Houston parkgoers and vigilant fans were treated to a popup event and some live tunes from a popular R&B and soul artist Daniel Caesar. On Saturday afternoon in northwest Houston, the Canadian singer-songwriter entertained over 1,500 people with an impromptu performance in a park before it was closed due to his lack of a permit, according to police.

Perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed debut album Freudian and collaborations with Justin Bieber and H.E.R., Caesar has developed a passionate fan base with his soulful music that blends different genres like R&B and other influences. After a brief hiatus due to controversy, he’s back and touring North America-for free.

Caesar’s unexpected pop-up tour has been traveling through cities for the past few months, including recent stops in Vancouver at John Hendry Park and Los Angeles at Elysian Park. The Grammy Award winner hinted at a Houston visit on Friday by sharing an Instagram photo of himself near Aldine with the caption, “Should I??” Caesar then announced the spontaneous performance just hours before it happened on Saturday by posting a video of himself in a car on Instagram, telling fans he was pulling up to Bear Creek Pioneers Park and putting the exact coordinates in the caption.

Hundreds of fans gathered around Caesar, who was sitting on a stool in a field with speakers and an acoustic guitar, as seen across social media. The singer-songwriter serenaded those lucky enough to make it in time with songs like “Best Part,” with the whole crowd singing along with him and generally having what looked like a pretty calm gathering for the amount of instant hype it generated.

At least until the police showed up and shut it down.

In a TikTok video circulating the internet, police cruisers are seen driving through the crowd at the park, telling the multitude of fans that the show was over.

Disappointed fans arrived right as the performance was already cut short, some driving for over an hour to get to Bear Creek Pioneers Park in time for the show. Caesar was equally upset by the police interference, posting now-deleted Instagram stories criticizing the interruption afterwards.

“My problem isn’t with the police, it’s with their employers,” Caesar wrote on Instagram. We were gathering peacefully, and the police drove a cruiser through the crowd. That’s the opposite of de-escalation…there was nothing to de-escalate. it was peaceful.”

“They think we’re pigs,” the singer continued.  “High key they think you’re pigs and they’re feeding you slop and they won’t look you in the eyes and tell you because they’re cowards.”

Jeff McShan, a spokesman for the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, said that close to 1,500 people attended the performance and that Caesar confirmed that he didn’t obtain a permit to perform in the public park- significant issue since the park’s reservation protocol requires it, in addition to law enforcement (at least two deputies) and a $100 payment for events with more than 100 attendees. The spokesman also said that Caesar decided to end the performance when police officers contacted him shortly after the music started. No one was arrested and no other incidents connected to the gathering were reported.

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This article originally published at Fans and police flood Daniel Caesar’s impromptu show in Houston park.