A punk singer’s performance at a Mansfield sports bar has been canceled after backlash from some residents over his ties to the Proud Boys, a far-right nationalist group.
Michale Graves, former lead singer for the Misfits, was scheduled to perform on April 11 at Fat Daddy’s, which cited “unforeseen circumstances” in its decision to cancel.
“We understand this news may come as a disappointment to some, and we appreciate the input and feedback we have received from our community,” the venue wrote in a Monday post on Facebook.
“Our goal has always been to provide a welcoming, enjoyable space for live music, great entertainment, and good times. While we strive to remain neutral in all things, we also want to ensure that our staff, customers, and performers feel comfortable and free from harassment.”
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Representatives for the bar’s parent company, AngMar Retail Group, could not immediately be reached by phone or email for comment.
Graves performed at a Jan. 6, 2021 rally in Washington, D.C., and was going to play later that day for Proud Boys members at an Airbnb, he recently told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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He also testified on behalf of the Proud Boys at their 2023 sedition trial in connection to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, Reuters reported. The group’s former leader, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, and other members were accused of a plot to use force to prevent the transfer of presidential power.
Civil rights organizations have described the Proud Boys as a hate group. The Anti-Defamation League says the group “serves as a tent for misogynistic, anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ ideologies and other forms of hate — including antisemitism and white supremacy — that oppose progressivism, feminism, multiculturalism and ‘woke’ ideology.”
Graves’ response
When reached for comment on the canceled Mansfield performance, Graves said in an email Wednesday that his connections to the Proud Boys are irrelevant.
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“I haven’t done anything wrong at all,” he said. “I have become a symbol of all the bad things these people think they are fighting,” he added, referring to his critics.
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According to his website, Graves is currently on an acoustic tour. Several of his concerts have been canceled over complaints about his connections to the Proud Boys, including a recent show in Pittsburgh.
“I have lost tens of thousands of dollars because of this. They contact venues and make up lies about me and harass and threaten people until they capitulate to the demands of these lunatics,” Graves told The News.
Last month, Graves spoke to The Post-Gazette about drawing ire over his association with the Proud Boys. “I’m not a Nazi. I’m not a hateful person,” he told the paper.
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“There’s no coordinated effort to stamp out people who are different,” he said of the Proud Boys. “That’s not going on. I would immediately distance myself from it and call it out wherever I saw it.”
Meanwhile, in Mansfield, the cancellation of Graves’ concert has stirred debate over what to some appears to be an example of cancel culture and to others a stand against hateful views.
Area resident Donna Seibert had no plans to attend the concert. “It’s not my thing,” said the 61-year-old, who had seen a Facebook post about the concert’s removal on a page called The Rational Side of Mansfield. She said she sees the cancellation as a form of censorship.
“If you don’t agree, then you don’t go see them,” she said, adding “there are people that like his music and that aren’t white supremacist.”
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Brandon Brady, 40, another area resident, runs the Rational Mansfield page, which he said he started to promote transparency around issues affecting the school district and neighborhood at large.
“I actually know the Misfits from when I was a teenager,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of music I listened to.”
But in recent years, he has observed Graves’ far-right connections and he did not want Mansfield to attract a negative reputation by hosting him.
“When I start to see a business normalizing white supremacy … I had no choice but to say, ‘Absolutely not,’” he said.
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“I’m holding venues accountable for platforming hate … It’s not about silencing opposing views.”
Mansfield sports bar cancels performance after backlash over singer’s far-right ties
