Last Friday night’s concert at The Ritz Raleigh was a night to remember. Ian, an up-and-coming rapper out of Dallas, Texas, put on quite the show. On his second US tour, he sold out almost all of the venues he performed at. At just 19 years of age, his top song, Magic Johnson, has almost 106,000,000 streams on Spotify.
The show in North Carolina was postponed from Wednesday, February 19th, because of an accident at Lincoln Theater. After an unfortunate car crash in the entrance of the venue, the show had to be moved to The Ritz, and to Friday the 21st. After the move, more tickets went on sale and sold out just as quickly as they did the first venue. It is safe to say that the concert was packed and full of energy.
Ian holds a reputation in the concert world for having really energetic crowds, often to such an extent that it becomes dangerous. With social media users often posting warnings and videos from the pit, it is well known that these concerts are a bit chaotic. The venues Ian performs at are often just a general admission pit, with no seats available. This allows the crowd to pack in and rush to get to the front. The security at these venues is aware of this reputation and the behavior of the crowd. They are often prepared to help control all the people and prevent anyone from getting hurt.
There were a lot of Green Level students at the concert because of the local venue. A senior at Green Level, Lily Silvera, had a conflicting experience at Ian last Friday. Ian is one of her favorite artists, and she has been to The Ritz before, so she has been looking forward to this concert for quite some time. According to Lily, the concert was a little “crazy”.
Lily explains, “The Ritz as a venue is a great venue; the issue is that everyone wanted to be up front. So people were pushing into each other. And I think another issue was that people were starting to get a little dehydrated. So a couple of people passed out, and that was a little scary.”
This prompts the conclusion that the issue could be the security. The security guards were aware of the possible dangers of this crowd, they made an announcement to those who were waiting in line outside before allowing them to come in the venue. This announcement warned the people of the possible consequences if they are caught roughhousing, fighting, or purchasing alcohol underaged.
“There were about 6 security guards, I don’t remember exactly, standing in front of the barricades up front. They were handing out dixie cups of water, but I feel like that’s not enough,” Silvera recalls. “If you are dehydrated, you need a lot more water than that. And it’s definitely hard to pass around. They were waving from the back that they needed water, and the Dixie cups can’t really get there, so it almost serves no purpose.”
Oftentimes at these high-energy types of concerts, security passes around bottles of water, even being able to throw them to the back. Standing in a crowded space for so long can take a toll on your body, and the supply of water will help keep the attendees of the concert stay hydrated and healthy. The Ritz’s inability to supply sufficient water may have other consequences like possible injuries or fainting.
Lily Silvera reports, “I didn’t see anyone get hurt relatively, I saw a couple people get lifted up over the barricades. I’m not sure if that is just because they were scared or if they were hurt.”
Lily herself fell down on the ground during the very first song. When Ian comes out on stage, the crowd goes crazy, and when that first beat drops, it gets even crazier. Lily was lifted up by some girls around her but remarks, “In that moment, for the five seconds I was on the ground, it was really scary.”
Silvera did emphasize that the venue wasn’t the issue; in fact, the crowd was better off at The Ritz than at Lincoln Theater. Lincoln Theater is a smaller venue that is much more narrow. With the tendency of this crowd to want to get as close to the stage as possible, this could certainly be a dangerous setup.
Silvera says, “The issue with the Lincoln Theater is that it is really skinny, so it is harder to get to the front, and it’s a little smaller. So, I’m glad it was at the Ritz because I think it would be even more dangerous at Lincoln Theater.”
Whether the safety could be improved by stronger security or more supply of water, she still had a great time. Lily is an avid concert-goer, so going to concerts with her friends is her favorite way to spend a night. Her experience could be improved by changes to the way venues and security handle crazy crowds like this.
Ian still has a few shows left in his tour, fans are looking forward to seeing more of his success. His ability to sell out shows within days or hours of ticket release shows his potential as an upcoming artist. If you are attending an Ian concert soon or hope to in the future, it is important to be prepared for the dangers of the pit and the environment reported by past attendees. Remember to stay safe and enjoy the show!
