Vanilla Ice reschedules concert after COVID-19 backlash
Rapper Vanilla Ice has postponed a concert in Austin, Texas, Friday night following backlash over the event's safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show was to have taken place at the Emerald Point Bar and Grill, but the venue's owner, William Brannam, told ABC News that after all the media attention surrounding the show, Vanilla Ice made the decision to reschedule.
Brannam also revealed that he'd received three death threats.
"Due to the increase in COVID-19 numbers in Austin we’re gonna move the concert to a better date," Vanilla Ice tweeted Thursday. "We were hoping for better Coronavirus numbers by July but unfortunately the numbers have increased quite a bit so for the safety and health of everyone we’re going to stay home."
Responses were generally positive, with one person tweeting, "Thank you for putting your fans' safety before money."
Vanilla Ice, whose given name is Robert Van Winkle, says the venue, which can hold 5,000, was going to limit capacity to 450. According to Brannam, 84 tickets had been sold on EventBrite, while he'd sold all 96 available VIP tickets, plus 104 tickets for seating in the venue's upper deck. Last year, the "Ice Ice Baby" artist, 52, performed at the same place and drew 1,800 people.
Another '90s act, Color Me Badd, was also supposed to perform at the Emerald Point on Saturday, but that show was also rescheduled. Other postponed upcoming shows include "Wild Thing" rapper Tone Loc and "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper Coolio.
Brannam said all the artists have already been paid, and he hopes to arrange a '90s "super concert" with all three in the future.
Last weekend, country artists Chase Rice and Chris Janson faced huge backlash after playing live shows where social distancing wasn't practiced.
