| The people who put these festivals together need to think more about the actual experience of the people on the ground. If they don’t, then more people will die. |
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A shot of the closed Astroworld grounds through a fence, Houston, Nov. 6, 2021.
(Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
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“The people who put these festivals together need to think more about the actual experience of the people on the ground. If they don’t, then more people will die.”
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Aftermath
Personal stories today. Houston Chronicle music critic JOEY GUERRA on how easy it was to be at Astroworld Friday night, in an area behind TRAVIS SCOTT's packed crowd where fans were happily singing along, and have no idea what was going on in front of the stage... and how hard it will be, now that he knows, to think of live music the same way again. "The first thing I thought of when I found out about the tragedy," writes Guerra, a Scott admirer who was keeping his distance at Houston's NRG Park because of Covid concerns, not crowd concerns, "was my 10-year-old son." His son was at the festival with him. Among those who died that night were two teenagers. A 10-year-old boy is fighting for his life at a Houston children's hospital. Guerra found himself remembering his son's "surprise... at being surrounded by so many people" at previous concerts. And he remembered his own anxiety standing in a sea of people at (this is absolutely not a hip-hop-exclusive phenomenon) a BOB DYLAN show in Austin.
Writer CARYN ROSE, who wasn't there, on the inhumanity of so many festival experiences. "Have you ever seen the metal barriers at a concert?," Rose writes in an essay titled "I am so tired of people dying at concerts." "Have you been to shows where the top of the rail was lined with padding? That only happened because the band asked for that to happen and agreed to pay for it. Why the hell is that not a standard thing that has to happen? Who decided it was okay for human beings to have to rest up against a square metal bar for three to five to ten hours?" She remembers suddenly, unexpectedly, losing her footing, and discovering she was no longer touching the ground, during (this is absolutely not a new phenomenon) a BEASTIE BOYS set in the early days of Lollapalooza. She and two women who noticed her slipping grabbed each other and managed to pull themselves out of the "whirlpool of jumping, surging dudes."
The line between being in the middle of it and not noticing it can be deceptively small, and unmarked, like quicksand.
For Travis Scott himself, the critical line may be the one between shows that "teeter on the edge of mayhem" and shows that teeter over it. The New York Times' JOE COSCARELLI and Stereogum's TOM BREIHAN trace a history of wild, cathartic live performances capable of building a deep connection with fans—perhaps transcending the inhumanity of the arenas and fields where he often plays—and getting himself in trouble. He's inspired in part by punk-rock. Coscarelli notes that Scott has been arrested twice for inciting riots at shows—he pleaded guilty to lesser charges both times—and is currently facing a lawsuit from a fan who was partially paralyzed after the rapper encouraged fans to jump from a balcony at New York's TERMINAL 5. Breihan wonders if Friday night will prove to be his Altamont, and how he'll respond.
For now, it's been sympathy for the victims, a vow to cooperate with any investigation and an avowal that he didn't realize what was happening while he was performing. "I'm inclined to believe him," Breihan writes. "From the stage, the chaos in the crowd at Astroworld probably looked a lot like the chaos that Scott has encouraged at every other show." Questions will persist, though, about why he continued performing after security officials and police knew what had happened, and why he still went ahead and brought out surprise guest DRAKE before wrapping up his set on schedule and sending people like Joey Guerra home, still unaware. On Monday, Scott announced that he'll cover the funeral costs of Friday night's victims and that all Astroworld ticketholders will get full refunds. He pulled out of next weekend's DAY N VEGAS festival in Las Vegas, and there's a petition calling on COACHELLA to drop him from his headlining slot in 2022.
Rest in Peace
EVETTE BENTON, one of the three Sweethearts of Stigma, or Sweeties, who provided the background vocals on classic Philly soul hits by the Spinners, Billy Paul, McFadden & Whitehead and others... British music journalist MAUREEN CLEAVE, an early champion and friend of the Beatles, who gave John Lennon a helpful note on the lyrics to "A Hard Day's Night" and may or may not have been the subject of "Norwegian Wood"... MADISON DUBISKI, the eighth Astroworld victim to be identified. A 23-year-old Houston native who worked in advertising and marketing, she was at the festival with her younger brother, Ty, who tried to pull her to safety.
