Wilco Cancels Indiana Concert, Promises to Return After ''Odious'' Religious Freedom Restoration Act Is Repealed

"Hope to get back to the Hoosier State someday soon," the band tweeted

By Natalie Finn Mar 31, 2015 12:56 AMTags
WilcoDouglas Gorenstein/NBC

Indiana's latest piece of state legislation that claimed to protect business owners' interests doesn't seem to be doing much for the economy so far.

Amid resounding calls for boycotts, including those saying the NCAA should pull the Final Four out of Indianapolis next weekend, Wilco thought ahead and canceled its May 7 show.

"We're canceling our 5/7 show in Indianapolis. 'Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act' feels like thinly disguised legal discrimination," the band tweeted today in response to the passing last week of said act (aka Senate Enrolled Act 101) that basically allows for business owners to deny services to people if to do business with them conflicts with their religious beliefs. "Hope to get back to the Hoosier State someday soon, when this odious measure is repealed. Refunds available at point of purchase."

The legislation signed by Gov. Mike Pence and duly slammed by Miley Cyrus, Ashton KutcherHillary Clinton Apple CEO Tim Cook and countless others has effectively been interpreted as anti-gay. Pence quickly pushed to clarify that the law did not open the door for disciminatory practices, but...

Try telling that to the many who find the law "odious."

"These bills rationalize injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear," Cook wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post, commenting on the Indiana law and others like it that currently exist in 19 other states. "They go against the very principles our nation was founded on, and they have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality."

Ellen DeGeneres gave shout-outs to some of the companies, including pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, for voicing opposition to the bill, tweeting, "Thank you @Yelp, @Tim_Cook, GenCon, @AngiesList & @EliLillyCo for standing up against Indiana's hateful new law. Support these companies. Go."

And the outrage continues: