A Connecticut man died Saturday night after falling from an upper deck of Madison Square Garden during a concert, leaving behind a wife and two children just one day before Father’s Day and two days before his 25th wedding anniversary.
Paul Kueker, 51, of Niantic, Connecticut, plunged 150 feet from the Chase Bridge inside the arena just before 10 p.m. Officers who responded to a 911 call at 9:51 p.m. found him unconscious and unresponsive on the floor below, with injuries consistent with a fall from an elevated position. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where medical staff declared him dead. Authorities have found no evidence of foul play.
Kueker had brought his wife, Kristen Lomme Kueker, to the show as an early celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary, which his mother said falls on Tuesday. The couple had been seated in Section 300 — a high upper-level area of the storied Manhattan venue — watching the Connecticut-based jam band Goose perform the second night of a two-night engagement.
Wife Waited as Husband Never Returned
Kristen did not witness her husband’s fall. At some point during the show, Kueker got up and walked toward the restrooms. When he failed to return after 10 or 15 minutes, his wife grew concerned — but had no way of knowing what had happened. Police officers eventually located Kristen inside the stadium and delivered the devastating news.
Kueker’s mother, Patricia Finelli, described her son as a devoted husband and father to son Garin and daughter Khloe. “He was the greatest kid in the whole wide world,” Finelli told The New York Post through tears. She added that he had cared for her as though she were “a piece of gold.” Finelli told the New York Daily News that Kueker had arranged the concert as an anniversary surprise, and the loss coming on Father’s Day weekend made the family’s pain even more acute.
Finelli said Kueker had taken his wife to the concert because their anniversary was approaching. Kristen began to worry when he didn’t return from the bathroom after a quarter of an hour, she said.
Colleagues Remember a Valued Leader
Beyond his family, Kueker was known professionally as the director of operations at Smartcon Solutions, an energy management company. William Brown, general manager of Smartcon, said the company was devastated by the sudden loss. Brown called Kueker an exceptional individual and critical team member whose absence would be deeply felt throughout the organization. He said Kueker was beloved by everyone at Smartcon, and the company offered its sympathies to his family.
Kueker is also survived by his sister, Kricket Kueker Kent.
Goose Responds to the Tragedy
Goose, the Wilton-based band that had been midway through its set when Kueker fell, completed all 16 songs of its scheduled program around midnight Saturday — unaware in the moment of what had occurred in the upper deck. When the musicians came offstage, they learned what had happened.
“We are all reeling following the events that occurred at last nights show,” the band wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "Getting off stage to learn that news was devastating for us and our crew, and we cannot imagine how some of you left the show feeling last night.”
The band had been scheduled to perform in Central Park Sunday night and debated whether to cancel. They decided to move forward, directing all ticket revenue to a charitable fund supporting affected fans. The musicians said they believed the best course of action was to unite their followers, provide mutual support, and create an opportunity for collective mourning.
The band’s Sunday statement closed with a direct address to the audience gathering at Central Park: “So let’s be kind to each other tonight and remember our friend.”
The incident remains under police investigation, though authorities have indicated they do not believe foul play was involved.