The dry-rot blues

Thursday night's free concert in Westport went off without a hitch, except for the part about the headliner, Passion Pit, walking away from the show a few hours before show time because it didn't have a good feeling about the stage at the Back Yard, the outdoor venue next to the Beaumont Club.

I talked to a Beaumont honcho who'd heard that the stage hadn't been 100 percent prepared ("tied-down," as he put it) before the load-in and that something had fallen off a lighting rig, which, the band said, "nearly killed" one of its crew.  After that, the band examined the rest of the stage and decided it didn't feel good about its integrity. The stage, it said, appeared ready to collapse from dry rot. So it bailed -- an interesting and risky choice for a band with one album to its name and a very brief relationship with its fans.  A little bad will goes a long way these days.

I assume safety is implicit in any concert rider: No green M&Ms; no near-fatal head wounds from falling objects. So it's certainly within a band's rights to not play if it doesn't feel safe withthe environment.

But it also seems reasonable for the venue to get a chance to remedy the situation, which is what the Beaumont/Back Yard did. The show went on and the stage was safe enough for the three other bands that played: Audiovox and the Roman Numerals, two local bands; and Owl City, who became the headliner. Nothing fell on anyone, and no one fell through the stage floor. Apparently Passion Pit mistook an errant impulse for a sound instinct.

Despite its cancellation, an enormous crowd showed up. The Back Yard was packed to capacity, which is more than 2,000 people, and there were at least that many people in the street and parking lots to the venue's east and on surrounding rooftops, including the roof of the parking garage to its west. (Meanwhile, inside the Beaumont, a hard-rock bill headed by Clutch also drew a huge crowd, so that part of Pennsylvania Street was teeming all night.)

While Audiovox was playing (and getting a great response) I heard from a friend who was up on the garage rooftop that the scene up there got a little uneasy when security tried to clear the rooftop. "Could get a little riot going here," he texted. Another friend said a security guard pulled a can of mace on him when he didn't move fast enough. That's something else a headliner needs to consider before it quits a show at the last minute: public safety. Had this been a different crowd, the scene could have gotten much uglier.

The Back Yard show was a free event, so no one can complain about getting ripped off, but there were other things to complain about, like the need for more portable toilets for starters. Plus the sound during the Roman Numerals' set was not good (low volume, mostly). But overall it was good for the two local bands, who got to play before a huge crowd and make some new fans and friends. On Facebook, the Numerals Billy Smith posted this: "I couldn't fathom not playing ... for the reasons Passion Pit did. Roman Numerals had the time of our lives. Believe it. Thanks KC."

I stayed for one song from Owl City. But the sound wasn't much better,the wind was picking up, the temperature was dropping and I was not feeling this band's music at all. 

When I left, the venue was still packed and hundreds of people were still hanging around outside the gates and more were coming in. That'seither a sign that no one had anything else to do on a chilly Thursday night or that a lot of people around here care  more about music and the music scene than some of the bands they really want to see.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Jimbo]

My take on the Passion Pit no-show is that they were afraid Owl City would trump the evening......which they actually made happen by wussing out of the show. You forgot to mention that in Passion Pits Twitter "announcement" about not showing up they wanted to apologize to the people in KANSAS for pulling out. JEEZZ, insult to injury !!!
Everyone in line waiting all afternoon to get into the venue seemed to be there for Owl City, and I didn't talk to anyone on the garage roof that was there to see the Pits ! It would have been interesting to see how many folks stayed for their set after the other bands, especially given the late hour and the FRICKEN cold wind picking up as it got later. (At least on the top of the garage!!)
The entire show was very enjoyable even though I had no idea what the sound was like in front of the stage. Nothing fell from the sky, the ground held, and the cops retreated.
It seemed to me that Adam (Owl City) is actually working his show into a more "headliner" set. It could have been because of the outdoor setting, but compared to shows of even a few weeks ago he seemed much more animated (tumbling run on stage, throwing his "guitar" to the ground after a loud audience response) and even had his laptops and gadgets off to the side rather than between himself and the audience giving him a more accessible and friendly persona. I think he pulled it off.

[ollied]

Owl City was offered a second (smaller) venue but the Buzz (the promoter) wouldn't allow the show to be moved. I really wanted to see Passion Pit, but I'm not willing to put up with that many teenagers and sitting through Owl City to do so. Catch you guys next time. I'll even pay!

[ollied]

I meant Passion Pit was offered another venue, sorry!

[Tim S]

I was right in the middle and the crowd sure seemed to be enjoying it. More so than me I'm afraid, The sound was the big killer for me, but still a great set of bands that the Buzz put together.

[tim finn]

if they'd moved that band to recordbar, it'd have been a mistake. love the venue, but it holds roughly 250 max. would have been a stampede and lots of angry fans.

[Scott]

Play in the yard Passion, its big enough, I think someone wanted to get to Austin early.

[Hoopstar]

Screw Owl City (Adam). He'll be forgotten about in a year. Passion Pit will come back, and they will charge for the tickets somewhere like Uptown and we can eliminate the kiddy Owl City fans. Sounds like Passion Pit made a sound call by skipping out on the 2000 fickle fans and playing another day. Bigger and more important venues call...

[Bryan]

That Owl City song that they're playing on the Buzz is one of the worst songs I've ever heard. It sounds like The Postal Service minus the innovation plus 12 year old poetry.

[cheflarz]

Kansas City is due for another disaster. I know Wilco was very upset over the chandelier at the Crossroads stage. Though it didn't fall, sometimes those first impulses can be right.