Long-running Southern rock / country band Confederate Railroad are encountering more problems due to their their name and the use of the Confederate flag in their logo. They were dropped from “90s Country ReLoaded Day” at the Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois earlier this month, and now Billboard reports that the Ulster County Fair in New York’s Hudson Valley has canceled the band’s August 1 appearance there. “The Ulster County Fair must be an event that everyone can enjoy while representing the values of all members of our community,” Ryan said in a prepared statement. “Any showcasing of a symbol of division and racism runs counter to that principle and will be vigorously opposed by my administration.” The Confederate flag has come under more and more criticism in recent years, and its seen by many as a symbol for racism and slavery.
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” frontman Danny Shirley told Billboard. “I love the part of the country I’m from, and I will never apologize for that.” The band’s name and logo were inspired by an actual steam locomotive called the General that is on display in Shirley’s onetime home of Kennesaw, GA, he added. Their logo, which you can see at the top of this post, is still being used. “It seems that everybody kind of gets looking for something to get upset about,” Shirley said. “And I guess I’m just the flavor of the month.”