Big Thief Cancel Concerts in Israel, Venues Calls Band “Cowards”

Amid public outcry from many of their fans, Big Thief have canceled a pair of upcoming shows scheduled in Tel Aviv, Israel.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Big Thief sought to clarify remarks made in their initial announcement of the shows. “When we spoke of loving ‘beyond disagreement’ and not knowing ‘where the moral high ground lies,’ that was in specific reference to playing shows in Israel during a time when BDS is calling for a cultural boycott. This was not in reference to the Israeli occupation and the displacement of Palestinians,” the band wrote.

“To be clear, we oppose the illegal occupation and the systematic oppression of the Palestinian people. We believe in total freedom and self-determination for all Palestinians.”

Big Thief said their original intent in playing the shows was so that they could explore bassist Max Oleartchik’s hometown in Israel in the same way that he had done for them as they toured the United States. “Our intent in wanting to play the shows in Tel Aviv, where Max was born, raised, and currently lives, stemmed from a simple belief that music can heal. We now recognize that the shows we had booked do not honor that sentiment. We are sorry to those we hurt with the recklessness and naïveté of our original statement on playing Israel and we hope those who were planning to attend the shows understand our choice to cancel them.”

Barby’s, the venue in Tel Aviv where Big Thief had been scheduled to perform, responded to the cancelation by declaring the band “cowards” and “spineless musicians who are afraid of their own shadow” (via The Line of Best Fit).

This is a developing story…