Jonas Brothers cancel concert in Mexico over security fears

Popular U.S. boy band the Jonas Brothers have cancelled a concert in the Mexican city of Monterrey over security concerns. The concert, scheduled for Oct. 21 as part of a Latin American tour, no longer appears on the group's official website or MySpace page, although dates in Mexico City and Guadalajara are still listed.
Monterrey, Mexico's most prosperous city, has suffered increasing drug-related violence in recent months, with two mayors in the metropolitan region killed since August. A grenade attack on civilians in another Monterrey suburb earlier this month left 14 people injured, including children. The concert cancellation comes at a loss of 22.5 million pesos, or about $1.8 million, El Universal reported (link in Spanish).
The Disney-backed band, known for such hits as "SOS" and "Burnin' Up," apologized to its fans in Monterrey in a statement that circulated on fan sites.
"Due to the recent series of unfortunate events in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, the Jonas Brothers, in consultation with Live Nation, have decided to cancel their upcoming concert date scheduled for October 21st at Estadio Universitario," the statement said. "The Jonas Brothers are grateful for the overwhelming support from their many fans in Monterrey and while they wish to apologize to everyone who planned to attend the concert, this difficult decision was made out of their great affection and concern for their loyal fans in the region."
Comments on one fan site expressed dismay for Jonas Brothers fans in Monterrey, but also concern for the security climate south of the border. "I think they really shouldn't go to Mexico AT ALL," one commenter said at JonasWorld.org.
But a fan in Mexico begged to differ. "Oh c'mon, i'm from Mexico, and to all of you out there, gotta say that its not as bad as it seems!!!"
-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City