Canceled Concert Concerns

Officials pulled the plug on two concerts February 14th citing concerns about safety, and while one show was canned for promoting violence, the other was canceled mid-performance for being just a tad too audience friendly.

A planned University of Maryland Eastern Shore hip-hop concert was taken off the books after school officials received police intelligence linking the headliners with recent violent activity. Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, acoustic folk duo Storyhill faced a similar fate when officials shut down a CD-release concert mid-show at the Varsity Theatre.

Back at the rap show, university administrators claimed they received a state police intelligence report that linked headliners Busta Rhymes and Jim Jones to shootings and violent incidents, the Daily Times of Salisbury reported.

One of Rhymes’ bodyguards was shot and killed last year outside a Brooklyn, N.Y., warehouse where a music video was being filmed. A shooting after one of Jim Jones’ dates in Virginia last September left one dead and three injured.

"Their music advocates gang activity and violence, and with recent concerts, there has been (reports of) violence," UMES spokeswoman Suzanne Street told the Times. "The decisions are based on intelligence and in the best interest of the students and the campus community."

The February 21st UMES concert was also set to include supporting acts Monica, Baby Cham, and DJ Nix in da Mix. The university is reportedly issuing refunds for the show, with a replacement concert set for this spring.

The folkies had their own problems. The Varsity Theatre was significantly over its legal capacity of 300, as fire inspectors counted nearly 475 people at the club, the Star Tribune reported. An "oversight" reportedly caused the event to be oversold.

Theatre owner Jason McLean told the paper that along with capacity issues, the band’s "mellow" fans sat on the floor, taking up more space than a standing crowd.

Rain checks were given for makeup dates, which are yet to be announced, the Tribune said.