It's uncertain whether Luzerne County will be rocking Halfway to Hell on Friday or not.
The group chosen to replace Philadelphia rock band Low Cut Connie at this Friday's Rockin' The River concert in Wilkes-Barre has come under scrutiny over the founder's past.
AC/DC tribute band Halfway To Hell is scheduled to perform at the 6 p.m. event, but Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said she was informed that founder Forrest Kline pleaded guilty to a felony sex crime in 2008 and is considering whether to cancel the performance.
"I was made aware of it," Crocamo said of the legal case. "I am going to review it, and I'll have a decision by Thursday."
WVIA emailed the band through an address on its webpage seeking comment from Kline, but has not yet received any response.
Local ABC affiliate WNEP-TV reported that Kline told them he is not performing at the event and had no further comment.
According to the Wilkes-Barre-based band's website, it was founded in 2013 by Kline, who is known professionally by his first name, Forrest. There are several members and Kline is one of two vocalists.
Low Cut Connie replacement
The free all-ages summer concert series takes place at the River Common along the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre.
The annual series is presented by Visit Luzerne County — which is the county's visitors' bureau — and the Riverfront Parks Committee.
Halfway To Hell was chosen to perform earlier this summer after Crocamo said she received complaints about Low Cut Connie's content.
Low Cut Connie was named as the July 25 headliner when the series' seventh-year performers were announced in April.
Without public explanation, Visit Luzerne County later issued releases identifying Halfway to Hell: A Tribute to AC/DC as the July 25 act.
Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Weiner told WVIA this week that the county called his agent several weeks ago with concerns about whether his show "was going to be family-friendly and what the content of the show was going to be like."
"We thought that walking away from that conversation, that their concerns had been addressed," he said.
Instead, Weiner's agent received a letter saying the show was canceled, with no reason given. When the county repeatedly failed to respond, Weiner took to social media on Monday to blast the decision.
While the band was paid the $10,000 it was contractually owed, Weiner expressed frustration over the decision. He feels it was political because of his views on diversity, inclusion and the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids nationwide.
Some of those views are reflected in songs such as the band's “Livin in the USA," which addresses the fears surrounding what Weiner described as the "absolutely inhumane and anti-American" Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
Crocamo on Monday initially released a brief statement saying, "Our goal is to have a place where we can enjoy music, food, promote our community, have fun, be safe and free of politics and propaganda."
She later told WVIA that she had concerns about whether people who objected to Weiner's message might put concertgoers in jeopardy.
THIS WEEK'S COVERAGE
● Monday: Low Cut Connie frontman blasts Luzerne County over 'political' cancelation
● Tuesday: Crocamo and Low Cut Connie lead singer weigh in on canceled Luzerne County concert
● Wednesday: Questions hang over AC/DC tribute band for Friday night's Rockin' The River concert in Wilkes-Barre
● Thursday: Crocamo says Rockin' The River will proceed, but with a replacement AC/DC cover band
What defines family-friendly?
Weiner called the safety concerns "absurd," and wondered how the replacement band was considered more suitable for an all-ages audience.
AC/DC, founded in 1973 in Sydney, Australia, is "among the best-selling bands in recorded music history," as this 2017 NPR story put it.
The local tribute band's name riffs on AC/DC's blockbuster 1979 album "Highway to Hell."
Despite the band's worldwide acclaim, it has not been immune to controversy. Even some of its fans have questioned how AC/DC's lyrics stand the test of time, especially in their depiction of women.
Its lengthy collection of song titles includes many for the ages — "Back in Black," "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," and "Hell's Bells."
But aside from singing about Hell a lot, the band also included a healthy helping of sex and violence in its repertoire with such tracks as "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" and "Let Me Put My Love Into You."
It wasn't clear which songs the band might play Friday at Rockin' The River.
"I love AC/DC, but the lyrics of their songs are actually not family-friendly," Weiner said Tuesday.
"The name of the band is Halfway to Hell," he added. "Like how that is more family-friendly than my show is beyond me."