Vanilla Ice announced Thursday his Fourth of July concert Friday in Austin, TX was canceled due to the coronavirus following a backlash.
“Due to the increase in COVID-19 numbers in Austin we’re gonna move the concert to a better date,” the 52-year-old rapper tweeted to his hundreds of thousands of followers. The post was noted by Entertainment Weekly. (RELATED: REPORT: Coachella Potentially Rescheduled To October Due To Coronavirus Fears)
“We were hoping for better Coronavirus numbers by July but unfortunately the numbers have increased quite a bit so for the safety and health of everyone we’re going to stay home,” he added, along with a video that further explained the decision to cancels his “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party.” (RELATED: Pearl Jam Postpones North American Tour Over Growing Coronavirus Concerns)
Due to the increase in COVID-19 numbers in Austin we’re gonna move the concert to a better date. We were hoping for better Coronavirus numbers by July but Unfortunately the numbers have increased quite a bit so for the safety and health of everyone we’re going to stay home. pic.twitter.com/MWWfNWf3zd
— Vanilla Ice (@vanillaice) July 2, 2020
In the clip he posted on Twitter, the rapper made it clear he’s “not going. I listen to my fans. I hear all you people out there.”
“I didn’t know the numbers were so crazy in Austin,” he added. “We were hoping it would be a lot better by the Fourth of July. We booked this concert a long time ago.”
Vanilla Ice continued, while noting that he just wants “to stay safe. We do take it serious. We were just hoping for a good time but it turned into a big focal point on me and it’s not about that.”
“Anyway, happy Fourth of July and by New Years hopefully this corona crap will have a cure,” the rapper concluded.
The comments come following reports earlier in the day that health officials in the county had warned people against attending due to the pandemic, per TMZ.
“This is not wise regardless of who is performing at any gathering right now. The best way to be nostalgic is by protecting your parents and grandparents and staying home,” Travis County Health Dept spokesperson, Jen Samp shared.
“Don’t go to this concert,” she added. “If you do go to the concert or anywhere else publicly, wear a mask and socially distance, have sanitizer in your pocket and wash your hands every time you arrive at a new place.”