Confederate Railroad Loses Another Gig Over Name and Logo

The band Confederate Railroad is once again under fire because of its name and logo. On the heels of being removed from the lineup of one fair, it seems that the country-rock and Southern rock band have been once again removed from an upcoming fair in New York over the allegations that their name is racist.

Confederate Railroad was slated to put on a show at the Ulster County Fair in New Paltz, New York on the 1st of August. In a statement released on the 25th of July, a spokesperson for the Ulster County Fair, Pat Ryan, has expressed that the band, whose logo features a steam train flying two confederate flags, will not perform at the event. 

Confederate Railroad’s Conundrum

According to a story ran by the San Francisco Chronicle, Ryan further commented that the 

“Ulster County Fair must be an event that everyone can enjoy while representing the values of all members of our community” and that “any showcasing of a symbol of division and racism runs counter to that principle and will be vigorously opposed by my administration.”

The flag on the band’s logo has come under increasing scrutiny and criticism and is often considered as a racist symbol that represents years of slavery and segregation.

However, Confederate Railroad frontman Danny Shirley echoed the words of their support who said that the flag represents nothing more than their Southern Heritage. 

In a statement released by Shirley, he maintained that he 

“loves the part of the country I’m from, and I will never apologize for that.”

According to Shirley, the band’s name was derived from a steam locomotive called the General, which was commandeered in Georgia by a Union raiding party during the Civil War.

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