John Legend has apologized to his fans after his show was “rudely interrupted” by a storm.
The concert by John Legend and the Cleveland Orchestra on Thursday evening at the Blossom Music Center – an outdoor amphitheater in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – had to be canceled mid-performance due to severe weather, including heavy rain and lightning. According to the Akron Beacon JournalConcertgoers tried to wait for the storm to end, and the venue experienced repeated power outages.
At around 7:45 p.m., fans with seats on the lawn were told to seek shelter in their cars or a nearby restroom, while fans with seats in the pavilion were asked to stay in shelter, according to the Journal. At 9:15 p.m., a flash flood warning was issued for the area, and at 9:30 p.m., the venue canceled the show.
Legend commented on the cancellation on his Instagram account late Thursday evening. Newsweek contacted a Legend spokesperson via email on Friday for comment.
“Scenes from the show in Northern Ohio before Mother Nature so rudely interrupted it. (painted emojis) I’m so sorry about tonight. We will come back and try again if we can!” he wrote alongside three photos of the performance taken that evening.
Instagram users thanked the singer for the short and nice concert. One wrote: “Singing Bridge Over Troubled Water in the pouring rain was epic.”
“We loved your short but beautiful concert. Some of your lovely family members were seated in front of us. Your song dedicated to your grandmother moved two of them to tears. You were so sweet. Please come back to Cleveland soon. I’ve been waiting months for this and can’t wait to hear more from the legend,” said another.
“It was a brilliant four songs! Haha,” wrote another.
A fourth person added: “So sad we didn’t get to see the rest of the show! (crying emojis) PLEASE COME BACK!”
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The singer had updated his fans earlier in the evening via Instagram, posting a video to his story explaining that he and the other artists had been waiting backstage to see if the show could continue.
“We were just informed that we cannot continue the show tonight,” Legend said. “I am so sorry. I wanted to finish the show tonight. I have a lot of family and friends here and I wanted to put on a great show for the good people of Northern Ohio and I am so sorry for that. We will find a way to make it up to you as soon as possible.”
On Wednesday night, Legend’s performance in Saratoga Springs went smoothly.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to spend last night with me, the band and the amazing Philadelphia Orchestra in Saratoga Springs! A beautiful experience!” he posted on Instagram.
