Fans of the Celtic-punk band Flogging Molly gave the Minneapolis music venue Cabooze a social media thrashing Thursday, demanding refunds for a show that staffers claimed was canceled due to inclement weather.
A crowd of several hundred had arrived for the 6:30 p.m. concert Wednesday at Cabooze's Outdoor Plaza, where two opening acts performed before a storm rolled in, delaying the headliner. The venue's strict "rain or shine" policy meant fans braved the downpour for about 40 minutes, some grabbing nearby tarps to cover themselves.
Eventually, around 9 p.m., stage hands began to unplug and pack away equipment while Cabooze staff members went around telling the crowd that the show was off. But no formal announcement was made from the stage.
Most retreated, sad and soaked, to their cars. On Thursday morning, those fans turned red hot with anger to learn that people who stuck around were treated to an intimate jam session inside the club at 10:30 p.m.
Fury erupted on social media, for Flogging Molly but especially for the Cabooze — which ticket holders accused of lying to thin the crowds so they could meet fire code regulations and play indoors. Some called for a lawsuit; all demanded refunds.
The event promoter told the Star Tribune that it plans to reschedule the full show.
"If we are able to find a date that works for the band to come back to town in the near future, all tickets purchased for last night's show will be honored," said Joe Litvag, senior vice president of AEG Live. "No refunds are being offered at the moment, because right now we are considering the show to be postponed due to weather, not canceled."
If a date can't be agreed upon, all ticket holders will be offered a refund, he said.
Litvag explained that the venue hoped to delay Flogging Molly's set until the storm passed, but ultimately made the decision to postpone the show due to curfew ordinances and excessive amounts of water on the stage equipment.
"The impromptu set that was performed by Flogging Molly inside the club was of their own doing and was in no way planned," he said. "The band was simply there and wanted to set up and play, as many of the fans had stayed at the club after the postponement."
In their first acknowledgment of the controversy, the Mollies seemed to imply that they will return to the Twin Cities.
"Thank you to all [who] came out in Minneapolis! Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans," the band wrote on its official social media accounts Thursday afternoon. "Thanks to our crew for swiftly packing up the stage before it flooded, then running over some gear in the rain to the club so we could do a small acoustic jam. We will be back to make up the full show!"
Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648
