Flashing lights, bursts of flames, booming bass and a rowdy crowd entire of dedicated fans from the mosh pits to the nosebleeds. This experience is likely what someone can expect going to a concert given by one of the most polarizing people in music today: Travis Scott.
Following the release of his 2023 album, “Utopia,” Scott announced that he would tour the U.S. and Canada. His “Utopia Circus Maximus” tour will be the rapper’s first tour since the incident in 2021 where, according to the Los Angeles Times, 10 people were killed at Scott’s music festival, Astroworld, in Houston, Texas. These tragic deaths were ultimately the result of a significant crowd surge and overcrowding.
After the incident, Scott was not charged for the casualties at his Astroworld festival, but many still believe he was partially at fault for not controlling the crowd or stopping the show when it got too dangerous.
“I think that he was irresponsible, and everything should’ve been handled differently at that show,” freshman Leo Renzulli said.
Scott ended up releasing an apology video on his Instagram account that many deemed inadequate due to the weight of the situation. Two years later, Scott’s tour is met with mixed reactions because of what happened at his last major live performance.
Many people are reluctant to attend his concerts because they don’t want to get caught in another dangerous situation like Astroworld. The silence on what occurred in Houston has left fans to wonder if Scott and his team will implement any precautions to ensure the safety of all the attendees in the future.
“I definitely think he should [add safety precautions], but I’m not sure if he will. I really think that it was very badly planned,” sophomore Naina Rawat said.
Even before the incident at Astroworld, Scott’s concerts had a wild reputation. In his song “Stargazing” on his album “Astroworld,” the lyrics are, “it ain’t a mosh pit if ain’t no injuries. I got ’em stage divin’ out the nosebleeds,” Which encapsulates the energy surrounding his concerts.
However, apart from the safety concerns, some people would rather not indulge in the kind of environment that is a Travis Scott concert because they do not find it enjoyable.
“I probably wouldn’t go. His concerts have a pretty big reputation of being really intense with all the moshing and stuff, so I don’t know if I would enjoy something like that,” sophomore Vivian Stoeva said.
While the album features guest collaborations from Beyonće and SZA, Scott’s personal views and relationships with other controversial celebrities have caused some fans to deter from attending a show. According to CNN, Kanye West is also credited on the album, and some students share reservations for this reason.
“He has also shown a little too much support of Kanye West since his many remarks against the Jewish community, which I am not a fan of,” Renzulli said.
There are other factors unrelated to the Astroworld incident that someone would consider when deciding to attend Scott’s tour. For one, concertgoers often consider the price of the tickets, and Scott’s prices are reasonable, according to some students.
“I don’t know. I mean, from what I’ve seen, they’re not that expensive compared to other recent concerts,” Stoeva said.
Despite his controversies, Travis Scott performed in Baltimore on Dec. 6, and some students went to watch him perform. Other students are still hoping to see his performance at some point.
“I am kind of excited for his new tour, and I kind of want to go,” Rawat said.
