Dixie Chicks unaffected

Billboard.com ^ | 4/21/03 | Ray Waddell

[Childseyes]

Chicks Tixs Going Quick Despite Bush Controversy

Despite some backlash at radio and retail for negative comments about President Bush, the Dixie Chicks are flying high in preparation for their upcoming arena tour, according to Rob Light, the act's agent. He says that of 59 shows, only six have seats left, and those are all 85%-90% sold out and expected to go clean.

"To be brutally honest, there has been no effect, other than the odd phone call to a building inquiring about a refund. There's a lot more noise than action," says Light, head of the music division at Creative Artists Agency. "Actually, the buildings are getting more [callers] asking, if there are refunds, can they buy the tickets." Light says there are no refunds.

The tour, sponsored by Lipton, kicks off May 1 at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., and concludes Aug. 4 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. Joan Osborne supports on the first leg; Michelle Branch on the second.

The Chicks' March 1 national on-sale moved 867,000 tickets worth $49 million at the box office during one weekend.

-- Ray Waddell, Nashville

[Eva]

I believe that the tickets were sold before the stupid comments were made.

[TommyDale]

Unaffected, except for CD sales down the toilet, and disappearance from the top of the charts.

[evad]

..brutally honest..

Ahh brutal honesty.

Well, I guess that settles it. Everythings ok now ;-)

[TheCrusader]

I think this is b.s. People pay for concert tickets in advance. Also, going to a concert when it's in town doesn't necessarily mean that you love the group. For many it's just a fun night out and something to do. As for me, I was in the music store a few days ago near Boston and I saw three tall stacks of Dixie Chicks CD's, and it looked like not a single one was sold.

[stands2reason]

Vichy Chicks bump

[mystery-ak]

You are correct, and there are no refunds.

[Mark]

A Daughter-Father Talk

One time there was a young teenage girl that was about to finish her first year of college. She considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and her father was a rather staunch Republican. One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to programs like welfare.

He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.. She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. She had to study all the time, never had time to go out and party and often went sleepless because all of the studying. She didn't have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of all her studying.

He then asked how her friend Mary, that was attending the same college, was doing. She replied that she was barely getting by. She had a 2.0 GPA, never studied. Was very popular on campus and was at parties all the time. She often wouldn't show up for classes because she was hung over.

He then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend that only had a 2.0. That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.

The daughter fired back and said "that wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for mine and my friend has done nothing."

The father smiled and said: "Welcome to the Republican Party."

[SwinneySwitch]

Definitely brutal, definitely!

I'm not sure about honest though.

[Burkeman1]

Oh Jeesh! Can't we give them a break? These girls were most likely not too political when they became big. Then they were surrouned by agents, lawyers, and other "sophisticated" types who most likely influenced their thinking. They were intimidated by these people and wanted to be accepted. They forgot where they came from and who their audience is. I love "Travelin Soldier" and I think we should give em a break.

[A CA Guy]

Their sweating bullets. Would not be beyond their folks to buy out 3-4 concerts to buy out the controversy.

Won't work, they are toast.

[Khepera]

Nope doesn't bother them at all. No Sir, not one iota. So little in fact they have to make sure we know it is of no concern. LOL

[Eva]

I can't forgive flagrant stupidity. Their agent should have warned them to stay out of politics.

[SpinyNorman]

What does anyone expect their agent to say? It is called major league damage control!!

[BunnySlippers]

I was surprised to hear that their audience is mainly teenaged girls. How politically involved are they?

[jrushing]

other than the odd phone call to a building inquiring about a refund. "Actually, the buildings are getting more [callers] asking, if there are refunds, can they buy the tickets." Light says there are no refunds.

Well, is they refunds or is they ain't??

[Burkeman1]

Isn't the message in all of their songs fundamentally conservative even if they don't know it? Good music is good music. I am a Boston native and we don't have much exposure to Country music up here but along with Johnny Cash and Confederate Railroad I think the Dixie Chicks are great. Of course their remarks made me mad but can't we chalk that up to being innocently naive?

[anncoulteriscool]

My problem with them is that they seem to have gone to the trent lott school of how to apologize....first they make their comments about Bush, then they say well Bush doesn't care about the "children", then they say well maybe we should not have disrespected the president, then they say it was just a joke, then they go to australia and say they meant what they said, they they go back to saying it was just a joke. To be totally honest I have not bought any of their cd's but i may have been a canidate to since I recently bought a shania twain cd. And fundamental intellectual dishonesty like this really turn most people off. But of course, it will make one a hero to most leftist.

[vetvetdoug]

Today in a conversation with an employee of a major county radio programming company, we discussed the Dixie Chicks. He believes the group is toast unless they can redeem themselves publically in the upcoming Bawa Walters interview. Country stations and their management all across the US are reluctant to play their music.

[Burkeman1]

OH- I think they handled the "apology" badly. I actually still can't believe that a major Country Music act could be so ignorant of who their audience is. What were they thinking?