January 6 attendee to perform at San Francisco music venue

"Controversial indie musician Ariel Pink is booked to play San Francisco this week. The show at the Chapel, with opening act Donnie Emerson (whose unlikely hit "Baby" was notably covered by Pink), has led to blowback on social media due to Pink's politics. The appearance is further complicated by Pink's behavior at the venue in 2017, which served as fodder for a lawsuit against the musician."

"Pink emerged in the early 2000s, with his lo-fi, outsider recordings first championed by Animal Collective's Paw Tracks label. He developed a cult following with musicians, including the San Francisco frontman of Girls, Christopher Owens, who referred to him as "the best songwriter of our time." He began to release slightly more polished albums throughout the early 2010s, with a breakout single "Round and Round" on his 2010 album "Before Today.""

"Pink has courted controversy throughout his career, long before his attendance at then-outgoing President Donald Trump's Jan. 6 rally (he did not continue on to the Capitol). An op-ed published in Pitchfork in 2014 called him "just a troll looking for some action" after he referred to Grimes as "stupid and retarded," alongside negative comments about gay marriage, pedophilia, accusations of misogyny and praise for the Westboro Baptist Church."

"Always an erratic performer, his 2017 show at the Chapel turned out to be a pivotal moment for Pink (he has since returned for two nights in 2019 and played Cornerstone in Berkeley last year). Concertgoers at the time accused Pink online of pinning down his bandmate and then-girlfriend, Charlotte Ercoli, onstage in "a very assault-y fashion." Pink took to Twitter to apologize for his actions, and Ercoli made light of the event"

Ariel Pink is booked to play San Francisco at the Chapel with opener Donnie Emerson, whose hit "Baby" was notably covered by Pink. The booking has provoked social media blowback over Pink's politics and is complicated by his 2017 behavior at the venue that later became part of a lawsuit. Pink rose in the early 2000s via lo-fi recordings championed by Animal Collective's Paw Tracks and developed a cult following among musicians like Christopher Owens. He had a mainstream breakthrough with the 2010 single "Round and Round." Controversy has followed him for years, including offensive remarks, praise for Westboro Baptist Church, and attendance at a Jan. 6 rally.

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