Randy Bachman (Getty)
New York State Parks Police have confirmed that a Randy Bachman and 54-40 concert at Artpark Mainstage Theater in the Village of Lewiston was evacuated after a bomb-sniffing dog smelled bomb-making ingredients on the grounds, according to The Buffalo News.
Artpark has been evacuated after a bomb-sniffing dog reportedly caught the scent of dangerous materials near the stage. Concert status TBD.
Niagara County Sheriff’s Office confirms that sheriff’s department K-9 made “hit” on package at Artpark concert tonight.
New York State Park dispatchers say the venue was evacuated after the K-9 made a “hit” near a speaker on the Artpark stage, according to WGRZ2. No injuries have been reported, according to State Park Police.
The venue was evacuated around 5:30 p.m. according to witnesses. The concert was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
A concert attendee shared the following video of fans waiting outside the venue:
Another attendee posted a photo with the caption “bomb squad and Dept of homeland security here”.
https://twitter.com/RICHSABIN/status/877308619246772224/photo/1
Artpark’s official Twitter page posted that they expect the show to go on as planned, but are taking precautions.
Please continue to be patient. The police are making their final checks. We hope to resume shortly.
Update: WIVB-TV has reported that Police have completed the necessary safety check and the concert will resume. Artpark released a statement asking fans to take their time entering the amphitheater and that both bands will perform as scheduled.
Police have reported that no explosives were found and they have cleared the scene. Artpark officials say the curfew has been extended until 10:30 p.m. According to WIVB4, The Erie County Bomb Squad and other agencies performed a full sweep of the area and did not find anything, including any suspicious packages.
Parks Police giving us info on today’s problem at Artpark @WKBW
Artpark Mainstage Theater provides seating for up to 2,400 people, according to Artpark’s website.
Randy Bachman is best known for his work in The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Bachman was born in Canada and was a founding member of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Bachman most recently released the album Heavy Blues in 2015, which featured musical contributions from Neil Young, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph and the late Jeff Healey.
54-40 is a Canadian alternative rock group from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band’s song “I Go Blind” was covered and made a hit in the mid-90’s by Hootie and the Blowfish. They were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2012.