A few days after his band’s performance at the “Legendary” Lollapalooza, the frontman of the rap rock group was arrested for staging a pop-up concert at a gas station. He insisted there was a contract for the event, but things took a turn.
Jackson Foster, 23, of the band Stupid Goose, was photographed being handcuffed at a BP gas station in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday. It was an unusual scene, and as he was led to a police car, he asked, “What am I arrested for?”
As fans cheered in the background, he yelled, “Not only do they get me, they’re not the rest!” which added some levity to the moment despite the circumstances.
This arrest came just two days after Stupid Goose performed at Lollapalooza, an event that saw around 115,000 attendees daily. In a somewhat humorous tone, Foster later questioned on Instagram, “Was I the only artist who went to prison since playing Lollapalooza?”
Interestingly, he was the only person from the band to face arrest during this impromptu show. Foster claimed that they had gotten the green light from the gas station manager to play for an hour in exchange for $100 each night. “We did this last year without a hitch,” he explained to a local radio station, indicating that they had a good relationship with the venue. Last year’s arrangement had apparently gone smoothly, so he thought it would work again this time.
According to Foster, everything was going well for the first two nights of Lollapalooza, but then the police arrived during their gas station performances. “We were in the middle of playing when officers showed up,” he recounted. It was unclear whether the manager had changed his mind about their presence, but the police interrupted their fun, leading to his arrest.
It seems the officers were concerned about the gathering’s size, citing reports of “parties and mosh pitting” that led to an “uncontrollable” crowd. The gas station’s general manager contradicted Foster’s account by stating there was no agreement with the band whatsoever.
Despite the chaos, Foster expressed that their goal was to raise awareness for their upcoming album set to drop on October 17th. He now faces charges relating to trespassing and property crimes.
The band has upcoming performances planned in Canada, Germany, and the UK. To help with Foster’s legal fees, Stupid Goose started a fundraiser, raising $5,658 of their $8,000 target. “I’m worried this could impact my reach this winter and my future shows in Europe,” he admitted during an interview.
