Wooly’s Cancels Cody Hicks Concert Over ‘Negative Rhetoric’

Wooly's in East Des Moines has canceled it's first live concert since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. The Des Moines Register reports that the venue shut down a Friday night performance by country singer Cody Hicks because of social media posts that "do not align with our values." 

HIcks was scheduled to perform in Des Moines Friday night at 6 p.m. Hicks claims that the show was canceled because he took a pro-police stance on his personal Instagram page. On a post, he shared his feelings about protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, who died at the hands of police officers. All four officers have been arrested.

The Register reports that Wooly's denies that Hicks' show was called off because of his support for law enforcement. They refer instead to comments that Hicks made back on June 3rd on his Facebook page. On that post, Hicks commented, "If Black Lives Matter so much why do they keep killing each other."  Wooly's went on to say that they support peaceful protest and racial justice and that they refuse to give the stage to someone who "paints protestors with the brush of violent looters and rioters." 

Hicks countered by saying that Wooly's is stripping his family of income because of his support for police.

The Register reports that Hicks is encouraging his fans to share their displeasure over the canceled performance with Wooly's. Hicks has confirmed that ticket refunds for the show will be given.