According to one fan who attended the concert, there was “an older white ‘armed civilian’ with jeans and a cowboy hat and a huge customized pistol on his hip” at the side of the stage. The New Pornographers member reportedly cut her set after three or four songs, telling the audience she had once been “raped at gunpoint” before leaving.
“There are men on every side of this room with a gun, and I am not comfortable playing this show, I’m sorry,” she said, according to a different fan who says they recorded the incident. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been raped at gunpoint, but you don’t want people hanging around with guns. So, I am very sorry about this, but they’re not leaving, so I guess we are, thank you.”
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Another fan who claims they were in the front row added, “It was clear that seeing the open carry armed security guard surprised/upset her — she was backing up, shaking her head, ‘No,’ and there was a flurry of venue folk talking around her. However, people started clapping, and I got the impression that she tried to rally and go on once she was spotted/recognized. But clearly it was too triggering [for] her.”
In a statement issued to Consequence, a spokesperson for The Caverns wrote: “The safety of our guests, artists, and staff is always our top priority. No advance requests were made to adjust our standard security protocols prior to the show or during our pre-show security meeting and venue walk-through. When the tour manager requested that our licensed armed security be moved to the back of the house, we immediately made that accommodation after determining that guest and artist safety would not be compromised. Unfortunately, we did not receive this request until after the show had begun. We were surprised and disappointed when the artist chose to end the performance early and not return to the stage. All ticket holders will be fully refunded.”
Representatives for Neko Case declined a request for comment.
