The perimeter of concert security seems to be ever expanding.
Country music star Jason Aldean was performing at a festival in Las Vegas Sunday night (Oct. 1), when a popping noise interrupted his concert. A sniper on the 32 nd floor of a nearby hotel had begun firing into the crowd. In the end, he killed 59 audience members, more victims than in any past mass shooting in recent U. S. history.
In the aftermath, Aldean shared his apprehensions in an Instagram post.
“Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions. Scared, Anger, Heartache, Compassion and many others,” he wrote. “I truly don’t understand why a person would want to take the life of another. Something has changed in this country and in this world lately that is scary to see.”
Over the last 24 hrs I have gone through lots of emotions… #Stopthehate #PrayForLasVegas pic.twitter.com/vHxijmKh6n
Before the shootings, Aldean was scheduled to play a concert in Champions Square in downtown New Orleans on Oct. 26. Alhough Aldean has cancelled shows this week, his tour is scheduled to resume, starting Oct. 12, according to a report on the CNN website. As of this writing, Aldean’s New Orleans performance is still on the calendar, according to Alan Freeman, the general manager of the Champions Square plaza as well as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and Smoothie King Center.
The concert will take place in an atmosphere of heightened awareness and anxiety.
Freeman said that when he first heard of the Las Vegas massacre, he was alarmed and perplexed.
“It’s sort of a very difficult thing to get your arms around,” he said. “It was a horrific situation out there. It shows how much damage one person can do. It makes you stop and wonder how far can we go before we become too isolationist and afraid to gather in any forum.”
Freeman said that audience safety is of “the foremost priority” and the entrances to all public performances at the Dome, Smoothie King Center, and Champions Square are carefully monitored. The trouble is, he said, the perimeter of security seems to be ever expanding.
Gallery: Las Vegas concert shooting kills at least 59 people
Freeman explained that just five years ago, random bag checks at concert entrances were seen as sufficient defense against violence. Then manual pat-downs, which some ticket buyers felt were too intrusive, were added to the security routine. Pat-downs were replaced with metal-detecting wands, which were effective, but tedious. Now, as any concert-goer can attest, everyone passes through an airport-style metal detector before entering a music show.
“We feel we’re doing a pretty good job of scanning the people who come to a concert,” Freeman said.
But events in 2017 have broadened the focus of fear.
Freeman pointed out that the bomb used in a terror attack on an Ariana Grande concert in England in May was detonated in a foyer area of the Manchester Arena, killing 23. The placement of the bomb implies that danger could lie outside of the normal security checkpoints, Freeman said.
The Las Vegas shooter was even further beyond entryway security. Freeman pointed out that Champions Square is surrounded by tall buildings, including a hotel. He said he presumes that most of the structures have their own security in place, but the threat is far outside of the range of regular concert security.
“It’s just a really tough situation. I don’t know if anyone has a solution,” Freeman said. “We’re hitting the pause button to see what we can do to make these events as safe as possible.”
However, Freeman said that at this time, there are “absolutely no plans” to pause the upcoming Champions Square schedule. Saints football fans are expected gather in the plaza before the game on October 15, the band The xx will perform on Oct. 19, followed by Aldean a week later, he said.
“I hope we never get to the point when we have to shut down outdoor events for the public to enjoy, that’s just taking away our way of life,” Freeman said. “We have festivals going on practically every weekend (in New Orleans). It’s the culture here, it’s what makes us unique.”
Asked about possible heightened safety concerns, the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience, which presents a three-day concert series in City Park on Halloween weekend (Oct. 27-29), provided a statement.
“Our hearts are with our colleagues and everyone in Las Vegas who was affected by this terrible tragedy,” a Voodoo Fest spokesperson wrote. “Safety is the top priority at Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. We work year round with the City of New Orleans, New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Fire Department, and other authorities to prepare our security and response plans.
“Voodoo has a layered security plan, which is seen and unseen, including pat downs, bag searches and size limits, and an enhanced security and law enforcement presence inside and outside the festival.”
Festival Productions, the company that produces The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, also provided a statement on the subject of concert safety:
“We are committed to providing a safe environment for all who attend our events,” a spokesperson wrote. “Our Security Team works very closely year-round with safety and law enforcement agencies at the local, state and Federal levels to ensure appropriate preparation, execution and review of sound security practices.
“Festivalgoers can expect a high level of security, some visible and some behind-the-scenes. As a security precaution, we do not discuss the details of our security procedures.”
