Shocked show shut down over gay slur

Michelle Shocked. Michelle Shocked. Photo: Freight And Salvage Photo: Freight And Salvage Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Shocked show shut down over gay slur 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

At Yoshi's San Francisco on Sunday night, singer Michelle Shocked pretty much shocked her audience by saying, among other things, "God hates fags and you can tweet that I said so." This came about halfway through the show, in the middle of a rant against gay marriage, tweeted James Patterson, who was at the show. Something like two-thirds of the crowd walked out.

Even more horrified than the audience were Yoshi's staffers. The manager, assistant club manager, and sound production engineer who were on duty shut down the show immediately, turning off the lights and cutting off the microphone, said Yoshi's representative Lisa Bautista. An apology was made and refunds were offered.

Tweeting started immediately. Patterson thought most fans were offended, but some seemed to think her statements were made ironically, but "If it was intended to be satire or irony, she misread the audience reaction in San Francisco."

On Monday afternoon, Hopmonk Tavern in Novato canceled Shocked's March 29 show because of the singer's comments at Yoshi's, said Dean Birsch. Refunds may be obtained at the place of ticket purchase.