Hurricane Matthew Brings Cancellations & Postponements

As Hurricane Matthew gets closer to the U.S., concert promoters and venues in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have been calling off gigs scheduled in the next few days. Cancellations include Blues Traveler, Plain White T’s, moe., and Dirty Heads.

The storm has killed more than 100 people in Haiti, Cuba and the Bahama, according to NPR. As of post time, the National Hurricane Center is referring to Matthew as a category 4 hurricane and reports that the eye of the storm is expected to “move close to or over the east coast of the Florida peninsula through Friday night.”

ABC News reports that the storm is predicted to pummel the Florida coast “with vicious 140 mph winds, potentially devastating storm surges and flooding from rain.” The broadcast company notes its meteorologists are saying, “If it makes landfall, Hurricane Matthew could be the strongest storm to hit the United States in more than a decade.”

Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP

Moving northwest along the east coast of Florida.

States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“There is no reason not to evacuate,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott told reporters, according to ABC. “No excuses. Get out.” Evacuations have also been ordered in Georgia and the Carolinas.

Here is a list of some of the affected concerts in the region:

Thursday, Oct. 6
Blues Traveler – Orlando, Fla., America Gardens Theatre @ Epcot Center
Krewella – Miami Fla., Churchill’s Pub
Blue October – Charleston, S.C., Music Farm
Henry Rollins – Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Broward Center For The Perf. Arts (postponed)
Mike Quinn’s Super Funky 30^th (Corey Stephens, Manny Houston, Dave Grimm) – The Pour House, Charleston, S.C.
The Harrows – The Pour House, Charleston S.C.

Friday, Oct. 7:

Plain White T’s – Orlando, Fla., America Gardens Theatre @ Epcot Center
moe. – Charleston, S.C., Music Farm
George Thorogood & The Destroyers – North Myrtle Beach, S.C., House of Blues
Disney Live! Mickey & Minne’s Doorway to Magic – Savannah, Ga., Savannah Civic Center (postponed to Dec. 19)
Josh Roberts & The Hinges with The Mobros – The Pour House, Charleston, S.C.

Saturday, Oct. 8:

Dirty Heads – North Myrtle Beach, S.C., House of Blues (postponed)
Henry Rollins – Orlando, Fla., Plaza Live Orlando (postponed)
Keith Sweat – Savannah, Ga., Savannah Civic Center *
Loretta Lynn – North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Alabama Theatre (postponed to Feb. 18)

Sunday, Oct. 9:

Henry Rollins – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Ponte Vedra Concert Hall (postponed)

New dates have not yet been announced for Henry Rollins or Dirty Heads.

*It is possible the Keith Sweat show is being moved to a later date. Although a post on Savannah Civic Center’s Facebook page said all events scheduled this weekend were canceled, it went on to say that “once the events are rescheduled you will be updated.”

As of post time, III Points Festival is still scheduled to take place Oct. 7-9 at Miami’s Wynwood Art District. A post on the event’s Facebook page Oct. 4 declared, “The Festival will go on!” Co-founder David Sinopoli discussed the game plan for dealing with the storm with the Miami New Times and said, “No matter what, it’s going to be the dopest hurricane party anyone’s ever thrown.” Friday’s lineup boasts LCD Soundsystem, Dixon and Vince Staples.

Pollstar reported yesterday that Hurricane Matthew had forced Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman (ARW) to postpone its Oct. 6 show at the Seminole Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Fla., to Oct. 12. The change means that the show originally scheduled Oct. 12 would also have to be postponed. Today we got news that the Oct. 12 gig at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall For The Performing Arts is being moved to the city’s Byham Theatre Oct. 30. An announcement notes that the show is switching venues because of “concerns regarding the orchestra strike at Heinz Hall.”

Yesterday’s compilation of changes also included Garth Brooks postponing his Oct. 6 gig in Orlando to Oct. 9 and Miami’s House Of Horror moving from Oct. 6 to Nov. 4. House Of Horror features performances by The Chainsmokers, Daya and Zara Larsson.

Although Philadelphia’s WPVI reported Thursday that the “projected path of Hurricane Matthew continued to shift away” from the region, Project Pabst announced earlier this week that its performances were being moved inside “due to impending weather conditions.” The Oct. 8 event at Electric Factory features performances from Animal Collective, Mac DeMarco and Guided By Voices.