A Foo Fighters concert at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, was cut short about halfway through the set on Wednesday night due to severe thunderstorms moving through the area. And fans who shelled out for the pricey live experience were left disappointed and irate at the apparent lack of planning involved, when the forecast called for inclement weather.
The July 17 stop on the band's Everything or Nothing at All Tour was billed as "rain or shine," with parking alone costing between $60 and $120. According to the New York Post, ticket prices started from $80 for a limited side view of the stage, which was set up in the outfield of the New York Mets stadium.
But after opening acts The Pretenders and Mammoth WVH (fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen) had played their full sets, the Foo Fighters made it through only 13 songs of what was supposed to be at least a 21 song set. The band even attempted to play their 1997 smash hit "Everlong"—typically reserved for the encore—but the concert was called around 10:30 p.m., per a statement from Citi Field.
One fan's video shows the band only getting about 30 seconds into the song before frontman Dave Grohl announced to the crowd that "we just got called."
This is how the Foo Fighters concert ended at Citi Field tonight. Booooo! Hope these storms pass quick. pic.twitter.com/5sWkD7UmEO
— JRJ (@JJShortarm) July 18, 2024
Shortly after the concert was called short, the Foo Fighters released a statement to social media, telling fans that they were "disappointed" that they were unable to play their full set.
"But the safety of our fans, the crew and everyone working in the stadium comes first, so when it was determined that there was no safe way to continue the show in this dangerous weather, we had no choice but to call it a night," the statement read. "We’re grateful for every second we were able to play for you and looking forward to seeing you again—maybe as soon as Friday."
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) July 18, 2024
Yet, that was of little consolation to many fans who spent hundreds of dollars to see the Foo Fighters play live, and many sounded off in the replies for only getting to see "half" of a show.
"Fans come second I guess. We got half a show, but won’t get any refund," seethed one fan. "To actually say 'maybe as soon as Friday' is beyond tone deaf. It costs a lot of money to just see you guys once, and most of us can’t afford to do it twice."
"Great, now we’ll all get to watch you hype up Friday’s show knowing we paid the same for half of that," wrote another fan. "Poorly managed. Openers sets should’ve been shortened. Or this show should’ve been preemptively moved to tomorrow. We were robbed."
Plenty of others chimed in to point out that the thunderstorms were very clearly forecast. "Knowing what the weather was going to be like, the planning should have been better," lamented one fan. "People pay a lot of money for those tickets. Disappointed."
One attendee posted a photo of the lit-up "EVACUATE" sign, quipping: "New song title?"
New song title? pic.twitter.com/fb8d0fjavv
— jim maroney (@snakepliskin) July 18, 2024
But at least a few fans came to the band's defense. "Dave tried to give you 'Everlong' before it was cancelled," reasoned one avid concertgoer. "At least he tried. I've seen them nine times. 'Everlong' is always last. He's or the band isn't the bad guys."
"S--t happens! Rock the f--k on! Extremely grateful for the time we had! You guys never disappoint! Thank you!!" enthused another fan.
Live Nation has yet to weigh in on the controversy, so it remains unclear whether the maligned ticket sales company will offer fans at least a partial refund for the concert getting cut short.
