Vanilla Ice canceled his Fourth of July concert in Texas, citing concerns over the coronavirus and the safety of his fans. But lackluster ticket sales may have also contributed to his decision.
Thanks to a legal loophole in Texas allowing restaurants to stay open at 50% capacity, Vanilla Ice had been scheduled to headline the “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party” at the Emerald Point Bar & Grill on Friday night. The venue made 2,500 tickets available to the event, with prices ranging from $25 to $300. But of those, only 284 were sold prior to Vanilla Ice deciding to cancel the show.
The venue’s owner, William Brannam, told ABC News that he sold 84 general admission tickets, 96 VIP tickets, and 104 seated tickets. For comparison, Vanilla Ice played at the same venue last year and drew 1,800 people.
Upon announcing the show’s cancelation yesterday, Vanilla Ice said he was unaware the the number of coronavirus cases in Texas had spiked in recent weeks. “I listened to my fans, I hear all you people out here. I didn’t know the numbers were so crazy,” he commented.
Another ’90s hip-hop act, Color Me Badd, had been set to play Emerald Point on Saturday night, but that show has also been postponed, as have upcoming events featuring Tone Loc and Coolio. Brannam says all the artists have already been paid, and he hopes to stage a ’90s “super concert” once conditions improve.
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