UPDATE: City News Service reports that the Roxy cancelled the Future concert scheduled for last night and that Future announced it would be held at the House of Blues at 10 p.m. instead. That performance also was cancelled after an altercation in the crowd outside the theatre. In a Twitter post Future promised he would return to L.A.
More than 10 patrol cars and as many as 20 Sheriff’s deputies, some armed with stun guns, have shut down Sunset Boulevard from Doheny to San Vicente today while several hundred people wait on the sidewalk in front of the Roxy to get wristbands that will let them attend a concert by the rapper Future at that rock venue tonight.
WEHOville was alerted to the shutdown around noon today. As of publication, Sunset is still closed to traffic. This is the second closing of Sunset Boulevard in recent days. Last Friday Sunset also was closed between Hammond and Doheny while deputies investigated a suspicious package that a caller thought might contain an explosive. The device actually was a portable blood pressure monitor.
Future’s appearance at the Roxy wasn’t announced on that venue’s website or Facebook page. But news of the appearance went viral on Twitter, with fans looking to obtain one of the rumored 300 to 500 wristbands required for admission.
Future, 31, was born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn in Atlanta. In 2011 he launched his own record label Freebandz, whose records are distributed through Epic Records.
Callers to WEHOville complained about the traffic shutdown and the number of armed deputies and squad cars on the street, given the peaceful nature of the crowd waiting for wristbands. In addition to those from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, at least two officers from the Beverly Hills Police Department were present.
Fear, The police love people like Jay. Jay i live a few feet, behind the rainbow, i own 6 properties, your story is , well, B.S. the majority of people were black, ( i wont go there) but the response was way over the top, by the police.Yea, i was not happy with hundreds of cars taking over the street, traffic jams. But 20 police on sunset blvd and the closure was totally unnecessary drama and b.s. but its what the west hollywood rough riders do best. I have lived here for over 20yrs, i suspect the intrusion of people… Read more »
I was there, I can count, I can smell and I yes they were angry….
It’s to the credit of both the deputies and the crowds that the two events ended with no injuries, no arrests. But still, yes, some way needs to be found to stop something like this happening again.
@Jay. And how do you know that there were 600 people (the overhead photo sure doesn’t show that). And how do you know that they were high on pot? And how do you know that they were angry? (Two friends of mine were there and said the crowd was really calm. Were you there?) Sure, it was dumb to do that sort of viral Twitter invite to a concert. But it was dumber to put a hyper-militarized police force, armed with rifles and stun guns, on Sunset Boulevard and close down the street to patrol a peaceful crowd of people… Read more »
How did this article become about the Sheriff’s department again???Roxy and their promoters are 100% at fault! For those who thought it was an over reaction probably weren’t there to see the crowd try and rush the door or overwhelm the sidewalks and street. It was a group of about 600 people that were hot, angry, and high on pot. That sounds like an ideal crowd, maybe on deputy would have been good to handle that. I’m sure the neighboring businesses and residents would have liked that. Can’t believe how this is a sheriff’s blunder. Maybe we should also blame… Read more »
I oppose Fine7760 poor spelling……As for the Sheriffs , “the west hollywood rough riders” as we call them, that is what they do best is stand around and try to look tuff. Come back and post Fine when you have had them show up at your very nice house with 7 cop cars and push the homeowner around (me) only to realize that the house is los angeles and not west hollywood. They then all loaded back into their cars like something out of keystone cops and barney fife off mayberry and sped away without apology. No, i don’t need… Read more »
My office is directly across from the Roxy and watch the Weho sheriff’s Sept stand around and.do NOTHING but unnecessarily close Sunset Blvd. They stole around in the street rather than keeping cross on the sidewalk so the road could remain open. Instead, their lack of action caused major traffic jams into Santa Monica Blvd for hours. When it was finally over, las enforcement stole in the street having meeting rather than getting road opened asap. What a waste of taxpayer’s taxes.
Those who are opposed to closing Sunset Bl would be the first to critizise the sheriffs if a riot broke out and the sheriffs were no where to be scene. They took a proactive as opposed to a reactive stance.
20 deputies + helicopters for 4 hours?..The Roxy knew that this would happen!…fine them and charge the cost to them..bad civic neighbors, unless of course they are contributors to CC campaigns. If so, just tell them not to do it again!
now Future moved the show to House of Blues. Sunset is closed AGAIN at 10:45pm. This is UTTERLY BS. Helicopters are everywhere and disturbing all of West Hollywood. Someone sue Future or the city or FINE him for today. This is totally crazy this is happening and being allowed.
Absolutely ridiculous!!! They HAD to have known they’d get this kind of response. Who is going to pay for this PR Stunt????
this is such a joke, west hollywood cops are the worst, the roughriders, they love any excuse to pull out their guns, CLOSING ALL OF SUNEST BLVD, such clowns,