UPTOWN — A lakefront outdoor Mumford and Sons show planned for Wednesday, June 17, at Montrose Beach and Park has been postponed until Friday due to weather concerns, the band announced Wednesday.
In a post on its Facebook page published just after 1 p.m., the band cited "really unfavorable weather" that prevented local promoters from building the stage in time for Wednesday night's show.
"It takes a lot for us to pull a show. It's something we try to avoid at all costs, but tonight it's just not going to happen. Of course, we are devastated."
JAM Productions, which is putting on the show, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Tickets for Wednesday's show will be valid at the Friday show or at the Waverly, Iowa Stopover festival. Full refunds are also offered to ticket holders.
Fans like Emily Pahl, 19, and her best friend, Jenny Sparks, 20, were disappointed to hear the news Wednesday. Pahl, in particular, was devastated, as evidenced by the tear trickling down her cheek.
This is the second time Pahl has tried to see her favorite band but plans have fallen through. The first time was due to a "friendship complication," she said.
The pair traveled by bus, train and car from suburban Grayslake to Cricket Hill only to find out when they arrived from workers stationed at the entrance.
"No email, no anything. At least some notice would have been nice," Pahl said.
Sparks agreed that she expected to receive an email earlier, saying "Not everyone checks their Twitter or has a Twitter [account.]"
Since neither of them can make it to Friday's show, Pahl is worried she'll never get to see them now.
"It was a long journey to get here and to find out there's nothing here waiting for us ... we're at a loss. We're not sure what to do," she said.
Others like Eduardo Rodrigues, 25, and Bruna Destro, 20, weren't as upset, saying it was more of a mild convenience than anything else.
"I had stuff to do today," said Destro, who rearranged her afternoon plans to wait in line.
But some fans who camped out at the park early in the day were rewarded for their devotion. They got to meet the band when its members briefly addressed the crowd and delivered the bad news.
Loretta Colhardt said meeting the band eliminated any negative feelings she would've had about the show getting postponed.
"It was so awesome and worth the wait," said Colhardt, who also got a free T-shirt and arrived around 11 a.m.
Uptown has been preparing for the festival since early June, when 46th Ward Ald. James Cappleman organized a community meeting for JAM Productions to hear residents' concerns and outline its plan to host the outdoor show without incident.
Last year, Wavefront Music Festival was canceled after fierce opposition from aldermen and residents, who thought the fest was too loud, among other issues.
Preparations for the Mumford and Sons show planned for Wednesday included rerouting transit, preparing a bike valet service and, most recently, clearing out homeless campers from the nearby viaducts at Lawrence Avenue and Wilson Avenue.
Signs restricting parking from 1 p.m.-2 a.m. posted along Wilson Avenue and Montrose Avenue near the lakefront show will be removed as soon as possible, according to Molly Poppe, a spokesperson for the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation.
Drivers should abide by the signs to avoid getting towed until they're removed, Poppe said.
Similar signs will be posted no later than 1 p.m. Thursday in preparation for Friday's show, she added.
In an email to constituents, Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said: "We are working with the Office of Emergency Management and Communication and the Chicago police department to minimize any unnecessary impact on residents who drive."
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