Disappointed and angry fans filed out of Central Park around 8:15 p.m. Thursday when they heard the pop group was not going to take the stage.
"I can't believe they canceled it," Adam Ellis said. "I wanted to see the Black Eyed Peas."
It was a long day for those who got in line at noon and then put up with a roller coaster ride of weather.
"You can't cancel because of the rain" Craig Chin said. "We've been waiting in the rain for a long time."
It was an on-again, off-again event, starting with dangerous scorching heat.
"This is my 10th bottle," concert worker Rob Wilson said. "Got to stay hydrated. We're cooking, and we're in front of the grill all day."
Then came the wind, leading promoters and police to push everyone out of the park. They were worried the trees couldn't withstand the gusts.
"We've been standing here seven hours," Mario Torchia said. "Now we have to go to the end of the line."
Up next was drenching rain.
"You can't deal with the rain? Go home to your mother," said Kevin Flin, a concertgoer.
Finally came the threatening thunder and lightning.
"We were so scared because of the lightning," Sulay Sosa said. "But it's worth it to see the Black Eyed Peas."
By then, promoters, police and park personnel said enough is enough. Now they're trying to reschedule and crossing their fingers that Mother Nature will give the artists a chance to take the stage next time.
The concert was set to be free, but the free tickets were already distributed.
VIP tickets were also sold for the show, dubbed "Concert 4 NYC," and the proceeds are going to the Robin Hood Foundation to help combat poverty in /*New York City*/.
The Robin Hood Foundation released a statement saying: "The heat wasn't going to stop us, the rain wasn't going to stop us, but the lightning--it stopped us. It came down to safety for everyone. Organizers are hoping to reschedule, so ticket buyers should hold onto their tickets. Robinhood.org will have information in the next week or so."
Robin Hood's partnership with the multiplatinum foursome includes funding to launch three Peapod Academies. The school is an arts center for teenagers started by the /*Black Eyed Peas*/.
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Online: BlackEyedPeas.RobinHood.org
