It was 98 degrees in the Mile High city that day and the band’s equipment was fried by showtime.

The concert at Red Rocks Ampitheatre was canceled at 10 p.m. after local artist Hazel Miller and her blues band played the opening set from 7:30 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. The support act didn’t run into trouble because they use their own equipment, venue officials said.

Earth Wind & Fire tried to go on around 9 p.m. but the technical difficulties were insurmountable.

“It was the sound system that overheated because of the high temperature,” bassist Verdine White told the Denver Post. “It just jammed us up and we couldn’t do anything.”

Lead singer Philip Bailey, a native of east Denver, had 50 friends and relatives in the audience and he expressed deep regret over the cancellation. “It was devastating,” Bailey said backstage. “It was, `No, no, no, this can’t be happening.'”

Earth Wind & Fire vowed to reschedule.