Country music star Oliver Anthony appears to have played his cards right by pulling out of a concert date in Knoxville, Tennessee, over the high ticket price that his fans would be charged.
The “Rich Men North of Richmond” singer now will be in a venue in the vicinity with four times the capacity, and it has already sold out, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
The concert will take place at the Tennessee Smokies Stadium on Sept. 28, a day after his original date at the country bar Cotton Eyed Joe was to happen.
Smokies Stadium has over a 6,000-seat capacity and is located about 20 miles east of Knoxville.
Anthony had rescheduled the concert to take place on Sept. 20 at the Knoxville Convention Center, but tickets sold out within two hours, the singer wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post.
“Based on the ticket demand and your feedback, I have made a decision to host this show at the Smokies Stadium instead of the Convention Center. This will allow us to fit more fans, but also provide that outdoor and authentic feel that many of you said was important to you,” he said.
The ticket price is $25.
Would you attend an Oliver Anthony concert?
Yes: 94% (31 Votes)
No: 6% (2 Votes)
In social media posts last week, Anthony apologized for his concert at Cotton Eyed Joe being canceled.
Anthony said he was livid when he saw the venue was charging $99 for tickets, plus another $199 for a meet-and-greet pass.
“I had to pull off on the side of the road and make this video. My adrenaline’s pumping. I’m p*ssed off right now,” the singer said in a video posted to Instagram.
“Don’t buy Cotton Eyed Joe tickets for $99 a piece and sure as hell don’t buy VIP passes for whatever bulls*** price they’re on,” he added.
Anthony explained in a written post on Instagram that he never wanted tickets to his shows to cost more than $40, and ideally not more $25.
In a Facebook post, Anthony added, “I am not pointing fingers at Cotton Eyed Joe, I don’t know where the miscommunication took place. I’m just upset seeing those prices.”
The News Sentinel reported that Cotton Eyed Joe had written in a Facebook post — which is no longer available — that Anthony had agreed to play a 60-minute set at the Knoxville bar for $120,000.
“We set the ticket price to break even,” the post stated.
It wasn’t clear which side actually canceled the show.
August 13th
Morris Farm Market
Currituck NC
Free Admission
Food and drinks available
1:30pm-2:30pm
Many more shows to follow. Don’t stress it if it’s a long drive for you. I’ll be coming to your town soon. pic.twitter.com/Nz6ueTTMi4— Oliver Anthony (@AintGottaDollar) August 12, 2023
“Rich Men North of Richmond” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 last month.
As of Wednesday afternoon, it was No. 1 in the Apple iTunes ranking.
Anthony obviously has many fans who like his music, and they no doubt love that he’s looking out for them when it comes to concert ticket prices.
