Is a $1,000 ticket price worth sticking to an anti-vax mindset?
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has prohibited businesses from forcing patrons to prove vaccination — even though that’s the safest way for the country to economically recover from COVID-19 safely — but ornery promoters in the southern state have found a workaround. Even though DeSantis has signed the bill into law and threatened violators with steep fines, instead of barring unvaccinated patrons, show organizers are simply charging them more. An upcoming show for Wyoming-based rock band Teenage Bottlerocket is offering $18 for fans who can prove they got the poke — and charging a $999.99 ticket price for those who have willfully avoided it.
“I’m not denying entry to anyone,” the promoter, Paul Williams, told The Washington Post. “I’m just offering a discount.” The concert is planned for June 26th in St. Petersburg, shortly before DeSantis’ bill goes into effect, but even so, Williams didn’t think it would stir up the national interest and vitriol that it has. “I didn’t know that caring about my community would make me Hitler,” Williams continued, speaking to the influx of threats, spam calls, and anti-vax Facebook messages. One threatening email said this show could be the band’s “last” and further noted “you’re [sic] fans are going to kill you.”
After reporting the threatening email Williams was unfazed in his decision: “We’re still sticking to our guns.” To enter the show in a few weeks at the “discount” price, fans must show their ID and vaccination card. The show is currently sold out of discount tickets — none of the standard tickets were purchased. Read more political background on the story over at The Washington Post.
