Fear of Political Propaganda Cancels Popular Philly Band’s Concert
Apparently Low Cut Connie is a bit too liberal for Luzerne County.
Low Cut Connie, featuring frontman Adam Weiner (pictured) just had a Pennsylvania show canceled over politics (Getty Images)
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Philly Band Low Cut Connie Uninvited from Performing a Concert In Wilkes-Barre
Low Cut Connie is a Philadelphia band with a stellar reputation that has played all over the world. They’ve caught the attention of Barack Obama, who put them on his summer playlist. Elton John loves them. So it was a little bit odd to see Low Cut Connie on the lineup for the Rockin’ the River free concert series in Wilkes-Barre to begin with. After all, this is a concert series that otherwise features middle-of-the-road tribute acts like ZOSO: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience and Maybe I’m Amazed: A Tribute to Paul McCartney. A tribute band Low Cut Connie most decidedly is not.
Well, it seems that officials up yonder in Luzerne County, where Wilkes-Barre sits, agree with me that Low Cut Connie was a bad fit for this weekend’s final installment in the Rockin’ the River series, though for different reasons.
Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Weiner, a South Philly guy, (you can read our previous interview with Adam Weiner here) made the announcement on his Instagram page on Monday:
View this post on Instagram
Weiner may be right that his live performances are not “controversial” or “polarizing.” But he certainly made a point when he pulled out of playing the Kennedy Center after Donald Trump staged a hostile takeover there. He also made a point or two when, in May, he released a song protesting the Trump administration, particularly ICE activities across the country. It’s also worth noting that Joe Biden’s 2021 inaugural festivities included a performance from Low Cut Connie. And it should probably be said that Luzerne County went squarely for Donald Trump in November, delivering 59 percent of the vote to him compared to 40 percent for Kamala Harris.
Elton John with Low Cut Connie’s Adam Weiner (photo provided)
So the Luzerne County manager telling the Inquirer that officials wanted the shows in Wilkes-Barre to be “free of politics and propaganda” isn’t exactly a shocking explanation for the Low Cut Connie cancelation, as short-sighted as that might be.
Never fear, Low Cut Connie fans. The band is playing in King of Prussia on August 1st and then at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City on August 8th. As for Wilkes-Barre’s concert this weekend, crowds there will be treated to Halfway to Hell, an AC/DC tribute band, instead.
Some Purely Good News For a Change
It’s not often that we find a story that’s full of so much good news and benevolence, but Delco really delivered on this one.
By the Numbers
3,000: Philly residents who might soon be displaced when a major private developer sells his real estate portfolio. But Councilmember Jamie Gauthier is determined to stop that from happening.
1: Heat waves in the ten-day forecast. Next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are all supposed to be in the 90s. Maybe give the air conditioner a break between now and then. Well, other than on Friday, since that, too, is supposed to be in the 90s. (In case you missed one of Cecily Tynan’s million explanations of this, a heat wave is three or more consecutive days in the 90s.)
100 percent: Chances that I’ll be availing myself of the latest delicious dining trend in Philly, Asian breakfast. You can read all about calamansi doughnuts, nasi uduk, and es kopi gula aren here.
Local Talent
Though you probably refer to 30th Street Station as 30th Street Station, the technical name for the main Amtrak/SEPTA hub in the city has been William H. Gray III 30th Street Station since 2020. (A previous effort to change the name to Benjamin Franklin Station failed, in part because officials thought that it would get shortened to “Ben Station” which could then cause confusion with “Penn Station.”) Gray was a North Philly pastor turned longtime Philadelphia congressman who passed away in 2013, and now five artists (one of them from Philly) are vying for a $250,000 commission for a memorial statue in his honor at the station. You can read more about the contenders and their proposed works here.
