Rap Concert Cancelation in Pikesville Concerns Police

The Baltimore County Police Department is working to let rap fans know that a Gucci Mane concert will not take place Saturday in Pikesville.

"Whenever there are presales (of tickets) there is a concern about people showing up not knowing it is canceled," said police spokeswoman Elise Armacost.

Police are trying to help mitigate the "possibility of disappointed customers showing up," she said.

The concert, described on the artist's website as an album release party for Trap God 2, was to be held Saturday night through Sunday morning at the Pikesville Military Reservation. But it was canceled on short notice.

Police announced at 10 a.m. Friday, through Twitter and a news release, that the armory had canceled the concert. And police asked for Patch's help in getting the word out, including through social media.

"The only reason we got involved at all is because the cancelation occurred so close to the event," Armacost said.

It's unclear how many tickets were sold for the event and how many fans were expected to attend, she said.

Fans who might still show up Saturday will be greeted and told that the concert will not take place, she said. However, it's unclear who will do the greeting, or how the Pikesville precinct plans to handle the situation.

"The Pikesville Precinct is aware of this event, the armory is aware of it," she said. "Whether our officers will be there or not I am not sure of that."

The police department was faced with with a riotous crowd on Sept. 23 when a "large party crowd wandered'' in front of the Recher Theatre in Towson.

In that case, tickets were sold on a first-come, first-served basis but had run out, so many people had been turned away.

A crowd gathered in the street and police officers used pepper spray to maintain order. Three officers were injured and seven people were arrested.

Theater owners recently announced the Recher will close, and that they will open Torrent Lounge in its place.

When asked if the police involvement in the Pikesville concert was a result of the September incident in Towson, Armacost repeated that police are trying to avoid disappointment fans may have if they show up for a concert they don't know has been canceled.