Ashanti concert off, TicketMaster says
Singer was to be headliner for LITFest
The Ashanti concert that was to headline LITFest has been canceled, according to TicketMaster.
The concert was originally set for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Robinson Center Performance Hall in Little Rock.
The performance was scheduled as part of LITFest, which was canceled by Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. on Tuesday after the city manager canceled a contract with the promoter and the city attorney raised questions about the legality of the contract.
Those who purchased tickets do not need to do anything for a refund, according to the Ticketmaster website.
Once funds are received from the event organizer, Ticketmaster will send the payment back to the original method of payment used to purchase the tickets, the website states.
According to the website, the refund is usually complete within 30 days.
The city made the decision earlier this year to partner with public-affairs firm called Think Rubix in order to produce the festival. The firm announced it had hired Scott’s former chief of staff, Charles Blake, a week before Little Rock revealed the firm had been selected for LITFest.
On Monday, Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore informed Think Rubix that he was terminating the agreement for unspecified contract violations.
Ahead of the festival’s cancellation, new documents shed light on Blake’s involvement with Think Rubix’s bid. They also revealed prior discussions among officials about LITFest’s financial architecture.
Records obtained by local attorney Matthew Campbell, author of the “Blue Hog Report” blog, showed Blake participated in conversations at Think Rubix regarding the firm’s bid, contradicting Little Rock’s initial assertion that the former chief of staff was not involved.
The records indicated officials such as Kendra Pruitt, Scott’s current chief of staff, had discussed routing additional dollars from sponsors to a nonprofit group tied to Think Rubix, with the idea that the nonprofit — called the Foundation for Social Impact — would keep a percentage of the proceeds.
In a letter to city officials Friday, Little Rock City Attorney Tom Carpenter referred to a videoconference meeting in which Pruitt expressed a desire to avoid the city board’s review by using sponsorship money to fund LITFest. “The video creates serious legal concerns about this contract,” Carpenter wrote.
The city manager canceled the agreement three days later.