Rosa Fleming, the director of convention and event services for the city of Dallas, is among those whose adherence to precautions has taken on new relevance in the aftermath of eight people dying last Friday night at a concert in Houston.
A 27-year-old Dallas-area man is among the dead, and a local 9-year-old was seriously injured.
Fleming oversees events taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. She also manages the contract for a private firm that oversees events at American Airlines Center, which typically hosts large concerts, such as one that occurred Tuesday night.
There are, Fleming says, “protocols in place” for each venue. “We require all of our events to submit floor plans. And then our floor plans are reviewed in conjunction with Dallas Fire & Rescue.”
“Every event is unique,” she says. “So, every public safety review and requirement that’s set forth is unique.”
In her words, “We try really hard to make sure to cover all of the potentiality of what could go wrong with an event, so that sometimes we’re accused of over-planning.”
There is a cost, however, albeit minor.
“Some of our applicants get a little bit irritated with us.”
Planning and protocols notwithstanding, irritation is, of course, a far better emotion to deal with in the aftermath of a show than the heartbreak left behind in Houston.
When it comes to protocols and safeguards, there appears to be no shortage of either. For instance, as with most states, Texas has its own strict guidelines regarding “mass gatherings.”
There is also a trade association, the Event Safety Alliance, that helps promoters of concerts and other large events adhere to the safest conditions possible.
And yet, somehow, a network of guardrails failed to protect the estimated 50,000 who showed up at Travis Scott’s sold-out Astroworld Festival, where the list of fatalities included a child as young as 10. The tragedy evoked a grim déjà vu of the 1979 concert by The Who in Cincinnati, where 11 people died and where a surging crowd was also the issue.
Live Nation, which promoted the Houston event, is the nation’s largest concert promoter. Understandably, Live Nation has come under sharp attack, with National Public Radio reporting Monday that the company “has a long history of safety violations.”
Rolling Stone has reported that lawsuits stemming from the disaster topped 19 on Monday in Harris County District Court. All named concert producer Live Nation as one of the lead defendants, with most also going after rapper Travis Scott.
In a message posted to social media on Saturday, Live Nation offered this response: “Heartbroken for those lost and impacted at Astroworld last night. We will continue working to provide as much information and assistance as possible to the local authorities as they investigate the situation.”
When it comes to mega-concerts, Dallas recently hosted the Rolling Stones at the Cotton Bowl, a show that went off without incident. We reached out to Fair Park First, which has aspirations of hosting other mega-concerts at the nearly 100-year-old Cotton Bowl, but did not hear back.
The city’s next big concert showcase, Lights All Night, is booked for Market Hall on Dec. 30 and 31. Market Hall is owned by Crow Holdings, which describes itself as a “privately owned real estate investment management and development firm with a 70-year history.”
We reached out to Crow Holdings to ask what precautions are being taken in advance of Lights All Night, but no one was made available for on-the-record comments. We also did not hear back from the public relations spokesman handling Lights All Night.
Lights All Night has more than 20 acts booked for each day of the two-day event at Market Hall.
Other big concerts coming to North Texas this year
LUKE COMBS Nov. 18 & 19 at American Airlines Center, Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
MASTER P With Mystikal, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Fiend, Mercedes and Mr. Serv-On. Nov. 26 at Texas Trust CU Theatre, Grand Prairie. axs.com.
MASTODON AND OPETH Nov. 27 at South Side Ballroom, Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
106.1 KISS FM’S JINGLE BALL Featuring Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, the Kid Laroi, AJR, Tate McRae, Bazzi and Dixie D’Amelio. Nov. 30 at Dickies Arena, Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.
DABABY Dec. 8 at South Side Ballroom. ticketmaster.com.
UNSILENT NIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL Dec. 19 from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. at South Side Music Hall/Gilley’s, Dallas. gilleysdallas.com/calendar.
LIGHTS ALL NIGHT With Above and Beyond, DJ Snake, Illenium, Loud Luxury, Madeon, Slander, Subtronics and many more. Dec. 30-31 at Dallas Market Hall. lightsallnight.com.
TYLER THE CREATOR Feb. 16 at American Airlines Center, Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
BAD BUNNY Feb. 18-19 at American Airlines Center, Dallas. ticketmaster.com. (on the Astroworld lineup)
ALL STAR LEGENDS OF HIP HOP With Juvenile, Mystikal, Too Short, Trick Daddy and Twista. Feb. 26 at Music Hall At Fair Park, Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
