Jews face Backstreet dilemma

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jul 16, 2001 Source: Montreal Gazette Submitted By: Sol Carthorudd by Anne Sutherland Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean's trip to rehab has necessitated changing the group's tour dates, but apparently no one thought to consult a calendar before the Montreal stop was rescheduled for the first night of one of the most solemn of Jewish holidays. Rosh Hashanah falls on Sept. 18, and the Boys are scheduled to play the Molson Center Spet. 17. Bad move, said Aviva Katz, a mother of two who spent $325 on three tickets for what was originally a July 26 date. "If the show had initially been scheduled in Sept. 17, I would have looked at the calendar and said 'oh no,' but it was during the summer," Katz said. "I don't know what I'm going to do - I'm up in the air, and my kids are away at camp and they don't know about this. "I'm sure that most people haven't realized what the date represents; it's summer and people won't be looking at the calendar until late August." Katz said that concert scheduling appears to be done without much thought or planning. "One year Elton John came on Yom Kippur and not one Jew I know went to the concert," she said. The Backstreet Boys concert is being staged by Clear Channel Entertainment. A Toronto-branch management employee who did want to give his name said that the rescheduled dates came from the company's head office in New York when McLean's rehab derailed the original concerts, and that there would be no change. "Realistically, I don't think we'll change the dates because of the religious holiday," the employee said. Ticket-holders can request a full refund at point of purchase, the Toronto representative said, if they feel they can't attend the concert for religious or other reasons. Anne Sutherland can be reached at asutherland@thegazette.southam.ca Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: Lemat Submitted by: Ann Submitted by: Edd Submitted by: Halz Submitted by: Ann Elisabeth Submitted by: David Submitted by: Kevin Shen Submitted by: Jennifer Comment on this item. Next Item: Addiction Experts: Bandmates' Support Essential To A.J.'s Recovery Prev Item: Backstreet Boys Speak Out Against Rumors, Still Aiming