[troutman]

Edmonton club defends picking up singer dropped from festival for right-wing views

https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/201...ing-views.html

The Up and Downtown Music Festival cancelled former Misfits singer Michale Graves’ scheduled Oct. 6 performance at The Temple nightclub on Wednesday, after discovering social media accounts under his name are promoting conspiracy theories and right-wing views.

Hours later, the Starlite Room — which owns and shares a building with The Temple — announced on its Facebook page that The Temple will host the show as planned on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., but run it separate from the festival.

Owner and operator Tyson Boyd said in an emailed statement Thursday, on behalf of the venue’s ownership group, that the Starlite Room strives to be a welcoming place for all walks of life, and that can come with varying opinions and viewpoints.

“As a venue, we do not support the opinions of this artist, but feel they are only that, opinions. To act in intolerance toward any individuals with a difference of political opinion is an act against the democracy we so cherish in Canada,” the statement reads.