What did Matisyahu say about his Tucson and Santa Fe concerts? Cancellations lead to controversy

Matisyahu, the American reggae singer and rapper, found himself amidst controversy when he abruptly canceled his concert dates. Initially slated to perform at the Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, on February 14 and 15, respectively.

The Orthodox rapper, known for his pro-Israel stance, called out left-wing communities and stated that the reason for his shows' cancellation was that the staff refused to come to work. The "Meow Wolf Workers Collective" came out in favor of a ceasefire in Palestine and walked out of the venue in New Mexico, as per Newsweek.

The rapper is currently touring the country to support his newly released EP, Hold the Fire. However, the true reason behind the cancellation remains ambiguous. Previously, Rialto Theater cited "safety concerns" and "staff shortages" as the reasons for canceling Thursday's show, as per NBC.

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Jewish rapper Matisyahu calls out venue after canceled show

Matthew Paul Miller, professionally known as Matisyahu, addressed the recent cancellation of his concerts at venues in New Mexico and Arizona. He is a well-known reggae singer, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician.

The performer's art is a mix of spiritual themes with reggae, rock, and hip-hop beatboxing sounds. His 2005 single King Without a Crown is one of his most successful songs and was a Top 40 hit in the United States, as per People. Taking to Instagram on February 15, 2024, Matisyahu explained the reasons behind the venue cancellations. He wrote,

"To my fans: My band and I should have played a sold-out show at the Meow Wolf in Santa Fe last night and we were excited about tonight's show at the Rialto Theatre in Tucson. Instead, the staff at these venues refused to come to work, forcing cancellations."

He alleged that the venues had spread misinformation to his fans by saying the shows had been canceled because of security concerns. The singer further clarified that he had offered to pay for replacement staff himself as the workers refused service but was denied, as per Newsweek. He added,

"They do this because they are either anti-Semitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. It truly is a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate-mongering and silencing artistic expression."

The Executive Director of Rialto Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, Cathy Rivers, has denied the rapper's version of events. Rivers told Newsweek that the decision to cancel Matisyahu's show had nothing to do with "politics or religion." She said,

"Let me be very clear on this situation, this decision was made based on safety. The temperature of the day changed, and the tone was not set by us. This escalated to a concern of safety for our patrons, our staff, and our community."

The theater had posted a statement about the call-out of venues on Thursday afternoon on Facebook, citing "safety concerns and staff shortages." The clash of statements from the artist and the venues has raised controversy online. Cathy added in her statement,

"I, like you, wake up every day and read about violence and shootings in our country, I was unwilling to wake up to that happening in my community. We have hosted Matisyahu at our theatre many times but today was not the day to have him play. He was paid in full and ticket refunds are available to all ticket holders."

The questions over the cancellations of Matisyahu's shows come amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The government continues to attack the residents of the small state with air strikes and has killed almost 30,000 Palestinians so far, as per CBS.