Lifelong Rush Fan Sues Over Canceled Chicago Show

By Lisa Donovan, Chicago Sun Times, July 9, 2010


The rock band Rush was supposed to be living on a lighted Chicago stage on Wednesday. But when the concert at Northerly Island was canceled, a fan stepped into the limelight with a lawsuit.

Christopher Langone, 42, a one-time Chicagoan who flew in from Upstate New York to attend the concert, filed a breach of contract lawsuit on Friday, saying the show was shut down because of the rain despite a ticket stub and other promotional materials saying calling it a "rain or shine" event.

"I traveled here to Chicago to see the show with old friends," Langone told the Sun-Times. "I've been a lifelong fan of Rush and we were very disappointed they canceled the show...especially when [the rain] stopped."

He's filed a class action suit, not only seeking reimbursement for the ticket but also his airfare and other travel expenses.

Langone says he purchased six tickets - at a cost of $80 apiece - $250 airfare, and a round of beers he bought at Charter One Pavilion before the concert was called off.

He's perused the online fan forums and says he believes others are in the same boat.

While a new concert date hasn't been announced, Langone says a rumored reschedule date of September would be out of the question. He's a Ph.D student at Cornell University and will be back in class.

Asked about suing a band he has long enjoyed, Langone acknowledged: "It feels a little strange."