A sold-out concert by indie folk band The Crane Wives was abruptly canceled May 23rd at Vinyl Music Hall after a critical power failure prompted a full evacuation of the venue.
The issue was traced to a malfunction inside Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) Current Transformer (CT) box, located within the building. A member of the venue’s production staff detected the smell of burning rubber shortly after doors opened, prompting immediate evacuation as a safety precaution.
Electrical sparks and smoke prompt evacuation
“When the electrician opened FPL’s CT box, there was a serious electrical failure — sparks flew and smoke filled the room,” the venue said in a statement.
Contrary to early rumors, no fire occurred, and the source of the problem was FPL-owned utility equipment located inside the venue, not an overheated outlet or internal venue wiring.
First responders and FPL technicians arrived shortly after the evacuation. Firefighters initially responded to reports of smoke, but no flames were observed.
Only about 200 of the expected 850 guests had entered the building when the evacuation took place. No performances occurred, and the opening act did not go on.
Fans react to sudden shutdown
Outside the venue, disappointed fans gathered along the sidewalk awaiting updates.
“We knew something was wrong because the line wasn’t moving,” said Isabella Genovese, (second from left) who had arrived with friends Alexis White and Faith Speed. “Around 8:10, we started hearing there was an electrical problem. So we just decided to sit outback in case we cane see them (The Crane Wives) on their way out.”
Hope Youngblood, a concertgoer celebrating her 20th birthday, had been waiting near the barricade when staff informed the crowd of an evacuation. “They said it was just a small electrical issue at first, and then they told us the show was canceled completely,” she said.
Others, like Steve Iwaniszek from Panama City Beach, described a controlled but confusing evacuation. “They brought everyone out single file and said there was smoke on the second floor, but thats all I could hear over the people coming out the doors, ” he said.
Refunds issued; rescheduling under discussion
The venue confirmed that all ticket holders will receive automatic refunds. The band was also paid in full despite the cancellation, resulting in a financial loss of more than $35,000 for the venue.
A potential reschedule is being discussed, but no date has been confirmed. Vinyl Music Hall has posted a formal statement on its social media channels and is encouraging fans to monitor updates there and at vinylmusichall.com.
