TORONTO — Canadian pop-rock band Barenaked Ladies has pulled the plug on a show at SeaWorld after watching Blackfish — a documentary about the alleged mistreatment of marine animals at the popular tourist attraction.
“This is a complicated issue, and we don’t claim to understand all of it, but we don’t feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time,” reads a message on the group’s Facebook page.
Barenaked Ladies was scheduled to perform Feb. 15 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.
Fan Mike Garrett of St. Catharines, Ont. launched an online petition urging the band to cancel the show. “I know they have a social conscience,” he wrote, “and I sincerely hope that they choose not to support cruel captivity.”
More than 11,000 people added their names to the petition.
BNL drummer Tyler Stewart acknowledged on Twitter the band saw Blackfish “and were affected.” He added: “We’re currently looking at options on how to proceed.”
In the Facebook message posted late Wednesday, BNL explained: “We have made a decision based on what we feel. It’s not about money, or petitions, or press … But it is about our fans. We listen to them, and they’re important to us.”
Barenaked Ladies said SeaWorld has invited the band to the park “to learn more about what they do, and how they do it.’
SeaWorld’s concert line-up currently includes shows by artists like Willie Nelson, Martina McBride and Cheap Trick.
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