Hoobastank and Simple Plan turned a delayed Southwest flight into an impromptu pop-punk concert after a nationwide aviation ground stop disrupted journeys to the Vans Warped Tour in Florida.
Hoobastank lead singer Doug Robb performed the band’s 2003 hit The Reason for passengers on the flight, which was carrying people to the festival in Orlando.
Passengers helped create a makeshift stage, connecting an amplifier and using the lights on their mobile phones as Robb moved along the aisle while the cabin sang along.
Canadian pop-punk singer Lolo, who was also aboard, shared footage of the performance online and wrote: “Thank u Southwest for the memories.”
She added: “Every plane was grounded today, but the emo gods made sure this one flew.”
Simple Plan also performed during the flight. Lead singer and bassist Pierre Bouvier played an acoustic version of the group’s early-2000s song I’m Just a Kid.
One video shared online showed a passenger singing along with the band, accompanied by the comment: “When my childhood dream comes true and Simple Plan performs on my Southwest flight to the Vans Warped Tour.”
Nationwide ground stop disrupts Warped Tour travel
The performances took place after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, lasting five hours. Officials believed an “extraordinary” communications problem was linked to routine management on outdated air traffic control equipment.
The halt led to thousands of cancellations and hundreds of delays across the United States, affecting bands and fans travelling to the Vans Warped Tour’s Orlando dates on Saturday and Sunday.
Videos of the in-flight concert spread online, with one person writing: “Stuck on a plane for hours and you end up with a free Hoobastank show. Honestly not the worst way to wait it out.”
Another described it as “the best”, adding: “love taking/making positives out of a such a negative situation!” A further comment said: “This makes me so happy, music can bring so much joy to crappy situations.”
Kevin Lyman, one of the founders of Warped Tour, said he had never experienced a nationwide ground stop during his 32 years running the festival.
He said some bands had been unable to reach the event and had cancelled, while most acts remained scheduled to perform. Some appearances were expected to move from Saturday to Sunday.
Warped Tour had not announced an updated performance schedule or said whether refunds would be issued to fans unable to attend because of the disruption.
The flight stoppage was the first since January 11, 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned, and only the second since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Saturday morning that operations were “slowly returning to normal” and that planes were safe to fly, although delays would continue.
Almost 15,000 delays were recorded by 1pm Eastern Time on Saturday, including more than 4,000 involving flights within, into or out of the US. More than 4,400 flights in those categories had also been cancelled.
