Matchbox Twenty Causes Rift Between Rodeo and Rights Group

The organizers of Wyoming festival Cheyenne Frontier Days are suing an animal rights group named SHARK after the group pressured Matchbox Twenty to pull out of the performance at the festival. The organizers claim that SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) used "false and misleading information" and "threats of negative publicity" in persuading Rob Thomas and crew to pull out of the festival. The band reportedly dropped out of Frontier Days after the band saw videos of alleged animal abuses from last year's rodeo/concert. Frontier Days organizers say Matchbox Twenty's defection cost them $100,000, and are also suing SHARK for persuading Carrie Underwood to abandon a 2006 Frontier Days performance under similar circumstances. "We ask that (fans) please understand that it would be impossible for us to put ourselves in the position of making money from what we believe to be the mistreatment of animals," Rob Thomas said in a statement.

Related Stories:

• Matchbox Twenty Cancel Frontier Days Performance


• Open-Letter Mailbag, Redux: Radio DJs Respond To Rob Thomas' Open Letter With Open Letter


• Open-Letter Mailbag: Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas Responds To Radio "Blackmail"

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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