A 26 year old man died last Monday at the Bonner Springs, Kansas stop of the Vans Warped tour. The venue released the following statement following the death:

Curtis Alan DeForest, age 26 of Wichita, Kansas, a patron attending yesterday's Van's Warped Tour at the amphitheater was transported to Providence Medical Center where he later passed away. An investigation by the Bonner Springs Police Department and the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office is ongoing. The cause of death has yet to be determined and the venue is working closely with authorities to aid in their investigation.

As is the standard practice at all shows that visit the Amphitheater, patrons were allowed to bring in their own bottles of water. Once inside, the permanent water refill locations that are throughout the venue were in operation for all patrons to access throughout the day. In preparation for the heat, additional measures were taken by the venue including the positioning of misting stations for fans, additional water refill stations as well as shade throughout the wooded venue.

This last protestation of innocence might sound strange and non-sequitur, except that influential music blog Brooklyn Vegan and other outlets republished a Tweet from someone at the venue before the tragedy complaining about the TEN DOLLAR price tag for bottled water:

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Nobody has yet linked the death to dehydration or the price of the bottled water at the venue. However, people are enraged at the price.

Should venues charge 10 dollars for bottled water (or 40 or 50 or whatever “the market bears”)? Would people boycott a venue because of the price of things within it?

In spite of all the innuendo and the anger, we're skeptical.

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