John Maus has been announced as a headliner for New York's vaporwave festival ElectroniCON, taking place in August, and people quickly took to Twitter to share their displeasure due to the musician's ties to the January 6 Capitol riot and his documented donations to Donald Trump's reelection campaign.
UPDATE (6/27, 9:10 a.m. ET): John Maus has been removed from ElectroniCON's lineup. Organizer George Clanton wrote on Instagram, "I, George Clanton, apologize to everyone who felt unseen by this lineup decision, and the artists who have been unduly dragged into controversy." He added, "John Maus and team agreed the best thing for all is to step away from the show."
UPDATE (6/27, 9:10 a.m. ET): John Maus has been removed from ElectroniCON's lineup. Organizer George Clanton wrote on Instagram, "I, George Clanton, apologize to everyone who felt unseen by this lineup decision, and the artists who have been unduly dragged into controversy." He added, "John Maus and team agreed the best thing for all is to step away from the show."
On top of attending the riot, Maus has also been accused of being homophobic due to the lyrics in his 2007 song "Rights for Gays." The lyrics in question include "Tie them to a fence post" and "No, you can't take, take 'em to the bank."
Very disappointed about John Maus being a headliner for Econ4. Shows a clear disconnect with the majority of the community being queer. There's a big chance this could attract the wrong crowd to the event unfortunately.
— Jamie 🏴 (@JamieTSwag) June 25, 2023
The festival's organizer, electronic musician George Clanton, has yet to comment on the pushback that Maus's presence in the lineup has received.
