Matchbox Twenty recently canceled an upcoming appearance at the Cheyenne Frontier Days, explaining that they couldn’t yell “I gaowt uh duhzeez!” while animals were being abused at the popular Wyoming Rodeo. The company has struck back with a lawsuit, saying this is costing them a hundred grand. Thing is, it’s not the sensitive adult contemporary icons getting sued. Instead, the event’s booking company is suing the animal rights organization SHARK for inspiring the band to drop out. Romeo Entertainment claims that SHARK used “false and misleading information” and “threats of negative publicity” to scare the band, and that they did the same with Carrie Underwood in 2006. (I guess nobody gave a shit about the lil’ dogies in 2007.) But can you legally keep a protest group from contacting performers?

Omaha, Neb.-based Romeo Entertainment Group filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Cheyenne against SHARK, which stands for Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, and its president Steve Hindi.

The lawsuit contends Hindi and SHARK, which is based in Geneva, Ill., used “false and misleading information” and “threats of negative publicity” in its effort to persuade entertainers to cancel their performances at the rodeo.

The lawsuit says Romeo Entertainment has lost more than $100,000 from Matchbox Twenty dropping out of its scheduled July 18 performance.

The lawsuit also blamed SHARK for singer Carrie Underwood’s decision to cancel a scheduled performance at Frontier Days in 2006. It did not provide a dollar figure on the loss of the Underwood concert.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop Hindi and SHARK from contacting any entertainers that have agreed or may agree in the future to perform at Frontier Days.

Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Pickler, Sugarland, and several other country acts with thicker skin than city boy Rob Thomas are still scheduled to perform at the event in July. But you can see how SHARK’s Web site could scare off the meek. Still, shouldn’t the rodeo be suing SHARK for libel or defamation of character rather than suggesting the group shouldn’t be allowed to talk to its contracted entertainers? It would seem the company would have to prove the falsehood of SHARK’s claims either way, and then there wouldn’t be any free speech issues involved.

Matchbox Twenty’s Wyoming rodeo cancellation spurs lawsuit [International Herald-Tribune]
Shark’s Website
Cheyenne Frontier Days’ Website