Hopped On Pops

Boston Pops fans could be forgiven if they briefly thought they’d stumbled into a Jerry Springer taping instead of the city’s Symphony Hall for opening night May 9th, as a full-on brawl broke out in the balcony as the famed orchestra attempted to perform a medley from "Gigi."

Maybe it was the fevered anticipation of a later appearance by Ben Folds with the Pops. Maybe it was the adrenaline-pumping strains of "Thank Heaven For Little Girls." But no one knows for certain what caused the two men to start the Ultimate Fighting match in the Symphony Hall balcony, though speculation is that one of the pugilists had his mouth turned up to 11 during the performance.

Video of the fight aired by Boston’s WHDH showed the combatants struggling in the balcony – one with his shirt ripped open – as several people stood around them and the orchestra attempted to play on. Eventually, conductor Keith Lockhart had to briefly stop the performance as the men were escorted out by security.

"The first time there was a scream, Keith looked up that way but he kept going," audience member June Mac Indoe told WHDH. "Then about a minute and a half later … there was a big scream and you could hear chairs falling over and you could see them up there, fists going."

No charges were filed and no injuries were reported.