The Roots' SXSW Performance Cancelled Following Bomb Threat

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Austin, TX – As Austin’s annual South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival begins to wind down, it’s ending on a terrifying note.

On Saturday night (March 17), The Roots’ performance was cancelled following an alleged bomb threat. At the JW Marriott hotel in downtown Austin, where The Roots were staying, bomb-sniffing dogs were called in to thoroughly search the premises.

The Roots’ James Poyser told HipHopDX, “So crazy … God is good tho … we’re all safe.”

A press statement obtained by DX reads, “Due to a security concern, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s Bud Light x The Roots SXSW Jam. 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. We appreciate your understanding.

“We are truly sorry to have to cancel the event but we felt it was necessary to take all safety precautions.”

The Roots_hotel

The Roots were scheduled to perform alongside Ludacris, Dermot Kennedy, Jessie Reyez, Rapsody, Tank & the Bangas, Moon Taxi, and other surprise guests at the Bud Light x The Roots & Friends Jam. The event was being held at the Fair Market on E 5th Street.

Questlove, who frequently tends to his social media accounts, reportedly addressed the situation in a since-deleted tweet.

“Uh, welp can’t say much but for those in Austin waiting in line to see us tonight,” he wrote. “Tonight’s show has been cancelled. They’ll make official announcement but I’d rather save y’all the trouble of waiting in line.”

One Twitter user responded to The Roots’ drummer, “Safety first.”

Several attendees also took their concerns to Twitter.

Source: Hip Hop DX