Phish has canceled the 11th installment of the weekly Dinner and a Movie webcast. The move comes in response to the growing “Blackout Tuesday” movement gaining steam in the music industry calling for a halt in the release of any music on Tuesday, June 2nd. This movement comes after nationwide protests surfaced in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, MN last week.
The cancellation of Dinner and a Movie follows Joe Russo’s Almost Dead‘s cancellation of RAD Night In America, also set for Tuesday. Additionally, a slew of record companies have also announced on social media their abstention from releasing any content on Tuesday, June 2nd. The goal, they say, is not to have a “day off,” but rather to spend the day reflecting on recent events and engaging with the community at large.
This week’s Dinner and a Movie was set to feature the band’s July 26th, 2013 performance at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA. According to a post on the band’s Facebook page, that concert will now be streamed next Tuesday, June 9th, instead. The full post from the band read,
Phish stands in solidarity with all those working to eliminate systemic racism. We are deeply troubled by the senseless killing of George Floyd and the injustice shown to countless others over the years. Building a better society requires every single one of us to play an active role.
Today, The WaterWheel Foundation is donating to Color of Change, a non-profit devoted to racial justice. Tomorrow night’s Dinner and a Movie webcast will be postponed until next week.
As more and more artists and music industry professionals get behind the “Blackout Tuesday” movement, expect more live stream cancellations for tomorrow.