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Two of Matisyahu‘s recent concerts got canceled … and he’s theorizing the cancelations might’ve been caused by some workers making a political statement against Israel.
The singer-songwriter joined us on “TMZ Live” Thursday … telling us his sold-out show in New Mexico was canceled just hours before the curtain was set to go up — something he learned about very last minute.
As Matisyahu — a very vocal supporter of the Israeli cause in Gaza — explained it … a fan approached him after he’d already performed a sound check in the Meow Wolf venue and said they had received an email saying the concert was called off because of security threats.
When his team approached the event organizers about it, Matisyahu says they told him workers were afraid to come to work because of possible protests outside the building and that they wouldn’t have time to hire more staffers for the event.
BTW … the protest didn’t exactly take off — with just about five people showing up, apparently, to voice their displeasure according to Matis. So, hardly a threat, really.
It’s not the only show that’s been canceled, as it turns out … Matisyahu says his show tonight in Tucson, Arizona, is also not happening because employees there are also allegedly calling out.
The possible reasoning behind this … Matisyahu says he thinks workers might’ve realized the event would have to be called off if they decided not to arrive for work — adding social media posts of some of the New Mexico staff made it clear they stood against Israel.
Matisyahu insists he’s not pushing his politics at his shows … admitting he sometimes makes statements against Hamas but keeps political division out of his performances for the most part.
If boycotters are hoping to discourage Matisyahu … it’s not working so far, with him saying he’s willing to play at any venue willing to host him and his group. He even mentioned his cousin who goes to school in Tucson — and said he’d put on a show at a frat house if they’re interested!
Of course, tensions have been especially high between Israeli and Palestinian supporters since a surprise attack by Hamas on a music festival on October 7 sparked a full-on war in the region.
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A spokesperson for Meow Wolf tells TMZ … “Yesterday, we canceled a concert at the House of Eternal Return. Two hours before the show was set to begin, we found ourselves without adequate staff to safely manage the sold out crowd. Meow Wolf will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding all ticket holders.”
