Several concert attendees are upset after their experience at Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band’s concert in Texas over the weekend.
The concert took place this past Saturday night at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco. Concertgoers took to social media, TripAdvisor, and Yelp to discuss their concerns with the venue, many noting that it didn’t have the ability to host thousands of people. Some said the crowd was moving slowly, which prompted concerns about how people would be able to exit in case of an emergency. Others added that the lobbies were extremely packed and seating was very cramped.
One attendee, Ronnie Stapp, told WBAP that he paid hundreds of dollars for floor seats for himself and his wife. However, he was disappointed to find out that his seats were shoulder-to-shoulder with other attendees, attached with zip ties.
“Our chairs had the standard zip tie I guess and it was cut, my wife got caught by it and it drew blood, it was very uncomfortable. [I] have never seen chairs like this before,” Stapp said.
“There were people with walkers, crutches and canes having to stand there waiting that long with the crowd I felt so bad for them…” Stapp continued. “Whenever the crowds moved an inch, you moved an inch.”
Another attendee, Candy Anderson, said that the “massive crowds” were so dangerous and people had to go down to a cement corridor to get to the exits just to find out they were locked.
“If there was a fire or medical emergency you wouldn’t have been able to go out and no one could’ve gone in… it was horrible,” Anderson said.
Others took out their frustration online:
Read Beverly G.‘s review of Ford Center at The Star on Yelp
Read Rich S.‘s review of Ford Center at The Star on Yelp
Read Dana J.‘s review of Ford Center at The Star on Yelp
Bob Seger was absolute perfection, the Ford center in Frisco however was an absolute nightmare. I will never be going to a concert there again. #fuckyoujerryjones
— Sarah Cullum (@_sarahelise) March 10, 2019
According to NBC DFW, event staff said the crowd was several thousand people under capacity and it took 28 minutes for everyone to leave the building after the concert.
The City of Frisco responded in a statement, noting to Seger fans that “we hear you and recognize we need to do better.”
“We’ve been in discussions this morning with staff at The Ford Center,” the city said. “Event operations staff tells us they’re committed to working with us to create a better, overall egress plan. It’s important to note, the Emergency Evacuation plan is different from the normal exit plan after an event. The Emergency Evacuation Plan is designed to get patrons out much faster. Ford Center event staff reports the building was ‘clear’ within 28 minutes following the end of the concert.
“Frisco Police and Traffic Engineers report the parking lots were cleared in about 40 minutes, making the total time to ‘clear’ the entire event about 70 minutes. The total anticipated egress time for a crowd of nearly 20,000 (17,129 actual for B. Seger) was approximately 90 minutes. However, we recognize the non-emergency evacuation plan following concerts and special events at the Ford Center could be improved. Rest assured, the health, safety and welfare of the public – whether you’re a resident, business owner or visitor – are top priorities for the City of Frisco and we take our responsibilities very seriously.’
The city went on to say that the citizens of Frisco and guests have the assurance they will “review strategies to both event exit plans and traffic” and will work toward a better solution.
Seger is currently on his Farewell Tour. He is set to stop in Tampa, Florida this Friday, followed by gigs in Tulsa, Charlotte, Jones Beach, and Jacksonville before a six-day run in Detroit at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in June.
Visit Ticket Club to find tickets to see Bob Seger on tour this year
