Travis Scott surprises Houston fans with ‘Astroworld’ party
Travis Scott doesn’t spend much time in Houston these days. But the superstar rapper continuously puts on for the city.
Scott surprised local fans Saturday night with a circus-themed “Astroworld” album release party. He played cuts from his new album, which was released Friday, and performed for more than an hour. Fans also received free, exclusive merch.
Scott sent out a tweet at 6:22 p.m. Saturday that read, “HOUSTON TONIGHT WE GO SICKO MODE” alongside a puking emoji. It included a link to RSVP with few other details. Fans who signed up were alerted to the show just a couple of hours later.
Scott’s wife, Kylie Jenner, and singer/actor Jaden Smith were among those in attendance. Jenner posted a photo of a Shipley Do-Nuts bag Sunday morning on her Instagram feed, suggesting she was still in town.
“My Guy (Travis Scott) ASTROWORLD IS AMAZING thank you for letting me come to the listening party,” Smith wrote on Twitter.
Word spread quickly on social media Saturday night. The line at Revention Music Center quickly wrapped around the block. Fans captured much of the action on social media.
“The lines were so smooth and organized, although long,” said Didi Hamel, 20, from southeast Houston. “People dining at nearby restaurants started giving us water.”
Hamel and his friends made their way to the front of the stage, where Scott ran through a succession of songs.
“Adrenaline rushed through me,” Hamel said. “It was so exhilarating, and I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was a great way to end the summer, and I thank Travis Scott so much for doing this for the city of Houston. It’s lit!”
The giant gold, inflatable replica of Scott’s head was there, fresh from its mini-tour at Minute Maid Park, Cactus Music and Screwed Up Records and Tapes last week. Inside the venue there were acrobats, stilt walkers and snake charmers.
Francelli Monreal, 20, from Houston dubbed the entire experience “a real-life circus” — for better or worse.
“Ten minutes into the concert, the barricade at the front of the stage was broken down,” she said. “There’s really no being safe being at a Travis concert. The crowd went wild, a lot of raging and mosh pits.
“I saw people constantly getting pulled out from the crowd. I even witnessed a guy with a bloody ear from getting punched.”
An eagle-eyed Hamel spotted a poster featuring a drawing of a halfman, half-woman with the words “BOY CHANGE TO GIRL” and “MALE TO FEMALE.” It seemed to fall in line with the vintage circus theme. But Hamel saw it as a nod to the controversy involving transgender icon Amanda Lepore, who disappeared from the latest iterations of “Astroworld” album artwork.
Scott released a statement Saturday apologizing for the “misunderstanding” and stressing that he has “nothing but respect for the LGBTQ community.”
“He issued an apology statement and welcomed everyone to ‘Astroworld,’ ” Hamel said. “I really enjoyed seeing that hung up.”