Sheldon “Reem” English recalls the premature gratification he felt on March 5, 2023. That night’s GloRilla show at Main Street Armory was his most attended concert as an event promoter.
“I was so proud of everything about it — until the end,” he said.
At the end of GloRilla’s performance, English was on the outskirts of the 4,000-person crowd surge that killed three young women and injured others. He remembered the crowd pushing him toward The Armory’s double-door entrance; but he’s still unclear about the surge’s exact cause.
“There were a lot of stories,” said English. “I don’t really know 100% of all the details, but I know we did our job.”
In one widely circulated account, the crowd mistook confetti going off for gunshots, a claim police haven’t verified. English said the crowd responded the only way it knew how.
“Everybody in our city has PTSD,” he said. “Once you hear something that sounds like a gun — that triggers people to start running.”
As a promoter, English said he and his team did everything they were supposed to do to ensure a safe event, including hiring up to 50 security guards.
“All we can do is just make sure we’re on top of the people we hired to do everything,” he said. “We can’t control how people react to stuff.”
Months earlier, in October 2021, English was the promoter of a MoneyBagg Yo concert at the Armory, where police say two people got shot. An ensuing crowd surge allegedly injured two men who sued last week, naming the artist, venue owner and English’s SMG Entertainment. English declined comment on that case.
At least seven lawsuits have been filed by or on behalf of those caught in the March 2023 crowd rush. None of those name English as a defendant.
English is approaching his seventh year as a promoter. His first big concert as RMG Promotion was at the Armory in 2018, and it gave English the momentum he needed to continue in the promotional world. To date, RMG Promotion has thrown over 50 concerts and shows locally and in other cities.
“We don’t just try to throw events,” he said, “It helps feed my family.”
Most of the local shows are held at Water Street Music Hall. Owner Sho Mitchell said one of the venue’s missions is to provide a “professional and supportive environment for promoters to thrive in.”
He considers the relationship between promoter and venue a partnership where, ideally, everyone wins in the end.
“The audience leaves happy with a great experience,” said Mitchell. “The promoter leaves happy because they packed the room and made money, and the venue is happy because we had a room full of people.”
Mitchell said he’s very particular about which promoters he works with.
“With us being an arts and entertainment hub for Rochester, a lot of people trust and have a certain expectation to our events,” he said. “When you work with solid promoters who know what they’re doing, know the market, know the community, they’re able to help curate the experience.”
That’s why his relationship with English was a natural fit.
“When he says something, he does it,” said Mitchell. “He impressed me early on, and as I grew, our relationship grew.”
After many successful shows, English said a tragedy of this magnitude is the last thing any promoter wants on their resume. He prayed his good standing prior to that concert would help him regain the public’s trust and redeem his business.
“I just felt like the city knows my heart,” he said.
The test came two months later, on Mother’s Day weekend 2023. RMG Promotions co-produced an R&B concert starring Anthony Hamilton at the Rochester Auditorium Theater. It sold out.
“It just let me know that the support is all the way there,” English said. “Like, man, thank you, Rochester.”
RMG Promotion has since put together bigger shows. On May 5, 2024, the team collaborated with other promoters to bring rap artist Sexyy Red and friends to the Blue Cross Arena. Their ventures also include the RMG Elites youth football and cheerleading team, a sneaker store in The Marketplace Mall and other philanthropic initiatives.
But English said what took place on March 5, 2023 will forever haunt him.
“I don’t think that it’s ever going to leave my conscience,” English said. “This is going to be a burden I just got to carry.”
Racquel Stephen is a reporter for WXXI/CITY. She can be reached at rstephen@wxxi.org.
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2024.
