Portland's Black Pussy Got Kicked off a Show in Canada Following Outrage Over Its Name

Portland band Black Pussy continues to stir up controversy—this time in Canada.

A venue in Calgary called the Palomino Smokehouse canceled an appearance by the all-white, all-male stoner-rock troupe following a deluge of negative feedback over its name. In particular, organizers of the feminist arts festival Femme Wave, scheduled to take place at the club in November, announced it would change locations following the booking.

"Please be advised that we have officially cancelled Black Pussy from our September 17th lineup," the Palomino posted on its Facebook page yesterday. "We are sorry if any of our supporters, friends, regulars, partners or peers are disappointed or offended as that was certainly not our intent."

Although the band has been playing around Portland for a few years, the backlash over its name went national last year when it began touring in support of its album Magic Mustache. An online petition calling for the boycott of any venue that booked them gathered 1,700 signatures, and the band was forced to cancel a show in North Carolina amid protests and threats to the venue.

Related: "Black Pussy is Portland's most controversial band."

When asked about the name in a Willamette Week profile in 2015, Black Pussy frontman Dustin Hill said he chose it because it sounded "sexy and '70s."

"I'm not going to change the name because I'm afraid it'll hurt my project," he said. "I've committed to it, because that's what artists do: They commit to an idea."

In response to the Palomino cancellation, the band dug its heels in further:

Willamette Week