Oliver Anthony, who recently found viral fame for his song "Rich Men North of Richmond," has cancelled a show at the Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, Tenn. due to high ticket prices. Anthony took to Facebook to officially announce the show cancellation, saying a "miscommunication" took place between the person booking the show and the venue. Tickets for the show were reportedly selling for upwards of $99 per ticket, with meet and greets costing $200.
"Cotton Eyed Joe has been cancelled," the singer shared in a message on social media. "Ultimately, it's my fault for not being more directly involved with the venues who have reached out. My plate has been full and I delegated the responsibility to someone else to help me book. I am not pointing fingers at Cotton Eyed Joe, I don't know where the miscommunication took place."
Later in the message, he assures fans that the show will be rescheduled elsewhere in Knoxville. He also mentions that he's still learning about the ins and outs of booking shows.
"We will find another place in Knoxville area that can do $25 ticket and free meet and greet," he adds. "I will work to get your tickets refunded from my own budget if they can't. This will never happen again. Thanks for your patience. I am still learning how all of this works."
Before he officially cancelled the show, Anthony appeared in an Instagram video to share his disappointment about the ticket prices. The singer — visibly frustrated — revealed that he pulled to the side of the road to make the video. He then urged fans not to buy the overpriced tickets.
"My adrenaline's pumping. I'm pissed off right now," he says. "Don't buy Cotton Eyed Joe tickets for $99 a piece, and sure as hell don't buy VIP passes for whatever bullsh— price they're on."
The singer then explained that he hired a friend, who is a full-time plumber, to do his show booking. This friend reportedly "agreed to the show without asking what the ticket prices are." In the caption, Anthony shared his standards for what he believes his shows should cost.
"My shows should never cost more than $40, ideally no more than $25," he writes. He also reiterated that he and his team are "still learning."
The Cotton Eyed Joe venue responded after the show cancellation, saying the tickets were priced to offset Anthony's contracted show rate, which was $120,000. A post shared by the venue claims the prices allowed the venue to break even on the show.
READ MORE: Oliver Anthony: Everything We Know About the 'Rich Men North of Richmond' Singer-Songwriter
