Ekstrom has since taken to Twitter to clarify the unusual turn of events, which went down on July 21, explaining that he left his post to intervene in what he suspected to be a serious case of sexual harassment in the audience.
He said that he saw a guy standing behind a girl, acting flirtatiously and trying to kiss her — and while she "seemed ok with his advances" at times, Ekstrom grew concerned after watching her push the guy's hands and face away from her multiple times.
"I left the stage and walked straight for them, my mind an emotional blur," he continued. "Security followed me. The man seemed dumbfounded when I showed up as if nothing was wrong. I don't know what happened after. I went back to [the] stage to finish the show. Security took it from there."
Ekstrom went on to acknowledgement that he has a limited understanding of the interaction, noting that they may or may not have been in a relationship — but maintains that either way, what he witnessed "was disturbing to me and completely removed me from the mindset I need to be on stage."
"I really don't know but it made me furious to watch a girl forcibly remove someone's hands from her body multiple times," he continued. "I still don't feel great about how I handled this situation. I borderline blacked out in some weird rage mode. It makes me nervous to think about how I would handle situations like this in the future especially if it was with someone I knew or cared about especially if it is my daughter."
He ends by apologizing to his bandmates for not communicating the situation more clearly, and to the fans who "saw a bit of an unusual show."
Read Ekstrom's full string of tweets below.
Quick note to those who were at the show last night. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've never walked of stage during a song before.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
For almost a whole song I watched a guy stand a row behind a girl flirting and then trying to kiss her. It was hard to tell what was really
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Happening. At times she seemed ok with his advances but after the second time of watching her push his face and hands away and try to turn
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Back to watch the show I asked the security guard to go check on them. He couldn't see what I was pointing to and it was still happening
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
I left the stage and walked straight for them, my mind an emotional blur. Security followed me. The man seemed dumbfounded when I showed up
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
As if nothing was wrong. I don't know what happened after. I went back to stage to finish the show. Security took it from there. I didn't
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
See them again after that. Maybe they were removed or just moved. Maybe they were in a relationship.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Maybe they weren't. Regardless what I saw from stage was disturbing to me and completely removed me from the mindset I need to be on stage.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
It wasn't cute. It was alarming. I'm almost forty and flirting doesn't look like that. Maybe It's that I have a daughter or that I'm older.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Maybe it's that I watched this video not long before we played and I couldn't shake it. https://t.co/oIQViwxm1q
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
I Really don't know but it made me furious to watch a girl forcibly remove someone's hands from her body multiple times.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
I still don't feel great about how I handled this situation. I borderline blacked out in some weird rage mode. it makes me nervous to think
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
About how I would handle situations like this in the future especially if it was with someone I knew or cared about especially if it is
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
My daughter. I don't really know what to say about it all. I'm sorry to my band for not communicating the situation better and leaving
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Them standing on stage confused. And I'm sorry to fans who were equally confused and saw a bit of an unusual show.
— Brendan ekstrom (@Brendanekstrom) July 22, 2017
Circa Survive are set to release The Amulet on September 22 via Hopeless Records.