As many as 100 hostages were reportedly taken Friday night at Bataclan, a multistory club and music venue in Paris, where the band Eagles of Death Metal were playing a show. Concert ticket websites list the venue, which is located in the 11th arrondissement, as having a capacity of 1,500.
Upcoming concerts scheduled at Bataclan indicate the club plays host to many American acts: Artists booked for the next few weeks include Atlanta hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, Sacramento rock band the Deftones, and New York rapper Joey Badass. On Tuesday, rapper Young Thug performed there.
Bataclan, which is known as an intimate venue where fans can watch acts perform up close, was originally built in 1864; for a period in its history it served as a movie theater, but today it is described in travel guides as a multipurpose venue that features stand-up comedy and dancing in addition to live performances.
Eagles of Death Metal—who are reportedly safe, according to a Facebook post from a band that was also on Friday night’s bill—are a prankish hard rock band from California. (Update, Nov. 13, 2015, 7:11p.m: Eagles of Death Metal posted to their Facebook page at 6:50p.m.: “We are still currently trying to determine the safety and whereabouts of all our band and crew. Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation.”) The band is fronted by Jesse Hughes, and also includes Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, though he rarely performs with the group live. Eagles of Death Metal are currently on a European tour, with some 20 more dates scheduled through December.
