Ever since Travis Scott revealed his Astroworld festival, fans have been hyping up the event. With the line-up not being posted until less than 24 hours ‘til the event, it was difficult to have any expectations. By the end of the event, while the festival was enjoyable, I couldn’t justify the extravagant ticket prices.
While Scott kept on repeating on how this event was for Houston, it felt predatory to charge festival prices, then turn around and continue charging people for the rides that Scott had generated hype about. For what Scott tries to give off an illusion of sincerely giving back to the city and bestowing a gift to Houston, it feels more like a thinly-veiled money grabbing scheme for Scott. The festival was hardly for the people of Houston as it was for people willing to pay for something with Travis Scott’s name attached to it.
On the other hand, I appreciated the two-stage set-up and the scheduling that ensured festival-goers could see all the acts without missing out on anyone. With performances altering stages and a 15-min break in each set, the festival utilized a great strategy on that aspect of the festival.
The performances that day was a mixed bag. While Smokepurpp has improved since the SXSW performance, he still has quite a way to go as a performer. Virgil Abloh’s set reaffirmed his skills as a DJ, while Metro Boomin’s set suffered with technical difficulties. The Houston All-Stars, Virgil, Sheck Wes, Rae Sremmurd, and Lil Wayne (disclaimer: I wasn’t able to watch Post-Malone, so I can’t comment on his performance) – all had amazing sets.
However, the verdict for Travis Scott, the headliner that was supposed to be the pinnacle of the event: his performance left quite a bit to be desired. While he had great special effects and the stage presence, it appeared to be over-compensation for his lack of skills to perform live. At one point, it seemed that he was only doing the most basic ad-lib while his songs played in the background. Scott’s Astroworld album was a masterpiece, but his performances were quite the let down.