January 5, 2006

Reno, NV - 2005's much-touted New Year's Eve party in Reno's Renissance downtown district with L.A. Rockabilly rockers The Blasters was washed out almost literally by the near-record return of 100-year floods to downtown Reno, including the venue-to-be, West Street's Liquid Lounge. 

By noon on the last day of 2005, the banks of the Truckee River lapped within 100 yards of the Liquid Lounge's dance floor .  Reno Mayor Bob Cashell had cancelled all downtown events for that night while he, the police, and TV crews warned people to stay home and stay away from downtown altogether.  At one point, most highways in & out of Reno were closed.  Within minutes of The Blasters band members boarding their Reno-bound L.A. plane, venue owner Lee Ann Masuret and 1moe.com concert producer Jeff Cotton made the call to have the band stay home.   "It would not have been wise or safe to launch a public gathering so close to an ongoing natural disaster, especially late at night." Cotton said of the midnite-centric event.

All ticket holders can get refunds at the place of purchase. 

While there are no immediate plans for a replacement date, Cotton remarked "The Blasters represent the purest strains of American Rock & Roll in the current pablum-rich sea of mega bands..", adding "Reno missed a helluva party, but sometimes Mother Nature out-rocks all of us...".