Mayoral candidates Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn were both scheduled to attend a forum put on by the local chapter of the recording academy—a music industry group that lobbies on music and nightlife issues.

McGinn released a nightlife policy paper last month and has been supported by the music community, which held a fundraiser for him at the Crocodile on September 30 featuring folks like the Presidents and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame.

Mallahan and McGinn were supposed to take the stage at 3:30 today at EMP, but Mallahan called at 2:45 and canceled, according to a source in the music business.

Mallahan campaign spokeswoman's Charla Neuman's mailbox is full. I've got a message into Mallahan campaign chair Tina Podlodowski for an explanation.

UPDATE:

Podlodowski says:

We had a last minute scheduling issue, and we actually called early this morning to let folks know.  It's just about killing us to have to cancel, but it's the sad truth.  I know we'll have a group of people mad at us that might be leaning McGinn's way anyway—hence the need for us to be there and let Joe have a shot at convincing them. We have profusely apologized.  We will take our lumps for canceling—and deserve them. I know the organizers are upset, and I don't blame them.  Again, we profusely apologize.

Podlodowski, who acknowledged that the EMP event had been scheduled for some time, would not say (when asked directly) what the scheduling conflict was, saying only that "we deserve our lumps on this ... I can imagine the tweets now."