Police Cancel Hanson, Drake Concert in NYC Over Crowd Concerns

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Jun 16th 2010 06:30AM

A free concert by pop band Hanson and up-and-coming Canadian rapper Drake was canceled Tuesday after twice as many people as anticipated showed up and many became unruly, police said.

The show started at about 6 PM with an opening act at Pier 17 on Manhattan's South Street Seaport, a popular summer locale for concerts. Hanson, the Tulsa, Okla., brothers behind the 1997 hit 'Mmmbop,' and headliner Drake, whose album 'Thank Me Later' debuted Tuesday, were to appear on stage soon after.

Organizers were anticipating about 10,000 people but nearly 20,000 showed up, police said. Many people climbed roofs and started throwing bottles, as concertgoers smashed together toward the stage, police said.

Click Below to Watch our 'Day in the Life' With Hanson Video

Witness Tamika Johnson told the Daily News newspaper: "People in the front started leaving because they were getting crushed."

The concert organizers asked the New York Police Department for help dispersing the crowds around 7 PM, police spokesman Paul Browne said. Two people were arrested on minor charges; six suffered minor injuries, police said.

The concert was part of the "Sounds Like Paper" series presented by Paper magazine, an independent magazine focusing on arts, culture and music. The magazine apologized on its website: "Wow, the crowd was much larger than we anticipated, and unfortunately the show was canceled. But we will make it up to you guys!"

The magazine posted several updates on Twitter during the night: "It's a total madhouse -- in a good way" and "get off the roof!"

Telephone calls by The Associated Press to representatives for Drake and Hanson weren't immediately returned Tuesday night.

A spokesman for Drake, whose album features Kanye West and Alicia Keys and debuted to positive reviews, told the Daily News the rapper was disappointed the NYPD dispersed the crowds before he could perform.

Hanson's 'Mmmbop,' from the trio of brothers' album 'Middle of Nowhere,' was one of the biggest debut singles of all time.

Read More on Drake, Hip-Hop's Next Superstar >>>

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Tags: drake, hanson

Comments

(24)

Wednesday 16 June

By BTDT

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Gee, a rapper's concert got out of hand. How novel.

By diane

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lol you beat me to it!

By deidrapn

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Are you kidding? Did you notice that Hanson was on the bill? Did you crawl out of a cave AFTER the Justin Bieber stampede last week?

By Baku-chan

Can't a crowd of people go to a show without acting like retards?

Friday 18 June

By Ripper

What I really want to know is WHO actually likes people like Hanson or Brittney Spears FFS??? I have never meet a fan of any of these overly stupid pop stars. I mean atleast in the 80s I knew people who listened to Madonna and others but yet to meet any of these zombies. I always hear they have millions of fans, yet I only ever see them on the news articles. They must all crawl back in their caves after the tours....lmfao

By RYAN

Oh,I thought they'd be afraid that nobody would show up and didnt want to waste the man power.

By American

What kind of crowd do you expect from a guy like Drake... He is the worst and his song are all about filth. Send his azz back to Canada! He needs to go rap about that crap up there... we have enough people corrupting our youth here in the states... Stick to Degressi!!!

By cornellyangi

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HANSON YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING! STILL DON'T GET IT BESIDES THERE TRUST FUND OR ONE OF THERE FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS THAT ARE IN THAT FIELD.....LOL..... WOULD SIGN THEM....UGGGGG BUT LOOK AT THE WACKOS THAT .....LOL LIKE MS TOM CRUISE

By C-chan

Unbeilvable, simply unbelievable. Who would have thought Hanson was actually still around. I mean, I thought for sure they disappeared before the 2000s. New surprises everyday I guess.

By Kimberly

I was there, believe me the crowd had nothing to do with Hanson. They were chanting "We want Drake" and then started throwing chairs, bottles, flower pots and anything else they could find. There was a riot and a stampede.

By OTTER

Typical low-life behavior. Just look at the crowd, oh sooo ghetto. these type of people just can't behave in a civil manner

By Stever

Rap is to music as cancer is to life.

By Yoder

Colored people never change. They still have a savage mentality and behave like a pack of baboons in public. Such a sad race.

Thursday 17 June

Savage mentality???? YOU are what is wrong with the world. Did you know that most serial killers and kidnappers are of the caucasion race. That seems pretty savage to me, but I would not call all of you savages. There are terrible people of every race. Not all of us are living the sterotype. I feel sorry for you.

By Olivia

Seriously....lol????? They paired Hanson with a rapper? That's like the Partridge Family opening for Guns and Roses!!!! WTF??? Now that's a riot!!

By Jim Oshust

As a veteran in major arena, performing arts theater and exposition hall management, I learned years ago, the modern day rappers and supposed new pop stars care little about safety and concern for crowd control. It is theirs and their management's total cavalier attitude and reach for the bucks that allow such happenings. Besides, why werem't tickets sold and event staff there to control crowds. We have elevated a bunch of punk, no talent, celebrity wannabees far above their poor level of talent and this is what you will get. Serve garbage and all you will get is the stink and the ensuing problems.

By Kelsey

1. Hanson just released their 5th album "Shout It Out" which they produced on their own, much like their previous 3 albums.
2. This isn't the first time a Hanson gig has been canceled due to crowd control issues.
3. I wish people would stop referring to "mmmBop" ... they've grown SO MUCH musically since 1997.

By Cynthia

OK.....Can we we stop makin' believe the crowd was there for Hanson! Please! We all know the people were there to see Drake. I'm not downing Hanson at all. I just love it when the press takes advantage of this oppurtunity to place a headline such as "Crowd is crushed at Hanson Concert", just to get attention to a story! Really???

Thursday 30 September

By dreeble

thats why they charge so much for tickets. keeps the duh-generates out

By Bob

Sheep being sheep!

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