Jason Aldean’s concert scheduled for Thursday evening (July 20) in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio was abruptly postponed.
The concert will now be held in September, according to information shared by the venue.
Blossom Music Center Issues Statement
A statement from the Blossom Music Center revealed that severe thunderstorms in the area forced the sudden postponement. WKYC reports that fans were asked to immediately shelter in place at approximately 6:30 pm. Doors were delayed, and then the concert was suddenly postponed.
The show will now take place on Sunday, September 17 and all tickets will be honored for the new date.
Aldean’s 41-city Highway Desperado Tour, featuring special guests Mitchell Tenpenny and Corey Kent, is off to a rocky start.
He Also Abruptly Ended His Connecticut Concert Last Week
Last weekend was opening weekend and the singer experienced heat exhaustion in the middle of his concert in Hartford, Connecticut at the Xfinity Theatre. He suddenly fell ill and ran off the stage mid-set.
The concert was cut short with no explanation and guests were asked to exit the venue.
A statement from the venue later confirmed that the show would be rescheduled and hours later, Aldean shared a health update with fans.
“I’ve had a lot of people checking on me today after hearing about what happened last night at the show in Connecticut. Just wanted to let you know, thanks to everybody that’s calling in, checking. I’m doing fine,” he said.
Heat Exhaustion
The Georgia native went on to explain that he had been playing golf all day before the show and that the extreme heat played into the situation.
“I think it was a combination of dehydration and just heat exhaustion,” he explained. “So I hear a lot of stuff going around. Heat stroke, all this stuff. I don’t think it was quite that serious, but it was pretty intense last night at the show.”
While he tried his best to power through, Aldean ultimately decided to seek medical attention as he began feeling ill.
“Anybody that was at the show knows how hot it was and I don’t know, something just kind of, I knew it was coming. I was trying to get through as much of the show as I could, and eventually it was just like I knew it wasn’t going to happen and I was trying to just get off stage and figure out what was going on,” he added.
Aldean thanked fans for checking in on him and promised to make it up to them soon.
“So to everybody that came out to the show last night, thank you guys so much for being there. Obviously it’s not the way I wanted the show to end, not what I was hoping for on our first weekend of the tour by any means. But I had a couple of IVs. I had one last night when I came offstage. Had one today. I got a show in Saratoga Tonight. We’re going to play that show and then we’re going to make the one up to you guys in Hartford as well. So again, I apologize for cutting the show short, but we’ll come back and make it up to you and I’m feeling a lot, lot better. So thank you guys for checking in.”
The Hartford concert has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 30.
Tumultuous Week
It’s been an tumultuous week for Jason Aldean. The singer has faced backlash regarding his recently released “Try That In A Small Town” song and music video.
Social media outrage surrounding the song began after the July 14 release of the “Try That In A Small Town” music video. As the video and song began to circulate online, many social media users accused the singer of being pro-gun and racist. Listeners also dubbed the track a “dog whistle” and believed that the lyrics pushed a right wing agenda.
Jason Aldean Speaks Out
Jason Aldean recently broke his silence to address the backlash and defend his song and music video.
“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Aldean explained. “These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”
Aldean Shares The Meaning Behind The Song “Try That In A Small Town” In His Own Words
He went on to detail what the song means from his perspective.
“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one goes too far.”
Jason Aldean continued, “‘Try That In A Small Town,’ for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”
He then spoke out on the comments users made about him being the subject of one of the world’s deadliest mass shootings.
“As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91- where so many lost their lives – and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
Jason Aldean’s statement was released after social media erupted with comments and criticisms around his music video.
Accused Of Making A “Pro-Lynching” Song
Many users pointed out that the music video featured a performance recorded in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. This is the site of the 1927 lynching of Henry Choate, an 18-year-old African American man that was accused of attacking a white woman.
The singer was also criticized for releasing a song with a pro-gun message as he was on stage at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas in 2017 when a gunman shot and killed more than 60 people. To date, this remains the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
“Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town,” Aldean sings.
CMT Pulled Jason Aldean’s Music Video
On Tuesday afternoon (July 18), it was revealed that CMT had pulled the “Try That In A Small Town” music video from rotation.
According to Billboard, the network pulled the music video on Monday without any explanation.
CMT reportedly declined to comment on their decision to stop playing Aldean’s music video, however, the network did confirm with the outlet that the clip has officially been removed from its platform.
Produced by Michael Knox and written by Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace, and Neil Thrasher, “Try That In A Small Town” impacted Country radio on May 22.
