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Machine Gun Kelly went to Hellfest with his teenage daughter last week and all he got was some fresh ink. The “Emo Girl” rap rocker posted a series of pictures from his slot at the festival in Clisson, France on Tuesday (June 20), beginning with one of 13-year-old Casie Colson Baker wielding a tattoo gun […]
Machine Gun Kelly swung back into rock mode last week when he hopped on stage with Mötley Crüe for a live rendition of “The Dirt (Est. 1981),” their 2019 collaboration for the soundtrack to the film adaptation of the band’s biography of the same name. The rapper joined the metal legends during their set at […]
The alleged gunman who fired into a crowd killing two people at a Washington state music festival Saturday was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Western Washington, law enforcement officials said Tuesday (June 20).
James M. Kelly, 26, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord was booked into the Grant County Jail Tuesday on investigation of two counts of murder, two counts of assault and one count of domestic violence assault, Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete said in a Facebook post. Law enforcement officers shot him Saturday and he was being treated at a hospital until Tuesday, the sheriff said.
The shooting killed two people and wounded two others in an area where people were camping for the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre.
The two people killed were Seattle residents Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison said Tuesday. Escamilla died of a gunshot wound to the head, and Ruiz died from a gunshot wound to her torso, Morrison said. The two were engaged to be married, according to a fundraising campaign by family members.
Lily Luksich, 20, of Mill Creek, Washington, and 31-year-old Andrew Cuadra of Eugene, Oregon, were shot and wounded, according to the sheriff.
A private security officer responding to the report of shots fired was struck by a bullet that deflected off her eyeglasses, causing bruising and lacerations, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office said it received a report of a shooting around 8:20 p.m. Saturday at the camping area at the amphitheater near the small city of George, 149 miles (240 kilometers) east of Seattle. The shooting happened several hundred yards from the music festival.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Lt. Col. Mike Burns told KXLY-TV in a statement Tuesday that the command is aware of the allegations against Kelly. “We take all allegations seriously and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities,” his statement said.
Burns said Kelly is a joint fire support specialist assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at the military base that is three hours away from the venue. It wasn’t immediately known if Kelly has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
The North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit is investigating the shooting of Kelly by law enforcement officers. The names of the officer or officers who fired at Kelly haven’t been released.
In the wake of a shooting at Beyond Wonderland 2023 this past Saturday (June 17), Pasquale Rotella — the Founder and CEO of the festival’s producer, Insomniac Events — has released new details on the incident that left two dead and others injured.
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In a statement posted Monday (June 19) on Rotella’s social media, he noted that the shooting took place in the furthest campground from the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash., where day one of the two-day electronic music festival was happening when the shooting occurred.
The event, the second day of which was canceled following the shooting, is a part of Insomniac Events’ Beyond Wonderland festival brand and typically hosts upwards of 20,000 people annually at the Gorge. Many attendees camp at the venue’s onsite campground. The day two lineup was meant to include Marshmello, Afrojack and many others.
Rotella noted that the camping area where the shooting occurred is a half mile outside the perimeter of the main festival grounds, adding that “it is our understanding that the incident stemmed from an isolated situation that escalated, leading the assailant to flee the area. An officer involved-shooting then occurred to neutralize the event.”
Rotella also addressed why the decision was made to keep the festival going during and after the shooting, a call that’s come under fire from many commenters on social media. Rotella writes that this decision was made “at the request of law enforcement once it became evident that there was no ongoing threat to the safety of attendees. This was also done to ensure the majority of attendees stayed away from the campground area where the incident took place. Our staff worked in close coordination with local authorities to secure the area, while also preserving it for investigators to conduct their work in a smaller, isolated section.”
Read Rotella’s complete statement below.
“I would like to address the tragic incident that occurred last night at Beyond Wonderland. On behalf of the entire Insomniac family, we extend our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the victims. The loss of two lives, as well as the injuries sustained by others, is an incredibly heartbreaking tragedy.
Given the various accounts circulating, I would like to provide an update based on the information currently available.
We know that the shooting took place in the furthest campground from The Gorge Amphitheatre, which is designated for overflow camping and located a half a mile outside the perimeter of the main festival grounds. It is our understanding that the incident stemmed from an isolated situation that escalated, leading the assailant to flee the area. An officer involved-shooting then occurred to neutralize the event.
The Gorge has been successfully hosting events for decades. The circumstances of how and why this incident occurred are under investigation.
Many have questioned why the festival continued during and after the incident. We made the decision to keep the festival open at the request of law enforcement once it became evident that there was no ongoing threat to the safety of attendees. This was also done to ensure the majority of attendees stayed away from the campground area where the incident took place. Our staff worked in close coordination with local authorities to secure the area, while also preserving it for investigators to conduct their work in a smaller, isolated section.
I want to express my gratitude to the artists and staff who remained calm and ensured that the show continued. Your collective efforts greatly contributed to maintaining the safety and calmness of the attendees.
To the Insomniac first responders team, I am grateful for your professionalism, passion, care and courage. I cannot imagine being by the side of any other group when it comes to managing a situation as challenging as this one.
