Country singer Garth Brooks has confirmed that his new bar and honky-tonk Friends in Low Places will not take part in the transphobic boycott of Bud Light.
In a Q&A at Billboard Country Live, the two-time Grammy winner referenced the ongoing Bud Light controversy. Speaking of his business, Brooks said, "I want it to be a place you feel safe in. I want it to be a place that you feel like there are manners and people love one another.”
"And yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We just are," he added.
The Bud Light boycott began after the company partnered with trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney for a marketing campaign, drawing ire from those on the right. Kid Rock, a vocal conservative, went so far as to share a video of himself shooting cans and cases of Bud Light with an automatic rifle.
While Kid Rock and country singer John Rich have suspended the sale of Bud Light at their bars on Nashville's Broadway, Brooks affirmed that Friends in Low Places — which is set to open this summer — will be a place of love, not hate.
"Our thing is this: if you come into this house, love one another," he said. "If you’re an asshole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway to go."
When asked if he wanted to "name any names," Brooks declined and moved on.
The singer's comments are drawing criticism from the far-right on social media. One tweet reads, "Country music star @garthbrooks has no tolerance for Bud Light boycotters, calling them “assholes” and promising he will serve the beer brand in his new Nashville bar. Now I delete every Garth Brooks song from my collection. NEVER AGAIN GARTH!"
Others, like California Rep. Eric Swalwell, have voiced their support for Brooks. "100 [percent] agree with @garthbrooks…love one another and don't be an ass-hole…words to live by," Swalwell shared on his Twitter.
Watch the full Q&A with Brooks from 2023 Billboard Country Live below.
Artist Q+A with Garth Brooks | Billboard Country Livewww.youtube.com