Halifax venue cancels Sun Kil Moon concert after backlash
Seahorse Tavern apologized for its “misstep” after inviting Mark Kozelek to perform there this fall despite his history of sexual misconduct allegations.
Photo courtesy of @2037gottingen on Instagram
It’s happened to the best of us: you’re zoning out with your music on shuffle, head swaying to the beat, when you come to and realize—no—you’ve been humming along to “Carry Me Ohio.” Why take issue with this six-minute masterpiece, you ask? Well, it was written and performed by Mark Kozelek, who was accused of sexual misconduct by ten women in 2020 and 2021. After hiding out for two years and sufficiently licking his creepy wounds, Kozelek, also of Red House Painters, returned to the stage, announcing a slate of concerts in Hungary and Slovenia.
Kozelek previously denied all sexual misconduct allegations, but the people of Halifax still don’t think he should be playing gigs in their town. Kozelek had been planning to end his forthcoming North American tour at the region’s Seahorse Tavern, which purports to be “Nova Scotia’s oldest.” Yesterday, the entertainment group that owns the tavern, 2037 Gottingen, posted on Instagram that it had “decided we will not be moving forward with the September 15th booking of Sun Kil Moon.” The announcement continued, “Listening to our community is of the utmost importance and we are grateful to those who brought this misstep to our attention and apologize to anyone who felt their voice was left unheard.”
The group announced refunds would be issued to those who had already purchased tickets. Kozelek has yet to respond to the event’s cancellation; he still has seven Canadian tour dates booked for September 2026. The post was appropriately accompanied by a picture of Kozelek looking contemplative, emblazoned with a red “EVENT CANCELLED.”
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