Free Republic

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country-pop trio the Dixie Chicks, still feeling a backlash for criticizing President George W. Bush, have been forced to mostly abandon the American heartland and Deep South on their latest tour. Facing lackluster ticket sales in many U.S. cities where radio stations had banned their music to protest the band's anti-Bush remarks, the Chicks' promoters have revised their tour with new stops in Australia and Canada. Only four Southern U.S. cities remain on the newly overhauled 49-date concert itinerary posted days ago for the Chicks' "Accidents & Accusations" trek, their first major tour in three years.

The Dixie Chicks release their new album, “Taking the Long Way,” late in May, but don’t look for them to soften up. A few stations around the country are playing the first single, “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which refers to the backlash the band received for speaking against the Bush administration in 2003. The song features the lyric “I’m mad as hell and I can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should,” and the video shows the trio as leads in “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller’s play based on the Salem witch trials. The video can...