Last night, Jack White played New York City’s historic Radio City Music Hall — perhaps you remember hearing about it when the WNBA’s New York Liberty played there for six games in 2004? — and, well, things didn’t go well. Not only did White end the concert abruptly after 45 minutes, pissed off fans, who paid upwards of $45 for tickets, formed the most well-dressed mob ever outside the venue, shouting, “Jack White kills puppies” and “Bababooey,” because, of course they did. A shirtless man was involved, too.
According to the New York Observer:
From our seat in the nosebleeds, it seemed as though Mr. White’s music was enthusiastically received by the crowd. However, after about forty-five minutes, Mr. White suddenly left the stage.
Thinking this was the standard concert tease that often occurs prior to an encore, the vast majority of the audience remained, clapping and cheering in an effort to encourage Mr. White to retake the stage. After over twenty minutes, all of the house lights were turned on and ushers began to make their way through the crowd informing them the show was finished. (Via)
Friend of UPROXX, Jessica Misener, was there, and she tweeted:
The Observer adds:
In addition to the boos and shouts, rumors flew through the crowd. We spoke to multiple people who claimed Mr. White had several angry exchanges with a shirtless man in the front row. They said the man who provoked Mr. White’s ire was subsequently removed by security. Others claimed Mr. White shouted something before leaving the stage.
…
As fans, who paid a minimum of $40 to attend the concert, filed out the venue we heard (and may have even participated in) chants of “F*ck Jack White!” and “This is Bullsh*t!” In the lobby, we witnessed multiple attendees angrily returning merchandise they had purchased at the show.
Outside Radio City, a group of over 100 people began to gather outside the main backstage exit booing and demanding answers as to why the show concluded so abruptly. Security quickly erected barricades and began pushing the crowd back. In addition to banging on parked cars and the repeated shouts of “F*ck Jack White,” we overheard a few more inventive bits of invective. (Via)
I’d make fun of the situation, beginning with White seemingly acting like a diva and ending with fans pounding on random cars, but I was at a David Byrne/St. Vincent show in Brooklyn at the same time all that was happening — a great concert, thanks for asking — and that’d be like me calling the pot kettle oh-so-white.
