Iowa Club Gets Slammed For Canceling Show it Didn’t Book

You don't even have to know geography anymore, there's Google now, so this is kinda ridiculous.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of multiple Paramount Theatres, Orpheum Theatres, Riverside Theatres/Auditoriums, etc. sharing the same or similar names across the country. It's likely many of them get mixed up from time to time and unfortunately, they're going to get their share of hate for canceling a show...even when they don't.

A popular entertainment venue in Iowa City has apparently been getting roasted for canceling an appearance by comedian Dave Chappelle. The trouble is, they didn't even have the show booked.

But with a different type of "cancel culture" extremely prevalent recently, controversial performers and the venues who book them (or don't) are under the microscope, and in that regard, there's no brighter spotlight than the one on Dave Chappelle right now.

A place in Minneapolis called "First Avenue and Seventh Street Entry" canceled a Chappelle show on Wednesday, just hours before the comedian was to take the stage.

Inevitably, when people don't do their proper "geographic research" you get a place like our friends at the First Avenue Club in Iowa City having to defend themselves and offer the below post.

According to the Washington Post, Chappelle's appearance at the First Avenue venue in Minnesota was called off due to "blowback for booking the legendary comedian for a surprise, sold-out performance in the months that followed his 2021 Netflix special, “The Closer,” in which Chappelle doubled down on jokes about the LGBTQ community after past accusations of homophobia and transphobia."

The First Avenue and Seventh Street Entry venue, which became a household name in Minneapolis after it was shown in the 1984 hit movie "Purple Rain", noted that while it "believes in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, we lost sight of the impact the booking of Chappelle would have on the community."

For his part, Chappelle, who had his show moved to another Minneapolis venue, the Varsity Theatre, encouraged folks in the audience, even after protesters outside had pelted him with eggs, to continue supporting the First Avenue and Seventh Street venue, saying "it's an important place for our culture".

Meanwhile, here's who's coming to OUR First Avenue Club (in Iowa City, not Minneapolis) soon, in case you're interested:

Tough to find much controversy in that lineup. But I'm sure someone will.