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| Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator |
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Stereogum |
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| Travis Scott’s Altamont |
| by Tom Breihan |
| People have been quick to blame Travis Scott for what happened on Friday. The optics are terrible. |
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Los Angeles Times |
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| Astroworld organizers had extensive medical, security plans. Did they follow them? |
| by Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Craig Marks and Jenny Jarvie |
| A half-hour after rapper Travis Scott took the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, someone in the media pit called out for medical aid. In that instant, the Astroworld concert turned dangerous and surreal for Max Morbidelli, a 24-year-old paramedic who was in the crowd with his sister. |
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Houston Chronicle |
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| How the Astroworld tragedy changed one writer's view of the live-music experience |
| by Joey Guerra |
| The first thing I thought of when I found out about the tragedy was my 10-year-old son. |
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CBS Sunday Morning |
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| Terence Blanchard's opera: 'Fire Shut Up in My Bones' |
| by Hua Hsu |
| In its 138 years, New York's Metropolitan Opera had never staged an opera by a Black composer - until now. The jazz trumpeter talks about his opera, based on Charles Blow's memoir of growing up in small-town Louisiana in the 1970s and '80s. |
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Synchtank |
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| Profiling Music Publishing’s Pandemic Performance |
| by Eamonn Forde |
| As CISAC releases its latest figures, Eamonn Forde examines how the music publishing industry fared during the pandemic and where future growth lies. |
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The Guardian |
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| The beat goes on: the new British jazz messengers |
| by Kevin Le Gendre |
| The UK jazz renaissance shows no sign of letting up and - from Nubya Garcia to Xhosa Cole - it’s a fresh wave of Black talent that’s pushing things forward. |
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Los Angeles Times |
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| Is that a mosh pit or a dance floor? For hardcore band Turnstile, the answer is yes |
| by Suzy Exposito |
| The Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile challenged its fans with an album that incorporated global dance rhythms. The result? A commercial breakthrough. |
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The Tennessean |
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| CMA Awards 2021: Who will win (and who should) at this year's award show |
| by Matthew Leimkuehler and Dave Paulson |
| The stage is set for shakeups and surprises at Wednesday's CMA Awards, with several new talents in the running for first-time wins, as well as a few pretty conspicuous absences. |
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NPR Music |
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| How Santigold Helped Me Claim And Keep My New York Dreams |
| by Dawnie Walton |
| Santigold's debut album captures the New York dream of being a singular sensation above the masses. It inspired writer Dawnie Walton when she first moved there - and again when she needed a new start. |
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MEL Magazine |
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| "I’m Overdue for a Discussion About My Role in Inspiring ‘Edgelord’ S***": A Conversation with Steve Albini |
| by Zaron Burnett III |
| In a recent Twitter thread, the famed audio engineer owned the ugly parts of his past - years of offensive music, statements and posts - and said his generation needs to talk about how culture has changed. He agreed to talk to me about the ugly truths of his past, his role in the world that’s come to be and what he’s learned from his mistakes. |
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The New York Times |
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| Before the Astroworld Tragedy, Travis Scott’s ‘Raging’ Made Him a Star |
| by Joe Coscarelli |
| The multiplatinum rapper earned a reputation for concerts that teetered on the edge of mayhem. Then eight people died during his performance in Houston on Friday. |
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jukeboxgraduate |
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| I am so tired of people dying at concerts. |
| by Caryn Rose |
| Disclaimer: this is not a news story. This is a heartbroken rant. |
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The Official Kathy Valentine Website |
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| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame : Part 2 -- The Cleveland Shuffle |
| by Kathy Valentine |
| Time snowballed, going by faster and bigger each day until, on my own, I was in Cleveland. Both Audrey and her dad Steven would be coming in a couple of days, staying with me in the suite at the Westin that the RRHOF provided for each of us. My bandmates came with their partners. |
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I Care If You Listen |
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| The Case for Digital Opera in a Post-Pandemic World |
| by Elena Stabile |
| The continued development of digital opera could promote increased accessibility for audiences and artists alike. |
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The Cut |
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| A Wet Afternoon With Snail Mail |
| by Marianne Eloise |
| The singer-songwriter spends a rainy day being as confessional as her new album, "Valentine." |
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Belfast Telegraph |
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| Northern Ireland health minister instructs top lawyer to sue Van Morrison for libel for calling him ‘dangerous’ over his Covid-19 handling |
| by John Toner |
| Health Minister Robin Swann is suing Sir Van Morrison after the singer-songwriter repeatedly called him “dangerous” in a series of high-profile outbursts. |
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The Independent |
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| Gregory Porter interview: ‘Did I want to go to a cross burning? Did I want to see my brother being shot? No’ |
| by Elizabeth Aubrey |
| The Grammy-winning singer talks to Elizabeth Aubrey about his new album ‘Still Rising’, his scarring experiences with racism as a child, and losing his brother to Covid-19. |
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The Guardian |
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| ‘You can’t separate them’: the unlikely love story of Guy Clark, Susanna Clark and Townes Van Zandt |
| by Jim Farber |
| The unusual bond between the three musicians is the focus of a new documentary "Without Getting Killed or Caught," a story of romance, creativity and tragedy. |
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DJ Mag |
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| 808 State's Andy Barker was an integral part of Manchester’s rave explosion at the turn of the '90s |
| by Carl Loben |
| Andy Barker was the only ever-present member of 808 State, alongside Graham Massey, the group a crucial component of the UK rave scene since its early days. DJ Mag’s editor-in-chief, Carl Loben, pays tribute to an acid house pioneer. |
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Billboard |
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| ‘A Massive Case’: Astroworld Organizers Facing Flood of Lawsuits Over Deadly Night |
| by Bill Donahue |
| Travis Scott, Live Nation and others involved in organizing Astroworld are facing a flood of litigation following Friday’s deadly crowd surge. |
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| Music of the day |
| "The Barbarian" |
| Joan as Police Woman x Tony Allen x Dave Okumu |
| From "The Solution Is Restless," out now on PIAS. |
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YouTube |
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From "The Solution Is Restless," out now on PIAS.
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2019 doc directed by White Trash Tyler.
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| Music | Media | Sports | Fashion | Tech |
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“REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in
everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask ‘why?’” |
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| Jason Hirschhorn |
| CEO & Chief Curator |
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