Ray LaMontagne has decided to cancel his concert tonight (Sept. 22) at the Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas Austin campus in protest of the new campus concealed carry law in the state.
In a lengthy Facebook post, LaMaontagne outlined his opposition to the law as a "very open minded human being."
"I consider myself to be a very open minded human being, and I always try and see things from another's point of view. I realize this is a controversial issue and there are strong feelings on both sides of it," he wrote. "But no matter how hard I try to understand the rationale for allowing guns on campus or more broadly, the 'concealed carry' law in general, I just cannot in any way support that ideology."
"There are a lot of things this country needs more of, but guns aren't one of them."
He also noted that he had attempted to work with the campus to try and work around the law, which was enacted on Aug. 1, to keep the concert hall that night a gun-free zone. The university denied his request and as a result he canceled the show.
LaMontagne has not canceled his two remaining shows in Texas this weekend. He is still scheduled to perform in Houston on Sept. 23 and Dallas on Sept. 24.
We will see if other artists decide to follow suit over the course of the school year and either avoid UT Austin on their tours or cancel upcoming shows as a result of the law.
All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.
