Despite light rain and a bomb threat that halted the concert for 45 minutes, more than 50,000 Rolling Stones fans still got some satisfaction Thursday in Scott Stadium.
A caller phoned in a bomb threat to 911 at 8:56 p.m. during the concert, specifying a threat to the stage area, University spokesperson Carol Wood said.
A command center set up for the event was contacted by the police, and from there a Rolling Stones staff member relayed the information to lead singer Mick Jagger through his earpiece.
The band had already begun playing when Jagger received the news and announced to the crowd that the authorities had told the band to take a 10-minute break due to technical difficulties. All of the band members then left the stage.
"It was very quick," Wood commented about the command unit's response time.
The stadium lights came back on, and three bomb dogs supplied by the Virginia State Police were brought out to sniff the area. The dogs had made a sweep of the stadium before the concert, so they were already onsite.
The 10-minute wait turned into a much longer delay as the bomb dogs were taken around to sniff the entire stage area, including the three-story structure behind the stage.
University Police took the lead in the search and were aided by the Charlottesville Police Department and Albemarle County Police, Wood said.
People sitting in the field area immediately in front of the stage were asked to leave their seats during the search.
First-year College student Sarah Yates, who was in attendance, said many people did not know what was going on at first.
"It was really strange," Yates said. "I wasn't really that scared. I just thought it was weird."
Wood said it is standard operating procedure to make sure the area remains secure days before an event is held. The stadium was secured throughout the week leading up the event. Security also inspected all bags as fans entered the stadium Thursday night.
"There was very heavy security," Wood said.
Once the stage was searched and nothing was found, the band came back onstage about 45 minutes later.
The concert had been scheduled to end at 11 p.m., but the band offered to play their entire set list. The University agreed to this, according to Wood, and the concert ended at midnight without further incident.
Attendees noted little change in the energy of their performance, which went on to include Jagger moving down a runway to the center of the stadium and a pyrotechnic display.
"They did a good job, overall," second-year College student Laura Deakins said.
Yates said the bomb threat did not substantially impact the concert's tone.
"I almost forgot about [the threat] as soon as it was over," she said.
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