Odds & Ends: Willie Nelson, Faces, Warped Tour, ShipRocked

A little over a week after Barenaked Ladies canceled its show at SeaWorld in Orlando based on fans’ response to the documentary “Blackfish” and protests over SeaWorld’s reported mistreatment of killer whales in captivity, Willie Nelson has nixed his Feb. 1 gig at the park.

Both cancellations were preceded by Change.org petitions that collected thousands of signatures in hopes of swaying the acts not to play SeaWorld. But while the Barenaked Ladies posted a statement saying “this is a complicated issue … but we don’t feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time,” Nelson is staying mum about why he’s called off the show.

Change.org reported that a representative for Nelson’s management, Mark Rothbaum & Associates, confirmed the SeaWorld show has been canceled. His publicist said, “There is no statement.”

Looks like there might be some more Faces reunion dates – but this time Rod Stewart would be on vocals.

“I think we have got much more of a chance of getting the Faces back together, in fact,” Stewart told Boston’s WZLX radio when asked about the prospects of a new album from his old band.   

“Ronnie [Wood]’s office is talking to my people, and we’re ear-marking 2015,” he added, according to RTE Ten (via Rolling Stone).

When the surviving members of Faces reunited for a handful of dates in 2010 and 2011, Ron Wood, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones toured with Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall filling in on vocals and Sex Pistol’s Glen Matlock handling bass. Original bassist Ronnie Lane died in 1997.

Rolling Stone notes that Stewart last fronted Faces at the 1993 Brit Awards. After planning on reuniting with his bandmates at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2012 Stewart ended up missing the occasion because he suddenly came down with the flu.

Now that tickets are on sale for Vans Warped Tour 2014, it’s the perfect timing to announce the initial lineup for the annual North American trek.

So far the roster includes For Today, Stray From The Path, Air Dubai, The Mixtapes and Teenage Bottlerocket.

The outing kicks off June 14 at Salt Lake City’s Utah State Fairpark and winds down with an Aug. 3 stop in Houston at the Reliant Center.

Tickets start at $23.50 (plus fees). A post on the tour’s Facebook says, “Remember buy early, pay less … buy later, pay more.”

For more information visit WarpedTour.com.

ShipRocked has some good news and some bad news. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first – cabins for the rock music cruise are all sold out. (Of course, this is good news for organizers!) On the bright side, you can still sign up for the waiting list because it’s possible cabins may become available.

The ocean adventure sets sail Jan. 26 from Miami for a five-day journey to a private island in the Bahamas. 

The good news for those who have already secured their cabins on the Norwegian Pearl is that comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alumni Jim Breuer – who does some killer impersonations of Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC – has joined the lineup along with Living Colour.

The previously announced roster includes more than 20 bands including Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, Sevendust, Candlebox, In This Moment and Lacuna Coil.

For more information visit ShipRocked.com.