Small fire breaks out at Panic! At The Disco show
A fire broke out on stage during Panic! At The Disco’s concert in Minnesota, US, on Wednesday night (15 September).
Footage shot by fans and posted on social media showed a blaze in the corner of the stage at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center while the band were performing.
It appears a member of the crew extinguished the flames as the band continued to play, with frontman Brendon Urie seemingly unaware of the incident.
It’s not a Panic at the disco concert unless the pyro machine catches fire #panicatthedisco pic.twitter.com/GCaw78sNbF
— Rust (@purplecoati) September 15, 2022
The fire remained small and contained on the stage. No injuries were reported from inside the arena, which held about 7,500 fans, according to the Pioneer Press.
It is believed that the fire was a result of pyrotechnics used as part of Panic at the Disco’s show. At the time of writing, neither the band nor the venue has commented.
Panic! At The Disco are currently on the US leg of their Viva Las Vengeance 2022/23 global arena tour.
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Live Nation to book Minneapolis’s the Armory
The Armory, the newest live entertainment venue in Minneapolis, will feature “booking and programming support” from Live Nation, the company announced today.
The 8,400-capacity Armory – formerly, true to its name, a Minnesota National Guard armoury – reopened in December 2017 after an extensive renovation that introduced, among other things, a modular, scalable floorplan able to accommodate a variety of live events, including concerts and sporting and corporate events.
The venue will be open to all promoters, although Live Nation says it will tap into its “vast array of touring artists” to bring Minneapolis “even more incredible shows”.
“We look forward to delivering a constant stream of top talent to the city of Minneapolis”
“The Twin Cities [Minneapolis and St Paul] has been lacking a great mid-size hall, and the Armory fills that gap perfectly,” says Jason Wright, president of Live Nation Midwest. “With sightlines and amenities that are unmatched in the mid-west, music fans will marvel when they see a show in this space.”
Adds Ned Abdul, the venue’s owner: “We look forward to delivering a constant stream of top talent to the city of Minneapolis and working with artists in leveraging our state-of-the-art renovations to push the limits of their performances while providing an exceptional experience for fans.”
Upcoming shows at the Armory include Slayer on 24 May, Dua Lipa on 24 June, Greta Van Fleet on 3 July and 5 Seconds of Summer on 9 September.
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Live Nation to reopen Varsity Theater
Famed Minneapolis venue Varsity Theater is to reopen this February, its new operator, Live Nation, has revealed.
The 950-cap. Varsity is owned by Hong Kong-based investment firm GAW Capital Partners, which purchased the venue last year for US$2.5m from previous owner Jason McLean.
The 103-year-old Varsity, bought by McLean in 2005, had been largely closed since late 2016 as allegations of sexual assault against McLean mounted, with several artists calling for a boycott of the venue. According to local media, McLean is currently on the run in Mexico after failing to show up for court dates.
“The already great Varsity experience will be even better”
The Varsity, in the city’s Dinkytown district, will reopen on 15 February with a show by Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock, with the new-look venue benefiting from a raft of upgrades, says Live Nation talent buyer Josh Lacey.
“We’re incredibly excited about the Minneapolis music scene and the role the Varsity will have in growing it even more as part of the Live Nation family,” comments Lacey. “This venue has a unique history as a development room, having hosted a number of break-out artists over the years.
“While the venue’s ambience will stay intact, a number of upgrades are in progress. All in all, the already great Varsity experience will be even better. We’re in the midst of curating as many great artists as possible and believe our kick-off shows are a great way to welcome back the Varsity.”
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Paisley Park museum to host live events
Paisley Park, Prince’s 65,000sqft private estate and recording complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota, is to be opened permanently to public tours.
The announcement was made following a unanimous decision by Chanhassen city councillors on Monday (24 October).
In addition to hosting tours – in which visitors will see “artefacts from Prince’s personal archives, including iconic concert wardrobe, awards, musical instruments, artwork, rare music and video recordings and motorcycles” – the estate, operated by PPark Management, is also hoping to turn itself into a destination for concerts and live events, a spokesman tells IQ.
“Although nothing is booked or planned at this time, Paisley Park will be hosting and available in the future for events”
“Although nothing is booked or planned at this time, Paisley Park will be hosting and available in the future for events,” he explains.
Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose at Paisley Park on 21 April. Read IQ’s tribute here.
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