Noah Kahan's sold-out show at the High Valley Music Theater in East Troy on Saturday was partially evacuated due to a storm before the folk-pop superstar took the stage.
According to a message on the High Valley Facebook page, the show was officially postponed at 10:15 p.m., with an announcement made at the venue five minutes later. The new date will be announced on the venue’s social media pages and previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date.
The first announcement came over the amphitheater's sound system at 8:07 p.m. Saturday that everyone watching the show on the lawn “must seek shelter in their vehicles at this time” due to the approaching storm, while those seated in seats were People in the covered pavilion were trapped in their cars.
The news caused an uproar – as of 8:18 p.m., most people on the lawn were still.
A second advisory was issued at 8.29pm, but thousands of people on the lawn remained in place at that time and the weather remained clear. Then at 8:45 p.m., fans in the lower bowl began singing Kahan's songs a cappella, such as “Stick Season” and “Growing Sideways,” as well as “HOT TO GO!” Written by pop music breakthrough artist Chappell Roan.
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A third announcement was made at 8:55 p.m.: “Everyone, on the lawn, the weather is coming again. Please seek shelter in your vehicle until the storm passes,” a staff member said from the stage. The first bolt of lightning struck the area about five minutes later and the grass began to thin, but thousands of people were still there as of 9:02 p.m.
Ten minutes later, the announcer told those remaining on the lawn to move in an orderly manner to the covered seats. Shortly thereafter, the wind quickly increased, and at 9:14 p.m., the first thunder sounded, followed by shouts of “Noah!” After a while, rain and more lightning continued into early Sunday morning, varying in intensity.
To make matters worse, rural Walworth County is overcrowded and has poor phone and internet connections.
Ivy Bloomfield and Jillian Myers traveled from Chicago and since they didn't have a car, it was difficult to get in touch with their car to update on the show's status.
“It's horrible,” Broomfield said of the situation, which made it difficult for him to contact his parents due to poor reception, adding that the situation was “anxious.”
Lennon Maher and Avery Tiller, both of Madison, desperately tried to contact their parents. They were separated from their parents when an evacuation order was issued, unable to reach them by phone because they didn't have keys to the family car, and feared they would be trapped in an uncovered lawn parking lot when a storm hit. On your own seat. They were able to speak again from their seats around 10 p.m.
About 20 minutes after the postponement announcement was made, people inside the venue began to leave in the pouring rain, the grass was soaked and the gravel driveway turned into mud. Cars were parked in one of the parking lots, waiting for traffic to ease, which began around 11:10 p.m. Levy was finally able to pull out of the parking lot.
The amphitheater has approximately 7,500 seats in the covered area closest to the stage, with the vast majority of seats located on the lawn. The amphitheater can accommodate up to 37,000 people.
With her breakthrough album “Stick Season,” rising folk-pop star Kahan is expected to become one of Wisconsin's most-audienced artists in 2024, one of the fastest-growing acts in recent years.
In February 2023, he performed to a sold-out crowd of approximately 4,500 people at the Miller High Life Theater in Milwaukee. The side stage headliner performed to one of the largest crowds gathered.
This is the second concert in the Alps this year affected by bad weather. The Dave Matthews Band had to postpone a show scheduled for June 22 as part of a two-night run. Rescheduled to June 30th.
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on X @pietlevy Or Facebook: facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
