Some major concerts go dark on 9-11

By Geoff Boucher
Los Angeles Times

In the concert industry, will the sounds of silence again greet Sept. 11?

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, the live music business was shuttered short-term and still shaky in the weeks that followed. Now, two years out, it's back to business as usual, but the exception may be the anniversary of the day that life in America changed.

Tomorrow, many of the biggest tours trucking across the country will go dark. Bruce Springsteen, Toby Keith, Fleetwood Mac and the tandem show of Aerosmith and KISS are among those taking it off.

Is the decision due to anxiety about security? Or deference to the somberness of the day? A bit of both, says Gary Bongiovanni of Pollstar, a concert industry magazine. But there isn't much of a stir about the matter, he adds.

"It will be quieter than a normal Thursday will be, but it's not something you're hearing everyone talk about," Bongiovanni says. "You know, most weeks the touring acts are playing just three, four or maybe five days, so there are going to be days off anyway. However minimal, there might be an elevated security risk on that day, and it's also difficult to gauge the mood of the country and whether it's a night they want to go out and party."

There are plenty of acts that are playing tomorrow, among them R.E.M., the Eagles and Willie Nelson. As Andy Hewitt, a leading promoter in Los Angeles, notes, "We play on Pearl Harbor Day, so we should all go out and pray that nothing like it ever happens again."