ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld on Monday announced that The Commodores and country music singer Justin Moore will perform this weekend at its Bands, Brew and BBQ event, which came under fire after the release of the controversial documentary "Blackfish."
The legendary Motown group will perform Saturday, and Moore will play Sunday. Both concerts will be held at the park's Bayside Stadium and start at 4 p.m.
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Nine other acts previously canceled their appearances at the event, including Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies, Cheap Trick, Trace Adkins and Martina McBride.
Moore was one of the few original acts to remain on board after the uproar over "Blackfish" began.
'Blackfish' backlash
The entertainers' exodus from SeaWorld's calendar began soon after "Blackfish" aired in October. The film tells the story of the killing of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau by an orca in 2010. It raises questions about the safety and humaneness of keeping killer whales in captivity.
Online petitions and social media postings targeted the acts who had signed on to play at the park.
The Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies was the first to cancel, reacting to a petition posted on Change.org.
"This is a complicated issue, and we don't claim to understand all of it, but we don't feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time," the band said on its Facebook page.
"I don't agree with the way they treat their animals," Willie Nelson said on Dec. 6 when he canceled. "It wasn't that hard a deal for me."
Sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart did not elaborate last month when they announced their decision to cancel at SeaWorld, although they acknowledged it was "due to the controversial documentary film."
SeaWorld's defense
SeaWorld said it would like the musical artists to learn for themselves about SeaWorld.
"The bands and artists have a standing invitation to visit any of our parks to see firsthand or to speak to any of our animal experts to learn for themselves how we care for animals and how little truth there is to the allegations made by animal extremist groups opposed to the zoological display of marine mammals," Gollattscheck said.
SeaWorld says the documentary ignores the park's conservation efforts and research.
"More than 11 million people a year visit SeaWorld parks and most will see a killer whale presentation during their visit," Gollattscheck said. "Over the course of our 50-year history hundreds of millions of people have experienced killer whales in our parks. There is tremendous appeal in that kind of inspirational and educational experience and we anticipate that killer whale display will continue for generations to come."
The controversy did not appear to dampen the profits of the parent company. Propelled by fourth-quarter attendance, SeaWorld expects an estimated $1.46 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2013, the company announced Monday.
The results, while preliminary, are expected to be a record for the 50-year-old company. SeaWorld reported total revenue in 2012 of $1.42 billion, according to SEC filings. Strong attendance numbers at its flagship locations in Orlando, San Diego, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas, among others, helped boost the marine park's gains.
"We are very pleased with our fourth quarter performance, particularly for the SeaWorld-branded parks in Orlando and San Diego, which helped us to achieve record revenue for the year," said SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. President and CEO Jim Atchison in a news release.