Fan Dies After Collapsing at King Gizzard's Field of Vision Fest in Buena Vista

A man who collapsed during the first night of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s Field of Vision festival has died, the band announced via an Instagram story on Sunday afternoon, August 17.

“We are deeply saddened to share that on Friday night a member of our community passed away due to an unexpected medical event despite the best efforts from emergency teams," reads the joint statement with Meadow Creek, the fest's venue in Buena Vista.

“We send our love and condolences to their family, friends, and all who are impacted by this loss,” it continues. “In moments like these, we are reminded of the importance of showing up for one another and are profoundly grateful for the compassion and care shown by so many.”

The incident occurred on Friday, August 15, less than an hour after King Gizzard took the stage at 8 p.m. The Australian group had just launched into its seventh song, “Oddlife,” when fans in the crowd alerted the band and surrounding support staff that someone in the center of the audience needed medical attention. The music stopped, and guitarist Joey Walker announced that help was on its way and asked everyone to clear a pathway for the medical golf cart.

The pause in play lasted about fifteen minutes, as the six band members, visibly concerned, briefly left the stage; the livestream was also temporarily stopped. Once the man was being transported out by emergency services, King Gizzard resumed, but not before letting everyone know to keep an eye out for each other.

A message left with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office for more information was not immediately returned.

Before the official statement was issued, a Reddit post by the man’s brother, Chris, writing under username Beneficial_Charity21, detailed the events leading up to and surrounding the untimely passing of Matt Gawiak.

“You see, my brother - diehard gizzard fan, geospatial scientist, loving husband, uncle, childhood cancer survivor, and best concert buddy anyone could ever ask for - told me he was feeling dizzy partway into Oddlife,” she explained.

“As myself and our friends went to escort him out, he dropped to the floor, and was unresponsive,” she continued. “Luckily, there were 2 trauma nurses in the crowd who responded quickly and started cpr while we fought off the overzealous and sent runners for paramedics to take him to the medical tent.”

Medical officials attempted to stabilize Matt for nearly two hours.

“They could only maintain any kind of pulse with massive doses of epinephrine. They had to call in an ambulance because they ran out,” Chris said, adding that his brother went into cardiac arrest. “They eventually got him onto an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead en route to the hospital... just before the show finished.”

While admittedly in shock, Chris thanked everyone who jumped in, including King Gizzard for recognizing the severity of the situation.

“I'm grateful to those who fought like hell for him, for the people who ran for the medics when I told them to run, to the people who shined their phones to signal for help, and to the band for stopping the show,” he said.

The response to that original post in the KGATLW subreddit has been overwhelming, as some asked for the fan’s name as a way to properly honor him during the fest. One commenter suggested those still at Field of Vision organize a candlelit memorial.

The first-ever Field of Vision runs through midnight tonight in Buena Vista. It is King Gizzard’s only stateside festival this year, aside from the current orchestral tour for its latest album, Phantom Island, that included a stop in Colorado Springs last weekend.

A GoFundMe has been started in memory of Matt Gawiak by his wife, who calls him "the kindest, most genuine person that I've ever met."

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.