The Roots & Dermot Kennedy Cancelled At SXSW Due To Bomb Threat

The Roots’ headline showcase has been cancelled. The widely popular rap group were due to perform at Fair Market with Dublin singer-songwriter, Dermot Kennedy, as well as, Ludacris, Jessie Reyez, Rapsody and Tank and the Bangas.

“Due to a security concern, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s Bud Light x The Roots SXSW Jam,” joint showcase sponsors Bud Light & Anheuser-Busch said 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.”

Be aware of suspicious packages and call 9-1-1 if you receive something you weren’t expecting, from an unknown source, or that is mislabeled. Do NOT handle the package. Call 9-1-1 and officers will respond to investigate. pic.twitter.com/vXZXWbMBPQ

— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) March 17, 2018

The bomb threat comes off the back of concerning rising racial tension in East Austin. The area, historically populated with majority Latino and black families, has rapidly been gentrified in the past decade.
Three bombs attacks have killed two people this month and injured two others. Both deceased and wounded victims were of black or Latino heritage.

The Texas Tribune reports, “A lot of us are just kind of tired of the discrepancies,” said Fatima Mann, the executive director of Counter Balance: ATX, an activist organization that works with low-income and minority groups in the city. “We know that if these bombings would have happened on the west side, there would have only been one. They would have locked down the community and made sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

Given the well know history of The Roots, their outspoken participation in political activism for decades, and the involvement of so many high profile black artists on the bill, it’s hard not to at least question a connection after a seamless week of hundreds of concerts without incident.