WTF: The Roots’ Concert At SXSW Was Cancelled Following A Bomb Threat

March 18, 2018

Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The Roots’ Show Cancelled Due To Bomb Threat

Event organizers were forced to cancel the Roots’ set at SXSW on Saturday night following a reported bomb threat. The show’s main sponsor, Bud Light, along with SXSW confirmed the cancellation on Twitter while apologizing to fans for the bad news.

The Bud Light x The Roots SXSW Jam at Fair Market has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. #SXSW https://t.co/iLkmAcroAh

— SXSW (@sxsw) March 18, 2018

Due to a security concern we have made the hard decision to cancel tonight's event. Your safety and the safety of all fans at SXSW is our most important priority.

— Bud Light (@budlight) March 18, 2018

Saturday’s cancellation was only the latest news related to bombings in the area; Austin was the site of three package explosions that occurred in a 10-day span, starting on March 2.

CNN reported that “the bombs killed a 39-year-old African-American man on March 2, killed a 17-year-old African-American male early Monday morning, and severely injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman midday Monday.” Authorities told CNN they believed the explosions were related and possibly hate crimes.

In a now deleted tweet, Roots drummer Questlove said about the incident, “Welp. It’s 2018. Show cancelled. These are the times we now live in.” Though his statement was deleted, 9th Wonder–who was also backstage before the cancelled performance–spoke his piece on the matter, posting a photo of Trevor Ingram, the 26-year-old police arrested for issuing terroristic threats.