk singer Oliver Anthony has canceled a show scheduled in Knoxville, Tennessee, after discovering that the venue where he was slated to perform had hyped up ticket prices for the much-anticipated show.
Anthony’s decision came after the music venue Cotton Eyed Joe decided to increase the ticket prices.
“I apologize for the price at Cotton Eyed Joe,” said Oliver Anthony on his Facebook page. “Have a friend of mine trying to help me book gigs. I told him I don’t want to do anything that’s more than $40 a ticket, ideally no more than $25 a piece.”
Christopher Anthony Lunsford, professionally known as Oliver Anthony, became a household name after his song “Rich Men North of Richmond” gained immense popularity in August.
“These are supposed to be affordable shows. Please don’t pay $90 for a ticket. I’m going to work out the details with him and if we have to reschedule this event somewhere else we will,” said the singer. “It’s also horseshit that they’re charging extra for VIP meet and greet. Those are supposed to be free. I will get this sorted out asap. [Don’t] buy any tickets until then,” he further clarified in the comments section.
The Virginia native took to social media the next day to address allegations made by the establishment. The venue had claimed, though later seemingly retracted, that Anthony demanded a whopping $120,000 for his performance, which was the reason behind the inflated ticket prices.
“Cotton Eyed Joe claims we are charging people $120,000 per show. They have since turned the comments off, but I wanted to clarify. The most I’ve ever made on a show is $35,000. We’ve done two shows in NC that were completely free, and have another free show scheduled September 23rd in Kentucky for a cancer benefit,” Anthony elucidated.
“My booking guy handled all of this on the phone with them. And I realize there are two sides to every story. But I personally talked with Cotton Eyed Joe on the phone about not charging extra for meet and greet. That’s why I was so upset seeing them charging $200 for it. I felt like they suckered us into playing there just so they could make extra money off of y’all,” he added.
Despite the controversy, Anthony expressed no ill will towards the bar. “I wish them the best,” he said. “All the fault ultimately is with me. I should have been more thoroughly involved in the booking, and I should probably consider using a professional consultant in this area. There’s no reason why tickets should have went up for sale before a contract was signed,” he admitted.
In lieu of performing at Cotton Eyed Joe, Anthony identified alternative venues in Knoxville which are willing to charge the desired $25 admission fee.
“The good news is we have already found multiple other options for $25 admission venues in Knoxville that can accommodate more people, the same week this show was scheduled for. We will still be having a good time in Knoxville soon,” he assured.
Anthony ultimately revealed his plans to perform at the Knoxville Convention Center on Sept. 29, just two days after the original date.
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