In 2017 after a show in Rogers, Arkansas, police arrested Travis Scott, charging him for inciting a riot during his concert. After hyping up his fans, apparently a little too well, the “Sicko Mode” rapper told them to rush the stage, and to his surprise, they did. The beginning of Scott’s new documentary “Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly” shows Scott being arrested at this concert and the momentum behind his Astroworld tour.
And for anyone who has attended his show, it’s not hard to understand why everyone went wild.
Scott’s first documentary, which was released on Netflix late last month, highlights everything from his rise to superstardom to becoming a father. Focused on his months promoting Astroworld and the album’s nationwide tour, fans got to see every life-changing moment as his career began to flourish. However, even though there were a lot of moments covered, it seemed as more of an overview than an in-depth analysis of his life during these months.
AstroWorld, a Houston, Texas theme park that closed in 2005 and was later demolished, had been a staple in Scott’s childhood. As the movie progresses, he reflects back on memories, showing photographs of his young self on the amusement-park rides.
Scott, whose real name is Jaques Bermon Webster II, said that he wanted listeners and concert-goers to experience his feelings as the park that he loved and enjoyed was taken away from him.
“That’s what it’s going to sound like, like taking an amusement park away from kids,” Scott said, regarding the album. “We want it back. We want the building back. That’s why I’m doing it [creating the album]. It [closing the amusement park] took the fun out of the city.”
Throughout the first half of the film, this fantasy is brought to life as he shows viewers the thrill of his concerts. From bright lights and a fun set to ticketholders ending up in ambulances, Scott’s wild persona is portrayed throughout his work and influences those around him, leaving concert-goers to travel hours to experience Scott’s Astroworld in person.
At one point in the movie, an audience member said, smiling, that by going to Scott’s show he expected to leave with injuries. This thought was continually celebrated throughout the first half, as people continued to flock to his shows even after his arrest.
It was as though Astroworld became a peak of the partying lifestyle.
Although the concert aspect of the documentary was fulfilling, there wasn’t many details regarding the rest of his life. While the audience has a view into the birth of Stormi, his now one-year-old daughter with beauty mogul Kylie Jenner, and views Stormi’s first birthday party, there isn’t much into his personal life with his wife or child, and there are barely any other moments with the rest of his family. Viewers can tell that family is important to Scott, yet his family didn’t have the attention that one would expect.
Outside of the concerts, the documentary also touches upon Scott’s Grammy Award nominations and his behind-the-scenes during the show. Viewers get to see his distraught feelings as he didn’t win, but there wasn’t nearly enough filming surrounding the Grammys for viewers to get the full effect of his sorrow. He sounded sad and frustrated, as one would expect, but his feelings were almost glossed over instead of being examined.
The documentary itself isn’t extremely well done, but it’s enough for any Scott fan who’s trying to relive one’s own concert experiences. For those people who haven’t experienced Astroworld firsthand, it is a good look back to what one might have missed, although much of it does seem like a commercial promoting the album.
By Natalie Forster, Editor-in-Chief
forstena17@bonaventure.edu
