The Roots’ SXSW Show Canceled After Bomb Threat
UPDATE: The Austin Police Department arrested a 26-year-old man in connection to the bomb threat on the Roots‘ SXSW concert Saturday. Trevor Ingram was charged with making a terrorist threat, a third-degree felony, hours after the concert was canceled over the “security concern.”
***
The Roots were forced to cancel their South by Southwest “Roots and Friends” show Saturday night after a bomb threat was reported.
“The Bud Light x The Roots SXSW Jam at Fair Market has been canceled,” organizers wrote on the festival’s Twitter page. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.”
A representative for Austin Police Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment. A rep for South by Southwest referred Rolling Stone to Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of concert sponsor Bud Light.
“Due to a security concern, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s Bud Light x The Roots SXSW Jam,” a rep for Anheuser-Busch tells Rolling Stone in a statement. “After working proactively with SXSW, the Austin Police Department, and other authorities, Bud Light believes this is the best course of action to ensure the safety of our guests, staff and artists, and appreciate your understanding. We are truly sorry to have to cancel the event, but we felt it was necessary to take all safety precautions.” Rolling Stone has confirmed that the “security concern” was a bomb threat, though no further details were available.
“No one is Mr. ‘Show must go on’ than me,” the Roots drummer Questlove tweeted Sunday. “But we can’t risk our lives if we are told there was a bomb threat. I’m sure we will return to Austin, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for understanding.”
The third annual show was also set to feature Ludacris, Jessie Reyez, Rapsody, Dermot Kennedy and Tank and the Bangas. Per the event’s website, the show would have “transform[ed] Fair Market into its iconic Dive Bar aesthetic for badge-holders to crack a few cold ones with friends. For the 3rd year in a row, the brand is teaming up with The Legendary Roots Crew and some of their friends for a special SXSW jam session on Saturday, March 17th. The Showcase will feature the Grammy Award-winning band along with a number of cross-genre artists and surprise special guests.”