There are unfortunate circumstances surrounding Chevelle’s performance in Chicago on Friday. According to reports from the chicagotribune.com, Kyle Kirchhoff (age 24) was with a trio of friends on the balcony. They found a door which led them to a catwalk overlooking the stage of the venue where the band was playing the last of their set. Kirchhoff reportedly stepped on a section which gave way, falling 6-8 feet to be impaled on the pipes of an organ. He was declared dead little over a half hour later at the Weiss Memorial Hospital.
This is truly a sad event that goes to illustrate why some safety regulations and boundaries are set at concert venues. Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of this young man.
R.I.P. Kyle Kirchhoff
Here’s the official statement from the band followed by the video of the band leaving the stage following the unfortunate news.
“To our fans, as you may or may not have heard, an extremely unfortunate event occurred at our show in Chicago Friday night.
We were asked by police to stop our set so that the authorities could tend to an injured fan. Once the severity of the accident was determined the authorities cleared out the venue to give them time to investigate. We want to thank our Chicago fans for their respect of the authorities and for understanding that these decisions made by the authorities were out of our control. We love our fans in Chicago and while there was no question that the show would be cut short in light of this tragic event, we will be sure to play for you all again as soon as possible.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chevelle fan Kyle Kirchhoff and at this time we ask that you all keep Kyle and his family in your thoughts and prayers…
S.P.D.”
