The Junkyard's Latest Concert Cancellation Has Fans Fuming

The Junkyard is living up to its name, particularly after a recent concert cancellation left fans feeling like garbage.

Accounts of the Friday, July 11, Babymetal debacle littered the internet after the Live Nation venue delayed doors by more than two hours, then unexpectedly “postponed” the show after only one band, Jinjer, played. The reason: “severe weather issues,” according to hasty announcements posted on the stage screens at 9:45 p.m.

One fan, Dana Underwood, had a hard assessment of the situation. “These people should not be in the music venue business,” she says. “It was the worst-managed concert experience I’ve encountered, and I’m almost forty.”

She says she couldn’t believe what was happening at first, particularly after spending hours waiting in a line that stretched several blocks away without much information. “We were told by others in line that they delayed doors opening until 7 p.m. due to weather. It did start pouring rain and lightning, thundering at around 6:30 p.m. for about five minutes. It cleared completely after that,” she tells Westword.

“I was relying on their Facebook page where they had made a post that doors were delayed due to weather, but it didn’t have any ETA on opening,” Underwood continues. “Other fans stuck in line started commenting updates on the post. Most seemed completely confused as to what the plan was. The Junkyard did not post any other updates after the initial doors delayed post.”

Doors were finally open at 8:30 p.m., nearly three hours after the originally scheduled 6 p.m. call. But that wasn’t the most frustrating mishap for fans that night. After Jinjer blasted through a condensed set, during which vocalist Tatiana Shmailyuk hyped up bands Bloodywood and Babymetal, the decision was made to call off the rest of the concert.

Jinjer "exited the stage, and within five minutes, at about 9:45 p.m., a picture was displayed on screen that the concert was cancelled,” Underwood recalls. “A guy came on stage and said for us to exit due to severe inclement weather. Exiting was totally mismanaged and chaotic, and people were pissed by that point.

“Again, I didn’t see a single security guard during this process, and they just herded us out onto the street in massive crowds,” she adds. “Many had just bought alcoholic beverages that they had to toss on their way out. So much for rain or shine tickets! Also, I should add that it drizzled for about five minutes after they kicked us out — no lightning or thunder.”

Babymetal, the popular Japanese group, posted an apology and promised to reschedule the date at some point in the future. Fans took to social media and Reddit to share similar stories to Underwood’s. Live Nation did not respond to a request for comment. Since the concert is considered postponed, receiving a refund in the week since has been hard, according to Underwood.

“I’ve contacted Ticketmaster about it, and because now the Junkyard has reported the show as ‘postponed,’ they don’t have to refund us for another sixty days,” she says.

“It seems really greedy for these people to be able to treat fans like this and get away with it. I get that they can’t control the weather, but the lack of updates/communication throughout the process and allowing us to wait endlessly in line with nowhere to sit, no bathrooms, no water, no security, just to enter the venue just to spend money on food and drinks, letting one band play, then kicking us out isn’t right,” she continues. “…And now they’re holding our refunds hostage.”

Reviews of the incident temporarily pulled the Junkyard’s Google rating down to 1.7 last weekend, before negative posts were suspiciously gone by the beginning of the week. The rating is now 3.3, which is still down from the 3.7 the venue boasted before the show. (Facebook reviews are a 1.9 out of 5.) This is one incident, but most of the recent rumblings point to past transgressions, whether it be lack of parking, long lines or similar surprise cancellations or postponements. 

“I think the experience was rotten,” Underwood says, “but I don’t want other fans to experience the same as I did.”

Find more concerts on our Denver concert calendar.