The Chicks Forced To Postpone Tour Dates Due To Natalie Maines’ Vocal Health

The Chicks have rescheduled a trio of performance dates after pulling out of an Indiana show on Sunday less than 30 minutes into their set.

The country-music trio began their set at the Ruoff Music Center in the Indianapolis suburbs of Noblesville at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday but abruptly backed out when lead singer Natalie Maines appeared to have vocal issues.

According to concert footage posted on Twitter, Maines addressed the crowd while attempting to sing one more song.

“Waiting for the shot to kick in — not a shot of alcohol, a shot of steroids,” she told them before saying she was sorry that she “can’t pull it off.”

On Monday, the 12-time Grammy Award winners issued a statement apologizing to the concertgoers they left hanging.

“Indianapolis, we are so sorry we could not give you the show you deserved or the show we wanted to give you,” the trio said, directing attendees to hold on to their tickets for when the group returns to Indiana.

The “Wide Open Spaces” and “There’s Your Trouble” singers later revealed that they were “forced to postpone” two additional late June dates on the Chicks Tour 2022 “as a result of strict doctor’s orders for vocal rest” and apologized to their fans “for the inconvenience.”

The band, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, will instead appear in Clarkston,Mich., on Sept. 28; Noblesville, Ind., on Sept. 30 and Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 2.

Country-folk star Patty Griffin will still be the group’s supporting act for those shows, they said.

Days earlier, the Chicks — comprising Maines and sisters Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire — played the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn., on Friday after the fest’s two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus.

RESTING YOUR VOICE STRATEGIES

• If it doesn’t feel good, don’t sing!
• Routinely rest your voice for short periods throughout the day – for instance, five minutes per hour. This relaxes the muscles in your throat and gives the vibrating edges a change to rebuild.
• Build longer breaks into the schedule of vocal rehearsals, performances, or other vocally demanding work.
• When voice trouble strikes, negotiate with friends and professors about your needs for silent rest and how else you can communicate.
• If a doctor prescribes absolute vocal rest for a specific injury, follow the rules to avoid more serious or prolonged problems.
• Use vocal rest for mental rehearsal and other career-supporting tasks, as well as for silent reflection and self-discovery.
• Nourish the cells of your voice box most deeply with adequate sleep. Get your 8 hours!