Dixie Chicks Move to Canada

Beset by slow album and ticket sales in the South and Midwest, the Dixie Chicks have canceled 14 shows in the United States and rescheduled them in Canada.

Several concerts on the Dixie Chicks’ “Accidents & Accusations” tour have been canceled after slow ticket sales, but the group says it has replaced them with other dates. Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chick’s Web site. Other shows, including Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix, have been pushed back to later dates.

The North American leg of the tour kicked off July 21 in Detroit. Billboard magazine and other trade publications have reported lackluster sales in some markets, particularly in the South and Midwest. Group spokeswoman Kathy Allmand said Monday that the total number of North American dates remains the same, with several Canadian cities added in place of the U.S. shows.

The trio released a statement last week attributing the changes to attempts to “accommodate demand” and said more dates might be added next year. The group also said the adjustments will allow them to promote the documentary “Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing,” for the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

The Canadian, lesbian singer k.d. lang said years ago that when she told people she was a country singer, they asked “What country.” Apparently, for the Dixie Chicks, the answer is “Canada.”

In fairness, it should be reiterated that, by any reasonable standard, the Chicks are still wildly successful despite backlash over their political statements about the president and the war. Indeed, their views are probably closely aligned with the American public’s at this point. Not so much with the core country music audience, though.

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Dixie Chicks Move to Canada

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