Evergreen Terrace, a renowned metalcore band, has made the decision to withdraw from the forthcoming "Shell Shock II" music festival in Orlando, Florida, following the revelation that Kyle Rittenhouse would be present at the event.
The band's decision comes in the wake of a contentious announcement by the event organizers that Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of murder charges in 2021, would be a special "VIP guest" at the charity event.
As reported by Loudwire, the Florida-based band was slated to headline the festival on Thursday, October 19. The event was designed to raise funds and awareness for veterans grappling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, the announcement of Rittenhouse's participation sparked a political divide among fans, leading to the removal of the Instagram post by the organizers.
In a statement released on social media, Evergreen Terrace said, "Evergreen Terrace has always supported and continues to support philanthropic events for veterans, PTSD awareness, child poverty, and many more, but we will not align with an event promoting a perceived murderer such as Kyle Rittenhouse capitalizing off of their pseudo celebrity." The band's decision to withdraw was followed by three other bands, Southpaw, Let Me Bleed, and American Hollow, according to various reports.
Rittenhouse was cleared of charges of murder, attempted murder, and reckless endangerment in 2021. The charges stemmed from an incident in which he killed two men and injured a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a protest against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake.
In response to the bands' withdrawal, the festival promoters, "The Antihero Podcast," took to Instagram to express their defiance. They accused the so-called "liberal mob" of attempting to "destroy" the event. "We have been silent. But we are prepping. The liberal mob attempted to destroy Shell Shock. But we will not allow it. This is now about more than a concert. This is a war of ideology," the post read. This incident underscores the ongoing ideological divide that continues to permeate various aspects of American society, including the music industry.
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