Arrests at Massachusetts Stadium Show a Step in Right Direction
I wasn't at the New England Country Music Festival in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday (Aug. 14) when almost 350 people got into trouble with the police. But I can picture exactly what it looked like by the end of the night after a whole lot of the 56,000 fans had been drinking since 11 a.m.
I can picture it because I see those stumbling teenagers after every single concert I go to. (Maybe not Emmylou Harris's show but pretty much all the rest.) They are peeing in bushes, falling into one another, slurring the words to whatever song just ended the night. I see them darting in and out of traffic in the chaotic parking lots. I watching them throwing up between vehicles. And worst of all, I see them getting behind the wheel of their cars.
And every time, I think of the line from that My Chemical Romance song: "Teenagers scare the living shit out of me."
This time, though, there was somebody around to see it besides me. More than 250 state and local police were at the Gillette Stadium, arresting and detaining fans for underage drinking, trespassing and other rowdy behaviors. It's about time.
The Foxborough Police Chief said, "It was necessary for the safety of the fans that didn't get drunk. Underage alcohol use is a significant problem in suburban communities. The binge drinking is pretty significant."
I'm glad someone has finally seen the light. I'm not suggesting country shows be dry events. But maybe the beers should only be in the hands of the people mature enough to know when to stop. And maybe the threat of a potential arrest (and the humiliating "Dad-can-you-come-get-me-out-of-jail" phone call) will keep teenagers from partying with such reckless abandon.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
Redmaz says:
I see nothing wrong with it. If rednecks can’t puke and pee all over themselves and everyone around them who can? Leave those neckers alone to do what they do best.
hotelmotel says:
The kids there probably wanted to get arrested. They realized it would be better to spend the night in the county jail than listening to awful music.
cher says:
I’ve been to many types of concerts but I’ve never seen anything as bad as all the drunks at a KC stadium show. I’ll never go to another KC show because of the rude and obnoxious drunk people plus his show just wasn’t that great. He does bring lots of great openers though.
Amy says:
Its not only Country music concerts - its ANY concert (Rock, pop) that there are drunk teenagers. If they are going to serve alcohol then those who are buying the tickets should be the legal drinking age for that state. Make them show a photo ID before entering the concert venue.
I for one am tired of the rudeness and total lack of disrespect the younger generation has. I don’t think its me just showing my age of 43. The only thing we can hope for is that some of these teenagers will hopefully learn there lesson.
timcun says:
The only stadium show I’ve been to is Qwest Stadium in Seattle where they don’t allow tailgating. I was disappointed because I was hoping to see Kenny riding around in his Gator.
Kerryann says:
I was at the Gillette show, for the 5th year in a row and while I don’t agree with cher regarding Kenny and his performance, I’m totally in favor of cracking down on the underage drinking and excessive drinking in general. The town of Foxborough made some significant changes in the parking lot and tailgating policies this year. I also heard that they stopped the sale of alcohol at @ 9pm. While everyone parties in their own way, I’ve never understood why you would pay $100 or more for concert tickets then get so plastered by the first act that you don’t know your own name.
janetgijoenurse says:
Guess something else happen at Kenny’s concert except drinking.
“Kenny Chesney has a no video rule at his shows & at his recent Gillette Stadium concert there was a girl in the front row taking videos so while Kenny was singing, he grabbed her camera, went down the walkway and threw it on-stage. After the show, she got her camera back, but the memory card that included a family vacation, was missing.”
timcun says:
It’s posted everything (even on the ticket if I’m not mistaken) that people are not supposed to take videos while he’s performing. If she was stupid enough to do it right in front of his face then she gets what she deserves.
timcun says:
That should have said everywhere … not everything. I need more coffee!!!
timcun says:
Does anyone else have a problem posting on the blogs? Sometimes I submit a comment but then notice it’s not there. Then when I try to submit it again I get the message “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!” I can’t figure out if it’s my computer or the web site.
timcun says:
I read this on the Boston Channel web site. A fan said Kenny grabbed her camera while she was at his concert in Foxborough. She was in the front row taking pictures when he appeared right in front of her, reached down, grabbed the camera, shut it off, and went down the walkway and threw it on the stage. She did get the camera back but the memory card that was loaded with pictures of her family vacation was missing. Video cameras are on the list of banned items at Gillette Stadium but she said she was taking still pictures only of the show, not video. The Boston Channel web site has a picture of the camera and it sure looks like a video camera to me. Plus the web site has a video of the news anchor telling about the story and the reporter said right on tape that the girl was taking video of his concert. My question is if she was taking video then Kenny would have been able to see the red light on the camera because it’s a dead giveaway that someone is video recording and not just taking a picture. It says “no video” right on her ticket (which they also show on the web site) so if she was recording his concert then I don’t feel sorry for her at all. Does she think the rules apply to everyone but her?