Fall Out Boy switched after learning the city of Boca Raton required extra security in the park outside the amphitheatre, leading to the band’s management releasing a statement titled “City of Boca Raton Bans Fall Out Boy Concert.”
Nice to know some people still have faith in the old showbiz belief that anything “banned” is sure to attract attention.
Management’s announcement also quotes a statement released by Boca Raton officials claiming “known disturbances” will “generate security challenges” if FOB appears, leading band manager Bob McLynn to remark, “I’m not sure what these ‘challenges’ are that they are speaking of. The town said that if we tried to keep the show on we would have to pay an extraordinary amount of money in extra costs.”
Boca Raton assistant police chief Edgar Morley said Boca Raton city officials proposed a “proactive” plan calling for the city to pony up an additional $5,000 to protect its residents from incidents similar to what happened at a Slightly Stoopid concert last summer when audience members began throwing bottles and starting fights. That ended up costing the city $25,000 and resulted in show promoter Live Nation moving a subsequent concert appearance by O.A.R. to Pompano Beach.
“Based on that, we believed we … have to be proactive simply because it makes sense,” Morley said, according to the Palm Beach Post. “You can’t say ‘Nothing’s gonna happen’ and then something happens.”
What is it about Fall Out Boy that caused Boca Raton officials to worry last summer’s Slightly Stoopid incident might repeat itself?
Turns out the city has researched every band scheduled to play Mizner Park since last summer’s Slightly Stoopid appearance, and discovered Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz got into a scuffle with a heckler at a Chicago club two years ago. That, and the way the band portrayed the show on its Web site as a “pop-punk” event caused city officials to have concerns FOB would attract the same crowd that stirred things up at last year’s Slightly Stoopid gig.
“We don’t believe we would have the same issues with someone coming to hear a concert violinist or Hall and Oates as we would with something (billed) as a ‘serious pop-punk extravaganza,” Morley said.
Now the band, along with All Time Low, Cobra Starship and Hey Monday, is scheduled for tomorrow night at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre. All tickets for the Mizner Park show will be honored.
Please click here for the Palm Beach Post’s coverage.
Please click here for the Fall Out Boy official Web.