Dave Matthews Band will donate the proceeds from their upcoming concert in Charlotte to five organizations fighting North Carolina’s recently enacted transgender bathroom law.
Unlike other artists who have cancelled concerts in the state in opposition to the law, Dave Matthews Band will go ahead with its scheduled May 27 show at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte.
In a brief statement on their website, the band announced that a portion of proceeds from the performance would go to five organizations working to fight the law: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Lambda Legal, ACLU of North Carolina, Equality NC and Time Out Youth.
The band selected the beneficiary organizations with the assistance of NC Needs You, an organization that encourages artists and musicians to honor previously scheduled engagements in North Carolina.
The state’s HB 2 — signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory last month — mandates that transgender individuals use public bathrooms that correspond with their biological sex. The law also prohibits cities in North Carolina from passing their own non-discrimination ordinances.
A slew of high-profile artists and filmmakers — including Bruce Springsteen, rock bands Boston and Pearl Jam and pop stars Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato — have all cancelled concerts in North Carolina in solidarity with the opposition to HB 2.
A small number of artists have gone on to play scheduled concerts in the state, including Beyoncé, who also promoted the Equality NC organization ahead of her performance in Raleigh earlier this month.
Dave Matthews Band began their cross-country 25th anniversary tour earlier this year. The band performs next at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, Alabama on Tuesday.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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