Heart Cancels SeaWorld Concert

It looks like Heart is the latest act to drop out of SeaWorld's Bands, Brew & Barbecue music fest as a protest for the way the park allegedly treats orcas. The Barenaked Ladies was the first band to cancel on SeaWorld; then came Willie Nelson. Now, Heart is in on...

By Chris Joseph

December 9, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

It looks like Heart is the latest act to drop out of SeaWorld's Bands, Brew & Barbecue music fest as a protest for the way the park allegedly treats orcas.

The Barenaked Ladies was the first band to cancel on SeaWorld; then came Willie Nelson.

Now, Heart is in on the Orca rights action. The classic-rock band took to its official Twitter over the weekend to announce that it too was canceling its gig with SeaWorld thanks, again, to the CNN-aired documentary Blackfish, which exposes the dangers of keeping orcas in captivity and interviews former trainers who speak of their regret over harming the animals.

Heart has chosen to decline their forthcoming performance at SeaWorld on 2/9/14 due to the controversial documentary film 'Black Fish'.
— Heart (@officialheart) December 8, 2013

I am a big Orca fan. I hosted a nature documentary once called Baby Wild all about Orcas. I'm happy to stand w/all of u to protect our animals
— Nancy Wilson (@NancyHeartMusic) December 8, 2013

The Sea World show was planned long ago as an Orlando show. Had we known, we'd have said no then. We said no today. Love you all
— Nancy Wilson (@NancyHeartMusic) December 7, 2013

The music festival, which is scheduled to go down throughout February, features weekend shows for parkgoers. But after their fans made Barenaked Ladies aware of Blackfish, the band released a statement saying it was taking itself out of the festival.

Willie Nelson's cancellation soon followed after 8,500 fans signed a petition asking him to cancel his February 1 show.

The Blackfish documentary has been prompting other celebrities, such as Howard Stern, to speak out against SeaWorld.

The doc has also spurred protests from people from all walks of life, including a 12-year-old girl who crashed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to stage a solo protest of the SeaWorld float as she chanted "Boycott SeaWorld" and waved a sign.

REO Speedwagon, Justin Moore, Martina McBride, and .38 Special were still scheduled to perform at SeaWorld's music fest. Though it's probably only a matter of time before petitions reach them as well.

Send your story tips to the author, Chris Joseph. Follow Chris Joseph on Twitter

Follow @NewTimesBroward

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.