SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 2, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Comic Patton Oswalt announced Thursday he’s canceled his planned shows in Utah and Florida, saying the venues won’t fully comply with COVID-19 safety protocols.
Oswalt had been scheduled for a Jan. 7 show at Kingsbury Hall. Their website confirms the show has been cancelled.
“Hey guys, it’s Patton,” says Oswalt’s Instagram statement.
“Some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the ‘Patton Oswalt Live Who’s Ready to Laugh’ tour is going to be requiring audience members to either show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test, that will be taken within 72 hours from the time of entry or 48 hours, depending on your local venue regulations…. So the good news is, we are keeping everyone who is coming to the shows, safe, and healthy because the numbers are going up.
“Now the bad news, of course, is there are five venues on the tour that are not complying with this, and I’ll give you one guess as to which state it was. That’s right my four December dates in Florida are going to be canceled. I know this sucks. Also, my date in Salt Lake City in 2022.”
Oswalt said the safety protocol decision was made because of rising COVID-19 numbers, “and also because I have an ego but my ego is not big enough to think that people should die to hear my stupid comedy. So hopefully in the future we can rebook those when sanity holds sway again. But this sucks. I was really looking forward to Florida and to Salt Lake City.”
In his Instagram comments, Oswalt described Salt Lake City as “an eerily beautiful city where the sun refracts through the mountains and gives everything this otherworldly glow.”
Oswalt says he hopes to reschedule both gigs “when sanity holds sway again.”
“Please stay safe,” he said, “and for the cities I’m coming to, I’ll see you there.”
The USANA Amphitheater and Live! at the Eccles have recently announced they have or will soon transition to a system requiring audience members show proof of full vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test prior to admission.
The Jonas Brothers tour, which plays USANA on Friday, is also requiring audience proof of vaccination or a negative test. All USANA shows will require full vaccination or a recent negative test starting on Oct. 4, the venue says on its website.
