‘Will Not Align with an Event Promoting Murderers’: Headliner, All Supporting Acts Cancel on Music Festival After Kyle Rittenhouse Invite

Kyle Rittenhouse is having a hard time making and keeping friends. Two months ago, Rittenhouse — who became a national figure in 2020 after fatally shooting two men during a Kenosha, Wisconsin, protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake — lost considerable street cred with the MAGA movement when he announced he would be writing in Libertarian Ron Paul’s name on his presidential ballot. Kyle Rittenhouse looks back as attorneys discuss items in the motion for mistrial presented by his defense during his trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse on November 17, 2021, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Sean Krajacic – Pool/Getty Images) After being called a “traitor” and worse, Rittenhouse, now 21, backtracked and endorsed Donald Trump, but the damage was done. He was already unlikeable after his 2021 acquittal for the murder charges as he used the outcome of the case for notoriety. Now, the gun rights advocate’s mere presence at an upcoming charity music festival has led many of the metal bands who were scheduled to perform to cancel. Headlining act Evergreen Terrace announced, “We will not align with an event promoting murderers such as Kyle Rittenhouse capitalizing off of their pseudo-celebrity.” Proceeds from Shell Shock...