SilverSounds concert plunged into darkness during mid-show performance Sunday afternoon

A power outage disrupted a concert at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien on Sunday afternoon, April 14, 2024, leaving audience members confused and the SilverSounds NW performance abruptly halted.

Lights flickered at around 2:29 p.m., going out just a few songs into the group’s “Rhythm of Life” concert, according to attendee John Boril.

SilverSounds was performing as part of the NWAA’s “Ruby Jubilee” season at this live concert.

The outage occurred during a performance of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a song that features the singers holding up lighted rings during the title lyric.

“That caused many in the audience to believe the darkness was actually a part of the show,” Boril told The B-Town Blog.

Boril added that vocalists improvised and continued singing a cappella in the dark for a few minutes, even performing a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for a lucky audience member.

However, with no sign of electricity being restored, the show was eventually called off. Patrons exited the theater using emergency lighting and the beams from their cell phone flashlights.

The cause of the outage remains unknown at this time.

Below are photos showing the darkened HPAC theater, courtesy John Boril: