Politically-Charged Performances: Work Visas and Band

politically-charged performances: It's more than just promises of bands using SXSW as a stage for politically-charged performances in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration The festival has come under fire itself for warning international artists that bad behavior could result in it making a call to U.S. immigration agents, according to CBC. Unrelated, but still stoking concerns, was the Italian band Soviet Soviet posting on Facebook on Friday that it was denied entry into the U.S. Soviet Soviet claimed U.S. customs officials in Seattle said the band members needed work visas, but the band says it didn't believe work visas were required for a promotional and unpaid tour. Tensions over immigration have put a heavy air over the typically breezy weeklong music bash that begins Monday and includes headliners The Avett Brothers, Weezer and the Wu-Tang Clan dropping into Austin, along with roughly 2,000 other acts from around the world. Trump's revised travel ban blocks new visas for people from six predominantly Muslim countries including Somalia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. Unlike the original order, the new one says current visa holders won't be affected, and it removes language that would give priority to religious minorities. It also temporarily shuts down the U.S. refugee program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.