Barenaked Ladies are calling off their concert at SeaWorld after viewing Blackfish, a CNN documentary on the treatment of the sea mammals at the theme park.
Blackfish tells the story of a SeaWorld trainer killed in 2010 by an orca named Tilikum. After the documentary aired, fans of the Barenaked Ladies started an online petition calling on them to cancel a February concert.
Barenaked Ladies was set to perform at the Orlando park on February 15 as part of the park’s “Bands, Brew & BBQ” event.
In the days afterward, Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart posted a message saying the band had viewed Blackfish and was “looking at options.”
On Wednesday, the band announced via Facebook that it was canceling the SeaWorld concert:
“Hey everybody. We’ve talked things over, and decided not to play at Seaworld at this time. We watch movies too, ya know! Have you seen Star Trek IV? It’s quite good. Kidding… We sometimes do that.
“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. The Seaworld folks have been gracious, and extended us invitations to the park to learn more about what they do, and how they do it.
“We encourage anybody and everybody to get involved with a charity organization they feel passionate about. We here at Barenaked Ladies 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. Their sensibilities resonate with ours, and have for decades now. We’ve grown up together. Ultimately though, we made the decision that WE feel good about.
‘Thanks for all of your support. We’ll see you all at a mutually agreeable concert venue in the near future!”
The Barenaked Ladies concert is no longer listed on the SeaWorld events.
