Barenaked Ladies Cancel SeaWorld Concert After 9,700+ Fans Sign Online Petition

After more than 9,700 fans (inspired by the documentary Blackfish) signed a Change.org petition, the Barenaked Ladies have cancelled their February concert at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.

SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck told CNN: "Barenaked Ladies are not scheduled to perform at SeaWorld. They are not part of our concert line up."

The petition was launched by BNL fan Mike Garrett, of St. Catharines, Ontario. Garrett, who once met the band, said he had been hopeful that their "natural ability to connect with their fans" would ultimately lead them to take his petition seriously.

Says Mike: "I couldn't be happier that so many people signed so quickly, and that the band responded just as fast; it's proof that when we all speak up on something that matters, we can change things for the better. It's also proof that BNL have a social conscience and that they're the great guys we thought they were. It's one thing for celebrities to say they care about animals, it's another for them to actually act on their beliefs and give up what I'm guessing is quite a bit of money."

On Monday, BNL drummer Tyler Stewart, when asked by a fan to cancel the show in light of the documentary, tweeted: "Like you, we've seen the movie and were affected. We're currently looking at options on how to proceed."

Inspired by Mike's campaign, Danielle Legg of Amherst, New York has launched a new petition on Change.org calling on Willie Nelson to follow BNL's lead and cancel his February concert at SeaWorld in Orlando. Danielle had originally signed Mike's petition to the Barenaked Ladies.