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Safety remains a concern as Xfinity Theater holds first concert of the season

HARTFORD —  The first concert of the season drew thousands of teens and young adults to Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre Friday. With it came am abundance of fi...

HARTFORD --  The first concert of the season drew thousands of teens and young adults to Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre Friday.

With it came am abundance of first responders on standby.

A Chance the Rapper concert at the venue last July attracted headlines for more than the music.

“And last year we came to one concert,” said Rhode Island native Val Rose. “The Chance the Rapper. I think it was the same summer jam etc. I love his. I have his tattoo.”

The Chance the Rapper fan has the artist’s signature number 3 sign tatooed on her back.

She was at his concert at the Xfinity Theater last year, which sent nearly 100 young people to the hospital after they had too much to drink.

“I don’t know, people were out of control,” Rose said. “It  looked like a lot of underage drinkers.”

“It’s not exactly like that something they do on a daily basis, said Albany native, David. “So most of the people here I think they’re just trying to have a good time and enjoy the concert.”

However, the concert venue took a lot of heat for the binge drinking.

Hartford native Jordan Knight was also at last year’s concert.

Knight, who is in the U.S. Coast Guard, doesn’t believe the underage drinking is the venue’s fault.

“The venue can do whatever they want,” Knight said. “They can’t control people, what they do. We all have a choice, people make the wrong choice.”

Rose agrees. Although, she believes there are things the venue can do.

“One thing I don’t like about this venue is that they don’t have a designated area for ride share it’s like Uber Lyft etc.”

Rose believes this would make the Xfinity Theater safer.

Earlier in the month American Medical Response, which is the longtime 911 provider for Hartford, informed FOX 61 News that they no longer had a contract with Xfinity Theater to be staged there to provide emergency care for their concerts.

However, FOX 61 News did witness plenty of AMR ambulances and vehicles at the concert venue Friday night.

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