This tragedy has affected me deeply. As the organizer of this event, my intention has always been to bring people together and celebrate our shared love of music and community. I am at a loss to understand how individuals can commit such heinous acts. Throughout 30 years of organizing events, we have brought together millions of people without any incidents of this nature. I hold a profound love for our community and deeply value the principles that define our culture. This incident stands in stark contrast to everything we stand for — it goes against the spirit of love, unity and respect we strive to foster within our community.
Please take care of yourselves and continue spreading love and support to one another especially during this difficult time.”
Following a shooting at Beyond Wonderland on Saturday (June 17) that left two dead and others injured, Electric Forest is increasing safety measures ahead of the festival this weekend. In a statement posted to the Electric Forest social media on Monday (June 19), the Michigan electronic music festival assured of “increased safety oversight and protocols. […]
Kid Cudi has announced the lineup for his second annual Moon Man’s Landing festival in his hometown of Cleveland. In an announcement on Wednesday, the “Solo Dolo” rapper revealed that Lil Uzi Vert, Coi Leray, $uicideboy$, Bashfortheworld, Siena Bella and Chelsea Pastel will join him on August 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Fans can register […]
Festival season is in full swing, and it’s time to head down to Manchester, Tennessee. After making its comeback last year — COVID-19 paused 2020’s festivities, and flooding from Hurricane Ida stalled the 2021 celebration — Bonnaroo is ready to treat fans to four consecutive nights of blockbuster performances across genres. The music and arts […]
Lana Del Rey returned to the live stage for the first time in more than three years at the MITA Festival 2023 in Rio De Janeiro. During her headlining set on Saturday (May 27), the alternative-pop princess delivered the live debut of numerous songs from her latest album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel […]
Despite appearances, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan was not trying to stir the pot when he took the stage in a blonde wig, smeared lipstick and a body-hugging top that accentuated his prosthetic breasts during a headlining set at Daytona Beach’s Welcome to Rockville Festival on Sunday.
While the outfit appeared to be a reaction to the series of controversial bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis recently that ban minors from attending drag shows, Keenan told The Messenger his choice was personal, not political. “I’ve been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers,” said the singer who has been wearing shock makeup and costumes for years, including falsies he first wore in the late 1990s; Keenan noted that he’s been shopping online recently for a new set of stage breasts.
“It’s pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how they’ve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back,” added the prog rock vocalist who has long favored outrageous looks, from fetish cop getups to Mexican wrestling masks, pilot uniforms, blue full body paint and superhero costumes. “And that’s really all there is to it. I’m not a political fella — had nothing to do with Florida.”
While Keenan swears he wasn’t trying to poke the eye of culture warrior DeSantis — who is slated to announce his long-expected White House run on Wednesday (May 24) on Twitter — because Welcome to Rockville was an all-ages fest, technically, the singer was in violation of the new law. If anything, Keenan said he was a bit annoyed by the false dots-connecting spurred by his stage attire.
“It’s amazing to me how every single thing you say or do is twisted and conformed into some fundamentalist far-right or far-left agenda,” said Keenan, who will be back on stage this weekend in Columbus, OH at the Sonic Temple Festival.
Now, that said, father of two Keenan, 59, told the outlet that he thinks legal restrictions on drag show attendance is kind of dumb. “I think limiting people’s access to anything is absurd,” he said. “Good parenting allows you to teach your kids how to be reasonable and reason and puzzle things out and decide for themselves what the f—k they wanna see or not wanna see.”
Keenan also noted that he does consider himself to be part of the drag community, saying, “I guess so, yeah… On occasion, I am a drag queen; I’ve been a drag queen. I’m casual, so the hardcore people are going to dismiss me as being a tourist.” He added that he feels some affinity for people who use drag as a form of self-expression. “Solidarity with people who are not afraid to express themselves? Absolutely. People that want to express themselves in whatever f—king way they want to express themselves, as long as they’re not physically directly hurting someone? Yeah, go for it. I’m all for ya.”
The National are proving that you can go home again. Again. The group, whose members were all born and raised in Cincinnati, announced on Wednesday (May 17) that they are bringing back their Homecoming festival to the Queen City. The lineup for the 2023 event will feature the “Fake Empire” group headlining both nights — Sept. 15 and 16 — with Patti Smith & Her Band, The Walkmen, Arooj Aftab, Bartees Strange, Carriers and Ballard filing out the first night’s roster.
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The second day will find them joined by Pavement, Weyes Blood, Snail Mail, Julia Jacklin, The Drin and Leo Pastel on the Icon Festival stage at Smale park on the banks of the Ohio River.
Though the sad dad quintet have scattered to the wind and all live in different cities now, their lyrics and hearts have continually pulled them back to their Southern Ohio homebase. “When we launched Homecoming in 2018, we were overwhelmed by the response from the community and by our renewed sense of connection to our hometown,” they wrote in a statement in which they promised to play a unique set each night. “It was such an exciting, memorable weekend and we’ve long hoped to bring it back. We’re honored to return to Cincinnati five years later and be joined by so many of our favorite musicians and friends.
Single-day, weekend and VIP passes will go on sale on Friday (May 19) at 10 a.m. ET.
The first Homecoming took place in April 2018 and also featured two unique National sets, along with performances by Father John Misty, Feist, The Breeders, Julien Baker, Future Islands, Alvvays, Big Thief, Lord Huron, Moses Sumney and more; a 2020 edition was scotched due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National released their ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, earlier this month.
Check out the Homecoming announcement below.