Michelle Shocked Loses Tour After Anti-Gay Rant
Posted by Joseph Lee on 03.19.2013
Several clubs don't want her anymore...
Billboard reports that Michelle Shocked has now had ten out of her eleven upcoming concert dates canceled after an anti-gay rant at a San Francisco concert on Sunday night.
Clubs from Santa Cruz, CA to Evanston, IL have pulled her appearances from their schedules. Meander's Kitchen in Seattle canceled her April 26 show "due to her homophobic performance in San Francisco last night, during which she actually said 'God Hates Fags" (according to the club's Facebook). The Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado replaced Shocked, who would have performed on June 23.
The concert was at Yoshi's in San Francisco on St. Patrick's Day. She went on the rant before her second set. She said: "When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back. You can go on Twitter and say, 'Michelle Shocked says God hates (anti-gay slur).'"
The venue tried to mute the singer after and declared that the show was over. It's unknown if the comment was meant to be legitimate or sarcastic, as Shocked has not commented on it after, just using Twitter to retweet others who defend or criticize her. Many thought she was being ironic.
One fan wrote: "@MShocked God loves us. God says we must love and minister. God does not say we should sin. God's love forgives our sins when we seek mercy.
Another added: "@MShocked Praying for you. Never fun to get chased by a mob with no sense of irony or nuance."
The only US date left is at the Harmony Bar in Madison, Wisconsin. A person who worked there replied that they "won't know a damn thing until the boss comes back in eight days."
Shocked's albums include 1988's Short Sharp Shocked and 1992's Arkansas Traveler. She has made these kinds of comments before. At the Wild Goose Festival in 2011, she was asked about her thoughts on homosexuality. She said: "Who drafted me as a gay icon? You are looking at the world's greatest homophobe. Ask God what He thinks."
Canceled Dates:
April 23 at McCabe's in Santa Monica
April 28 at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz
April 29 at HopMonk in Novato, CA
April 24 at the Palms Playhouse in Winter, CA
April 25 at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR
April 26 at Meanders Kitchen in Seattle
April 27 at Cozmic in Eugene, OR
May 3 at eTown Hall in Boulder, CO
May 5 at S.P.A.C.E in Evanston, IL
June 23 at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival
