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Long lines cause long waits, frustration at Jimmy Buffett concert

4 min read
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Margaritaville madness: Jimmy Buffett musical in the works

Associated Press

Jimmy Buffett performs at the after-party for the premiere of “Jurassic World” in Los Angeles.

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Concert

Jimmy Buffett songs celebrate kicking back and lazing in the sun, but many of the singer’s fans undoubtedly had elevated blood pressure at Key Bank Pavilion outside Burgettstown Saturday, as long lines at security checkpoints kept some concertgoers outside Buffett’s show more than an hour after it started.

The waits reportedly resulted from a new, airport-style security screening system with walk-through metal detectors. Long lines formed – some stretching well out into the amphitheater’s parking lots – as many of those in attendance had to put wallets, keys and other contents of their pockets and purses, into containers. Many then also had to be scanned with a wand after walking through the metal detectors.

Live Nation, the concert promoter and operator of Key Bank Pavilion, released a statement Sunday acknowledging “some fans experienced longer than normal wait times. We apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused, and will continue working hard to prevent situations like this from happening again in the future.”

It added, “Any fans who experienced delays are encouraged to reach out to Ticketmaster Fan Support.”

Jenn Marquardt, a Tiltonsville, Ohio resident, posted on Key Bank Pavilion’s Facebook page she waited in line from 7:30 to 9 p.m., then went to another line to get a refund. “It was my first concert ever and it was an awful experience,” she wrote. “Saw MAYBE one full song then waited in line to get out.”

Pamela McCurdy Murphy, of Centerville, reported she and a friend stood in line for over 45 minutes, despite being in a VIP lot next to a gate.

“We would stand still for 20 minutes then move 2 feet,” Murphy said. She also said by the time Buffet and his band took the stage about 8:30 p.m., “the line was still clear out to the parking lot by the road. I am sure a lot of those folks missed most of the concert.”

Stephanie Henderson, of Washington, said she waited with her friends for 1 hour and 20 minutes to get through security, and just barely made it into Key Bank Pavilion before Buffett’s concert got under way. She called it “a disaster.”

“It was very disorganized,” she said. “Never have I experienced a wait like that. People were angry.”

Henderson added she is “all for security measures, but there has to be a better system in place.”

After tailgating with friends, Kristin Emery, a KDKA-TV meteorologist who also writes for the Observer-Reporter, waited about a half-hour to get into Key Bank Pavilion, and noticed many seats around her were empty as the show started. The show was going on for an hour before all the seats were filled in.

“We lucked out,” she said.

Also lucking out was Jay Gordon of Washington. While he was able to see the start of the concert, he left two-thirds of the way through it, and there were still people waiting in security lines. He also said disgruntled fans were pounding on ticket windows.

“It was a real fiasco,” he said.

Security at large-scale events has become a matter of much greater concern in the years since 9/11, and has become more urgent for the operators of concert venues following terrorist attacks at an Eagles of Death Metal show in Paris in 2015, and at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, in 2017. Fifty-eight people attending a country music festival in Las Vegas were also killed last year in a mass shooting.

Billboard magazine, which focuses on the music and concert industries, reported in December spending on security staff and police protection was going up, and that some promoters were also looking at deploying facial-recognition software and dogs that can detect explosives “on the move.”

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