The venue was perfectly willing to host the comic.

That A list comic who was supposedly canceled by the venue because they became woke is not the whole story.

The venue was perfectly willing to host the comic.

Apparently though, the entire staff called out and refused to come in and work the shows which meant the venue had to cancel.

Dave Chappelle

First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN

Dave Chappelle show canceled by venue hours before performance

Hours before Dave Chappelle was set to hit the stage in Minneapolis, the venue canceled the sold-out show.

First Avenue, well known as the venue featured in Prince’s 1984 film “Purple Rain,” declined to host Chappelle’s comedy show after backlash over comments in some of his previous Netflix specials that have been criticized as transphobic.

“The Dave Chappelle show tonight at First Avenue has been canceled and is moving to the Varsity Theater,” First Avenue writes in a post on its verified Instagram account.

“To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you and we are sorry,” the statement reads. “We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.”

The statement continues: “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have. We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback.”

Chappelle has made jokes about the trans community in sets over the years, but his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer” increased ire among some in the LGBTQ+ community and its allies after Chappelle said he was “team TERF,” the term for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” – Source