‘BREACH OF CONTRACT’: Band Cancels Gala Performance for Conservative Group Less Than 24 Hours Beforehand

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA—A conservative nonprofit is threatening to sue after an Atlanta-based band canceled less than 24 hours before its scheduled performance at a conservative conference Friday.

The Job Creators Network hosted its annual Freedom Fighters Summit and Gala in Savannah, and the band Yacht Rock Schooner signed a contract to perform. The band canceled Thursday, claiming that it agreed to perform on the premise that the event was apolitical. At the time of the cancellation, the summit had already been well underway. The band performs music from the ’70s and early ’80s for dance parties.

“The band Yacht Rock Schooner defied a 45-day contractual cancellation notice and canceled less than 24 hours before their scheduled performance at JCN’s Freedom Fighters Summit and Gala,” Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz said in a statement first released to The Daily Signal.

“The band’s reason for ditching last minute was our ‘branding and messaging,’” Ortiz added. “Apparently, the band doesn’t want to perform in front of conservative small business champions even though we gave them a full overview of our event before we signed the contract.”

“This type of hyper-partisanship must end,” the Job Creators Network leader declared.

“Small businesses, free markets, and limited government are American principles that no one—and certainly no entertainers—should oppose,” Ortiz added. “JCN is currently considering its legal options to hold the band accountable for its breach of contract.”

Job Creators Network shared the text of an email Yacht Rock Schooner sent when canceling the performance. The Daily Signal reached out to the band to confirm the veracity of this message and to request comment on the legal threat, but the band did not respond by publication time.

“We confirmed this as a private, nonpartisan event called ‘Job Creators Network’ Gala that focuses on small businesses, and it’s just come to our attention that this event is in fact called the ‘Freedom Fighters Summit and Gala’ with very partisan messaging and branding that has never been approved by the artist for usage,” the band’s representative wrote, according to the organization.

“Due to these reasons, Yacht Rock Schooner will not be performing tomorrow,” the representative added.

The Freedom Fighters Summit and Gala featured many prominent speakers and performers. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler spoke on stage Friday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp spoke Thursday night, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will keynote the gala Friday evening. All four are Republicans.

Comedian Rob Schneider performed Thursday night, and singer Lee Greenwood will perform at the gala Friday evening.

The schedule, published well in advance of the event, listed these and other speakers.

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