#Coldplay ends concert 56 min past curfew. @49ers "concerned concerts may not come to Levi's Stadium again unless the music ban is resolved" pic.twitter.com/NuolhRiT4I
— Janine De la Vega (@JanineDLV) October 5, 2017
Following in the footsteps of U2, Coldplay flouted Santa Clara's 10 p.m. weeknight curfew last night at Levi's Stadium and played on until close to 11 p.m. because it was a concert. ABC 7 reports that the band took the stage at 8:55 p.m. and therefore clearly wasn't planning to cut the show short at 10 p.m., but played until 10:56 p.m. instead, with some fireworks at the end. Like they did with the U2 show in May, the city says they will fine the 49ers for the violation as much as $1,000.
The city of Santa Clara remains staunch in their refusal to allow extensions of the curfew, which is reportedly the strictest for a big venue anywhere in the state, and as of last week the 49ers were vowing not to bring any weeknight concerts to the stadium, something that could cost the city millions in lost revenue. Ed Sheeran recently canceled a show there on account of the curfew, though it seems easy enough for the 49ers to pretend like they're abiding by the curfew and let big acts violate it, because the $1,000 fine is nothing compared to what a sold-out show is generating, money-wise.
The 49ers also take issue with Santa Clara's stubbornness, as NBC Bay Area reports, because the next-door Great America amusement park, with whom they share a parking lot, has been granted 30 annual curfew extensions by the city council. Al Guido, president of the 49ers organization, says they were merely asking for four weeknight extensions per year.
The city council says they need to take the pulse of residents first, via community meetings, and the news stations all found a couple neighbors who are annoyed at not being able to get any shuteye before 11 p.m. due to the noise. (Perhaps they should have thought about this before building a stadium in a quiet residential area?)
Via the Chronicle we get a slightly bitchy statement from Roger Hacker, director of corporate communications for the 49ers and Levi's Stadium, in which he said, "Because our top priority is the safety of our guests, we will defer to the local enforcement and public safety authorities to determine all matters related to abruptly stopping a show with tens of thousands of people present."
Guido also issued a statement saying, "We are concerned that concerts may not come to Levi's Stadium again unless the music ban is resolved in a way that works for everyone. We have already lost one event and will continue to lose more, costing thousands of local jobs, millions of dollars in needed revenue, and the world-class entertainment options that other major cities enjoy."
Previously: 49ers Pull Plug On Weeknight Concerts At Levi's Stadium Over 10PM Curfew