Photo: Alan Snodgrass, New Noise
Flint, MI’s King 810, who have gotten pretty good reviews for their sophomore album, Le Petite Mort Or a Conversation With God, were set to wrap up the year with a series of four shows in Cleveland, Valparaiso, IN, Detroit and Chicago. The performances were set to be “immersive events” presented in 360 degree sound. We say “were” because the Chicago event scheduled for December 18th is in question following the cancellation of the Thalia Hall show. The promoter, in an email, cites calls from citizens concerned about the band’s “excessive use of guns and violent imagery.”
The Family, more on this later today. – Gunn pic.twitter.com/i6m1gZFqNZ
— KING 810 (@KING810FLINT) December 2, 2016
Given that there’s been an unprecedented amount of gun violence in Chicago, those complaints are rooted in reality, but it’s a little overreaching to cancel the show. It’s not like Chicago is banning violent movies and video games as well. While some of the band have had legal issues related to violence in the past, none of them have involved guns, and they were ultimately dismissed. At the end of the day, it’s the booker’s decision to pull the plug on the show, but it’s not like another promoter probably won’t pop up to save the day (maybe one that knows how to spell “citing”). The band promises an update, and we’ll let you know how this plays out.
