The Smoker’s Club Fest

Playboi Carti shows are known to get a little rowdy. As a member of the so-called “SoundCloud Rap” movement of the past decade, the Atlanta rapper has blended certain punk sensibilities with his nihilistic, aggressive performance style, resulting in a general vibe of recklessness and mosh-pit antics at his live shows. However, in the wake of a certain recent festival tragedy, venues and promoters have proven much less forgiving of this sort of energy — as recently demonstrated by a recent festival, San Bernardino’s Smoker’s Club Fest.

According to the New York Post, Playboi Carti’s evening set was cut short when members of the crowd tried to jump the barricades to the VIP section just two songs in. The crowd also pushed forward, causing a potentially dangerous scene in the front of the audience much like the infamous incident at Astroworld Festival last year. However, unlike that situation, the festival’s organizers were able to get control of the chaos, cutting Carti’s mic and urging the audience to back up or the show wouldn’t continue.

A number of fans expressed their disappointment in the situation, but I’ve seen toddlers pitch fits over being stopped from touching hot stoves, so kudos to the fest’s organizers for getting a handle on things before they could escalate to injuries or worse. Check out more videos and fan responses below.