The first edition of Houston Open Air looked to be another stellar addition to the U.S. festival circuit, but was unfortunately cut down by severe weather warnings. The grounds were evacuated as organizers feared of lightning strikes, leaving headliners Avenged Sevenfold without a set to play until they took matters into their own hands.

Insistent on performing, the band rushed to secure a gig at a nearby venue, even if it meant playing to less than the intended festival-sized crowd. With the show moved 15 miles away to the White Oak Music Hall, the band and crew quickly settled into the venue, cramming 1,200 Houston Open Air ticket holders inside for a special and comparatively intimate show.

Avenged Sevenfold have since issued a statement, thanking the work of their crew and all those who made the near-impossible show an immediate reality. The full statements reads,

When the Houston Open Air Festival made the decision to cancel due to weather concerns we were so bummed to have to end the first round of tour on a sour note. We know our fans don’t give up easily and neither do we, so we scrambled to make last minute arrangements to play for as many of our Houston fans as we could.

In the course of one hour our entire A7X crew was able to pack and transport all of our gear, find and rent out a venue, wrangle up a security team and put together a show for as many of our Houston fans as we could fit. Nearly every promoter and agent in the area said it was impossible. Thanks to our crew and the staff at the White Oak Music Hall we did the impossible and the show went on.

We want to thank the spirited fans who showed up in Houston and helped end the first batch of shows on an amazing note! To those who traveled to see us and were not able to or those under the age of 18 we are really sorry about the situation. We tried to make the best out of a s--tty situation for as many fans as we could. Louisville and Janesville get ready because we will see you this weekend!

The band has been working on a new record, their first with newly instated drummer Brooks Wackerman, but have been reluctant to reveal a definitive time table for the album's release. In an interview with Loudwire Nights host Toni Gonzalez, singer M. Shadows discussed the timeline, stating, "I really have no clue at this point. Nothing. I am sure every magazine is mad at us right now and every radio station is mad at us, but the reality is when there is something to be heard, then it will be heard. Right now we are working our butts off and we want to make sure everything is right, when something does come out and just kind of giving people little tidbits right now doesn’t seem like the right thing to do."

Click through the gallery at the top of the page to see photos of Avenged Sevenfold at White Oak Music Hall.

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