Features
Venue GMs Weigh In On Jay-Z Cancellations
Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images – Jay-Z
Jay-Z performs at Miami’s American Airlines Arena on Nov. 12, 2017.
Jay-Z recently released a statement saying that he was forced to cancel his concerts in Lincoln, Neb., and Fresno, Calif., “due to the scale of this production, we cannot get the screens up on time.” Pollstar checked in with Pinnacle Bank Arena GM Tom Lorenz and Save Mart Center Assistant GM Sean McElhinney for more details.
When asked if he could talk about the specific challenges of the production, Pinnacle Bank Arena’s Lorenz said, “It’s not a question of whether the venue can accommodate it – it’s not a rigging issue, it’s a timing question.”
Lorenz explained that the venue is hosting a University of Nebraska basketball game on Dec. 5, the night before Jay-Z was supposed to perform, echoing the rapper’s statement about there not being enough time to get the production set up.
The GM confirmed that the basketball game was already scheduled when the concert was booked months ago, but noted that “production changes [happen] throughout the process.”
Save Mart Center’s McElhinney also noted that tour routings are also confirmed before production is set in stone. He said that when Fresno’s Nov. 1 concert was canceled, five days before the show, Jay-Z’s team was still building the show and rehearsing it.
“We have a lower ceiling than most [arenas],” McElhinney said. “Capacity-wise, it’s fine, but when you have that lower ceiling, you gotta do some extra things so timing definitely becomes a huge issue. They didn’t think they could do it in time, unfortunately. No one takes cancellations easily … Everyone loses, but most importantly the fans.”
McElhinney stressed that production isn’t usually an issue at the venue as Save Mart Center has hosted shows from some of the biggest stars, such as Bruno Mars, Blake Shelton and Janet Jackson.
He added, “These shows are getting so big. It’s more about the experience. Back in the old days it was about the music and we as a culture want more. [Jay-Z’s] a true entertainer. We’ve seen the progression of the tours that have come through our building – stages getting more elaborate and the technology is getting there too.”
McElhinney also pointed out that producing a show in the round like Jay’z’s “4:44 Tour” comes with its own challenges, such as working around obstacles such as scoreboards.
“[The screens are] a big part of his shows … and I’m thinking that even in those other buildings they’re struggling, timing-wise getting the show up and on time. They’re probably working right though the day. … It’s tough when you get into the round. There are a lot more obstructions they have to work around than on a typical end stage. But it’s a lot better for the fans. And there aren’t a lot of artists who can perform in the round. It’s not an easy feat, playing in 360.”
As far as ticket sales, Lorenz decline to comment about how sales had been in Lincoln and McElhinney said that a comment would “have to come from Live Nation.” As previously reported, there had been some speculation that the hip-hop titan’s tour was selling sluggishly after the Fresno show was canceled and tickets were listed at shockingly low prices on ticket resale sites. The Fresno show was supposed to be the third stop of the tour and one of six nights in California.
Roc Nation previously released a statement saying that the Fresno cancellation was due to “unforeseen load-in logistics with the intricacy and scale of the production” and a representative for Live Nation asserted, very clearly, to Pollstar that the tour was an unmitigated success thanks to fan demand and pricing. The rep added that shows in Phoenix and Denver were complete sell-outs.
So far Pollstar has received a few box office reports from the “4:44 Tour,” which kicked off Oct. 27 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and wraps up back in Southern California at the Forum in Inglewood. Jay’s Nov. 7 show at Dallas’ American Airlines Center sold 91 percent of its 15,955 capacity, grossing more than $1.3 million and his Nov. 14 performance at Atlanta’s Philips Arena sold 94 percent of its 15,039 tickets, grossing more than $1.8 million.
It should be noted that shows configured in the round traditionally provide more capacity than end stages. Also to keep in mind, the screens in question are apparently a much bigger deal than a simple background to project graphics behind Hova.
Here’s what Spin’s Brian Joseph said about Jay-Z’s show, which features eight massive screens hanging above the rapper.
Jay-Z’s “power is represented in the tour’s stage design: The aforementioned mobile screens –which fold and tilt mid-air in addition to having a resting position similar to a cootie catcher – felt like physical manifestations of Jay’s charisma, making the experience feel inclusive even for those in the cheap seats. The center stage itself inclines into a pyramid and flattens for Jay-Z to be near eye-level with his worshippers.” The review’s headline for many, will sum things up: “Jay-Z’s Ticket Sales Controversies Don’t Matter When the ‘4:44 Tour’ Is This Good.”