A top Republican lawmaker expects some form of congressional inquiry into the promoter of Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert in Houston.
Rep. Kevin Brady, a Republican whose district lies about 25 miles north of Houston, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that while he was not directly involved in the incident because it didn’t happen in his district, he expects Congress will want to look into Live Nation Entertainment, the company behind the ill-fated concert.
“What we’ve now learned, which is there have been over 200 deaths at events hosted by Live Nation, some of them these same type of tragic surge deaths, I would be surprised or shocked if Congress doesn’t try to pull the curtain back on that since this is certainly not an isolated incident,” Brady said.
The Houston Chronicle, citing court records, Occupational Safety and Health complaints, and past news articles, reported this week that Live Nation has been tied to about 200 deaths and at least 750 injuries since 2006. The casualties occurred at events in seven countries, and some of the incidents bear similarities to this weekend’s Astroworld stampede, which resulted in eight people dying.
LAWSUITS ROLLING IN AFTER CARNAGE AT TRAVIS SCOTT’S ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL
In 2016, a railing collapsed under pressure from a crowd, causing about 50 people to fall 10 feet onto a concrete pathway. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, hundreds of attendees at a free concert caused a barricade to collapse, resulting in 19 injuries.
The most recent incident occurred at Houston’s NRG Stadium, located in Democratic Rep. Al Green’s district. Green told the Washington Examiner earlier this week he expresses his condolences for the families and friends of those affected by the weekend tragedy and that they are in his prayers.
“I have met with the Houston Police Chief, the Harris County Judge, the Mayor of Houston, as well as attended a press conference with them this last Saturday. I fully support a thorough investigation. No conclusions have been reached yet, and options are being reviewed,” he said in a statement.
Multiple lawsuits have already been filed, with Live Nation and Scott listed as defendants.
Live Nation has said it is working with authorities and has provided footage from CCTV cameras at the event. It also said it is providing full refunds to concertgoers and is “working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff, from providing mental health counseling to setting up a health fund to help with costs for medical expenses.”
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“We continue to support and assist local authorities in their ongoing investigation so that both the fans who attended and their families can get the answers they want and deserve, and we will address all legal matters at the appropriate time,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
A Live Nation spokesperson declined to comment about the prospects of a congressional investigation when contacted by the Washington Examiner.
