CHURCH OF MISERY's North American Tour Canceled

The recently announced North American tour by Japan's doom lords Church Of Misery has been canceled, a victim of the partial government shutdown here in the U.S. Church of Misery was due to play St. Paul at the Turf Club on Halloween, Thursday, October 31 with Wizard Rifle and Vulgaari. Nothing official has been released yet by the band to the best of my knowledge, but a post on Vulgaari's Facebook page reads:

"Due to our government being a bunch of whiney children who can't get along and would rather just take their ball and go home... Our Halloween show with Church of Misery is not happening. Being from Japan, they're having work visa issues due to the government shutdown. Huge bummer. This will hopefully be rescheduled. We'll keep you posted."

A post by the Turf Club on the event's Facebook page confirms this: "This show is going to be rescheduled. COM had visa issues due to the government shutdown."

The tour was slated to start October 18 in Oakland, and wrap up in Los Angeles on November 23. Shouldn't processing and approving work visas for metal bands be an essential government function??