Willie Nelson, White Stripes cancel Rapid City tours

Promoters say they hope to re-book both acts

By Journal staff | Thursday, September 13, 2007

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By Ryan Woodard, Journal staff

RAPID CITY — Two major concerts scheduled for Rushmore Plaza Civic Center were canceled Wednesday, but civic center officials are confident about getting both performers to eventually appear in Rapid City.

Country legend Willie Nelson’s performance set for Sept. 26 and rock band The White Stripes’ concert for Oct. 2 have both been canceled.

Civic center marketing director Steve Montgomery said he was told Nelson had to cancel because of exhaustion — the same reason his July 18 concert had been postponed to the September date.

The White Stripes’ show was canceled because of drummer Meg White’s “acute anxiety,” according to the band’s Web site.

Ticket holders can get full refunds by bringing their tickets in to the civic center box office starting Monday.

The civic center wasn’t the only date canceled on the respective tours. Nelson canceled at least five other dates, or most of his Midwest tour, and The White Stripes canceled their entire North American tour.

Montgomery and civic center general manager Brian Maliske said they were disappointed at the cancellations of both shows, which they expected to sell out.

“We’re terribly disappointed, especially two of them in one day,” Montgomery said.

He said the shows were the biggest acts to cancel since Reba McEntire five or six years ago, and he said the civic center had never had two major acts cancel on the same day.

Both shows were set to be half-arena setups with a capacity of about 3,200 people. Montgomery said that about 2,500 tickets had been sold for Nelson and about 2,000 for The White Stripes.

But Maliske said he talked to both groups’ promoters Wednesday, and he said the promoters were “excited” about the possibility of bringing the groups back because of how well the tickets had sold before the shows were canceled. 

“I think both those acts, we’ve got a legitimate shot at bringing them back,” he said, adding that it will be a waiting game as to when the groups will be available.

“So then, it’s just a matter of letting them get on the right side of their health issues and having a conversation with the promoters again.”

Maliske said it was difficult to say when either group would be rescheduled because he has to not only wait for the health issues to improve but find an open date at the civic center — one that will also route well with other area cities.

But he said he hopes to have both come to the civic center before next summer.

Montgomery said frontman Jack White had purposely scheduled a number of smaller venues throughout the country on this particular tour, including Rapid City, and he believes White will want to schedule those towns again.

“They’re generally doing shows in major cities, and he wanted to do a tour in smaller cities, just for his fans, and that’s what this is,” Montgomery said about the canceled tour. “I’m sure ... he’d like to book these small cities back again as soon as he can.”

Maliske said he would be able to compensate somewhat for Nelson’s cancellation with the upcoming country act George Jones, as well as another similar act that will be announced next week.

But he said The White Stripes — a two-person group that doesn’t easily fit into a particular genre — is a unique act that’s not easy to replace.

“White Stripes is pretty original,” he said. “I mean, they’re different than anything we’ve brought to Rapid City. I’m going to struggle to make sure I get those guys back.” 

Although there were fans who were disappointed about Wednesday’s cancellations, there were others who were already excited about another show coming to the civic center in November.

Mary Alice Noble of Rapid City was camped outside the civic center box office Wednesday afternoon to be the first in line to get tickets to the Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie heavy metal show scheduled for Nov. 6.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

Noble had been camped out since about 2 p.m. Friday, when she got wind of Osbourne’s appearance.

“He’s like the Elvis of my era,” said Noble, who has been to see Osbourne about “10 to 12 times.”

Camped out with her Wednesday was her friend Reed Jandt. Jandt joined her on Sunday, and said he was having a good time waiting around for tickets.

“We just teamed up to get the best seats in the house,” he said. “She’s a huge fan. I’m just a fan.”

Noble said she saw Osbourne in Albuquerque, N.M., in July and had a backstage ticket that allowed her on the stage. She said she cried when Osbourne came on stage.

“I don’t think I even cried at my own wedding,” she said, laughing.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com