The forecast predicts highs in the 90s today for Hartford, Connecticut, and Jason Aldean can attest to that. Jason, 45, was performing at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford on Saturday (July 15) when the temperatures overwhelmed him and forced him to end the show early. He was in the middle of performing his 2009 hit, “Crazy Town,” when he stepped back from the microphone to put his face to his arm. Fan footage of the incident shows Jason trying to finish the song for a few more seconds before turning around and running offstage.
#JasonAldean runs off stage at the #xfinitytheatre show in #HartfordCT. Poor guy. It was hotter than hell. It was bad enough just standing in the pit. I can’t imagine performing in jeans, boots, and hat under all those lights in that humidity with no breeze. Hope he’s okay! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/upwFybMjvS
— K.C. Schweizer (@kc_schweizer) July 16, 2023
K.C. Schweizer, who captured the incident, remarked, “Poor guy. It was hotter than hell. It was bad enough just standing in the pit. I can’t imagine performing in jeans, boots, and hat under all those lights in that humidity with no breeze. Hope he’s okay!” A day afterward, the Xfinity Theatre released a statement explaining that Jason was “doing well after experiencing heat stroke during last night’s performance.” (h/t Taste of Country) The venue also said that Jason would do a make-up show on “a future date.”
Heat Stroke is ” the most serious heat-related illness,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. The organization describes the condition and when “the body can no longer control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.” If heat stroke isn’t dealt with, it could cause permanent disability or death.
Heat Stroke symptoms include hot skin with profuse sweating, seizures, confusion, slurred speech, and hot body temperature. The Mayo Clinic recommends treating heat stroke by “cooling your body to a normal temperature,” which includes a cool bath, using evaporation cooling techniques (getting misted, etc.), or cooling blankets.
Thankfully, fans were sympathetic. K.C., who captured Jason running off stage, tweeted her support. “Even though the #JasonAldean show was cut short tonight, he still put his all into the songs he did perform which made the night worthwhile. An artist’s health and well-being are so important but are often overlooked. These guys aren’t machines. They’re humans too.”