Jewish reggae and hip-hop artist Matisyahu said several scheduled performances have been cancelled over staff boycotts.
The concerts were originally reported to have been cancelled due to security threats by the Rialto Theatre in Tuscon and Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, Arizona.
Matisyahu, born Matthew Paul Miller, informed fans through his social media accounts that the performances had in fact been cancelled due to staff boycotts. "My band and I should have played a sold out show at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe last night and we were excited for tonight's show at the Rialto Theater in Tucson," Matisyahu wrote. "Instead, the staff at these venues refused to come to work, forcing cancellations." The performer said Meow Wolf "misinformed" fans of the show's cancellation because of "security threats" without his permission or approval. "The only concern was a group of staff unwilling to work my show," Matisyahu continued, noting his team had offered to provide supplemental staff to the venue at his own cost, though the offer had been declined. "They do this because they are either anti-Semitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians," he added.Loading...
"It truly is a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate mongering and silencing artistic expression," his post continued. "My band and I will keep moving forward always! We will perform songs that celebrate unity, peace and perseverance, and we will connect with our fans through the sacredness of shared music, which has always brought people together."
The performer lamented those "choosing to cast their lot with actions that tear people apart."
"Tearing down posters of kidnapped children does not bring peace. Chanting genocidal slogans at Jews does not bring peace," Matisyahu continued. "Preventing fans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds from singing together in Santa Fe or Tucson does not bring peace. In fact, it does the opposite."
Matisyahu said the boycott might make people feel good to publicly express anger in hopes of obscuring "the hypocrisy of us Americans living on actual colonized land taken through an actual genocide of Native Americans." The performer added he refuses to "succumb" to "destructive behavior" that fuels more anger.
"So to my fans in Santa Fe and Tucson, I am sorry you were denied a show. I love you all. My band and I will be back," he concluded. "We will not respond to hate with more hate. We will be together again. We will make music together again. We will sing together again. One Day soon..."
On Thursday, the Rialto Theatre released a statement announcing the cancellation of Matisyahu's show at the venue because of safety concerns.
“Due to safety concerns and staffing shortage, the Rialto Theatre is unable to continue with (Thursday’s) Matisyahu performance,” the venue wrote to Facebook. “We will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests.”
The Meow Wolf similarly said they would "always prioritize the safety of [their] employees and [their] guests" in a statement to TMZ.
"Yesterday, we canceled a concert at the House of Eternal Return," Meow Wolf's statement read. "Two hours before the show was set to begin, we found ourselves without adequate staff to safely manage the sold out crowd.”
In response to the shows' cancellation, Matisyahu announced a free show on Thursday at The Rock in Tuscon.
