Planned gigs by the likes of Gogol Bordello and The Roots, as well as the Dave Matthews Band Caravan Festival, which were all due to take place in and around New York this weekend, have been cancelled amid the growing threat presented by Hurricane Irene.
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared a state of emergency and advised some residents to leave their homes as the storm approaches New York having already affected the Bahamas yesterday (August 25th).
As a result, Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, among others, have confirmed their decision to avoid New York over the weekend, saying:
“Due to hurricane status and states of emergencies our appearance at the DMBCaravan on Sunday has been postponed. We will announce more information as it becomes available. Until then stay dry, be safe and party.”
Despite being reported to downgrade from a Category 3 to Category 2 by the time it reaches New York, Irene is still anticipated to present significant problems, with National Hurricane Center director Bill Read saying:
“All the major metropolitan areas along the northeast are going to be impacted. Being a large hurricane, tropical storm-force winds will extend far inland.”