Overflow Crowd at Concert Stops Traffic, Draws Police

About 1,000 people unable to fit into a North Hollywood club for a free concert Wednesday stopped traffic on Lankershim Boulevard for a short time, Los Angeles police said.

More than 27 police cars from several locations in the San Fernando Valley flocked to the club when it was feared that the crowd was causing a disturbance, police said.

There were no arrests or injuries, police said.

The noon concert by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Palomino, 6907 Lankershim Blvd., was stopped 20 minutes after it started so police could disperse the crowd. The concert was been sponsored by radio station KROQ in Burbank.

“There was just too many people,” said Bill Thomas, owner of the Palomino. “It was a bunch of maniacs getting into a frenzy. They were stopping traffic out there. They were coming through the windows in here.”

Thomas said the capacity of the club is 264.

“The Red Hot Chili Peppers are hot, but I didn’t think they were that hot,” Thomas said.

Lt. Richard Eddings said the crowd had been reported to police as a “large disturbance” involving up to 1,000 people. He said that prompted a police radio broadcast for all available patrol units.

“We ended up with 27 units coming from all over the place,” Eddings said.

Traffic on Lankershim was stopped between Sherman Way and Vanowen Street for a few minutes, police said.