Music

19-year-old woman dies at Toronto Warped Tour stop

by Nicole Villeneuve

UPDATE: The victim has been unofficially identified as Taylor Nesseth of London, ON. Her last Tumblr post and tweets expressed her excitement for the show that day. A Facebook group has been set up in memory.

The summer concert season in Toronto got off to a terrible start when, last month, Radiohead’s Downsview Park stage set-up collapsed minutes before gates were set to open, killing the band’s drum tech Scott Johnson.

Despite an active and largely unmarred following month of live music in the city, yesterday, another death occurred. At the Toronto stop of the Vans Warped Tour, a 19-year-old woman was found collapsed near the Molson Amphitheatre Flats stage without vital signs. After attempts to resuscitate her failed, she was transported to hospital and later pronounced dead. No cause of death has been made available, though it is believed the victim suffered a previous medical (breathing) condition. Temperatures soared into the 30s again yesterday. Vans Warped Tour has said they will issue a statement when they know all the facts.

The Toronto show was also stricken with thunder and lightening, leaving a large gap in the afternoon and pushing most of the show back to a 5pm re-start time. Toronto tickets will also be honoured at the Darien Lakes stop on Tuesday.