Last night around 8:30pm, fans waiting in line at Fair Market for the Roots show presented by Budweiser were abruptly turned away after officials said that safety concerns and a threat on the venue were causing them to cancel the show. By 11pm, a suspect was arrested: 26-year-old Trevor Weldon Ingram.
In a statement, the Austin Police Department stated that Live Nation Music received an email on Saturday at 4:23pm, threatening a bomb at Fair Market. While a complete search of the area was conducted and no bomb was found, Budweiser made the decision to cancel the event 30 minutes after doors were supposed to open. At 11:15pm, Ingram was arrested and taken into custody on charges of a terrorist threat, which is a third degree felony.
After learning of the cancellation, those in line quickly dispersed and started checking their phones for the next show (and on the last full night of SXSW, there were plenty). Some stuck around to start peeling posters off the Fair Market façade, while others lingered in hopes that, somehow, the decision might be reversed.
"I feel so bad for Questlove!" said one attendee and, understandably, Questlove wasn't super happy about it either. In a Saturday night tweet that has since been deleted, the drummer and joint-frontman of the Roots wrote, “Uh, welp can’t say much but for those in Austin waiting in line to see us tonight. Tonight’s show has been cancelled. They’ll make official announcement but I’d rather save y’all the trouble of waiting in line.” While most fans were sympathetic, some continued to complain about the cancellation, prompting Questlove's tweet this morning:
But you still whining about not seeing a show after you were told (& tweeted you DIDNT BELIEVE) what happened....doesn’t make you look....selfish tho 🤷🏾♂️? But nevermind safety just “shut up & play yer show!” right? 😐 https://t.co/2FpRl5irIm
— T'Questlove (@questlove) March 18, 2018