Circa Survive Guitarist Walks Off Pageant Stage to Confront Audience Member

Last Friday, Brendan Ekstrom, guitarist for Circa Survive, was playing a show at the Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard) when he abruptly walked off of the stage mid-performance. While the audience was left wondering, Ekstrom has since explained that he saw a disturbing scene unfolding in the audience.

In a series of tweets the following day, Ekstrom writes that he was watching from stage while a man in the audience made a number of unwanted sexual advances on a woman. Ekstrom says he got security's attention, but they were unsure about where he was pointing at.

The guitarist decided to take matters into his own hands — and left the stage without notice to anyone confront the situation on his own.



Ekstrom writes that he confronted the man who he says was "dumbfounded when I showed up as if nothing was wrong." Ekstrom returned to the stage within minutes to finish the show as security handled the situation from there.

"It wasn't cute," he writes. "It was alarming. I'm forty and flirting doesn't look like that. Maybe it's because I have a daughter or that I'm older ... but it made me furious to watch a girl forcibly remove someone's hands from her body multiple times."

The tweets tell the story:

Quick note to those who were at the show last night. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've never walked of stage during a song before.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

For almost a whole song I watched a guy stand a row behind a girl flirting and then trying to kiss her. It was hard to tell what was really

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

Happening. At times she seemed ok with his advances but after the second time of watching her push his face and hands away and try to turn

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

Back to watch the show I asked the security guard to go check on them. He couldn't see what I was pointing to and it was still happening

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

I left the stage and walked straight for them, my mind an emotional blur. Security followed me. The man seemed dumbfounded when I showed up

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

As if nothing was wrong. I don't know what happened after. I went back to stage to finish the show. Security took it from there. I didn't

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

See them again after that. Maybe they were removed or just moved. Maybe they were in a relationship.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

Maybe they weren't. Regardless what I saw from stage was disturbing to me and completely removed me from the mindset I need to be on stage.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

It wasn't cute. It was alarming. I'm almost forty and flirting doesn't look like that. Maybe It's that I have a daughter or that I'm older.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

Maybe it's that I watched this video not long before we played and I couldn't shake it. https://t.co/oIQViwxm1q

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

I Really don't know but it made me furious to watch a girl forcibly remove someone's hands from her body multiple times.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

I still don't feel great about how I handled this situation. I borderline blacked out in some weird rage mode. it makes me nervous to think

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

About how I would handle situations like this in the future especially if it was with someone I knew or cared about especially if it is

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

My daughter. I don't really know what to say about it all. I'm sorry to my band for not communicating the situation better and leaving

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

Them standing on stage confused. And I'm sorry to fans who were equally confused and saw a bit of an unusual show.

— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017

His explanation on Twitter was met with almost entirely positive feedback and virtual applause.

we need more people to lead by example and intervene in dangerous situations, i am appreciative that you did and respect it 100%

— emmy (@emmytantuccio) July 23, 2017

Sounds like you did the right thing man. Good looking out.

— ryab 又 (@slowbaruuuu) July 22, 2017

Circa Survive was performing at The Pageant with AFI and Citizen as a part of its summer tour promoting The Amulet, which will be out September 22. The indie-rock band is based out of Philadelphia.

Hats off to Brendan Ekstrom. It's hard to imagine many other witnesses — much less musicians performing on stage — handling the matter like he did. We can't help wishing there were more.