Pollstar: This year’s edition of the Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon was supposed to begin with a concert by the Goo Goo Dolls at the Las Vegas Village. That was before the worst mass shooting in U.S. history took place at the exact location, the site of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, just a month ago.
4 comments:
I'm sure that Las Vegas will be moving even more events in the future. That location where all the murder happened is not a place that anyone will want to go to. It probably is still a crime scene and even once the police release it, I guess that it will be remade into something else. I am a little sad to read that they are taking away bands at the first few miles markers. I appreciate that it is to honor the victims of the shooting however, I don't think taking away art is the best way. I think if anything having more people perform in their honor is a better tribute. It is so easy to want to stop the concerts and the performances after what happened, but that is letting the fear win. I have to say I also really appreciate that the article does not name the shooter. I refuse to know that person and when I have been reading articles about what happened and what is currently happening the name pops up a lot and I stop reading - rarely are the names of the victims and hero mentioned.
I’m not surprised that this concert moved, it would be unnerving to have it in the same place where the shooting took place. It just feels kinda pointless at this point. There is mass shooting after mass shooting, and nothing really changes. It is always the same discussions after every one, then there are some memorials, some plans change, and then nothing actually changes. Sure, security has gone up, but the amount of security necessary to actually prevent mass shootings moving forward is completely unsustainable and impossible to have everywhere. But the United States is very set on prioritizing the right to have guns over the right to not get shot, and as long as gun control is perceived as someone coming to “take away people’s guns” (which to be fair, might not be entirely inaccurate) this is just going to keep happening. And at this point, I don’t think each subsequent one is getting any closer to changing anyone’s mind about anything, because things stop being shocking and making you reassess your views if they are a fairly regular occurrence.I’m not surprised that this concert moved, it would be unnerving to have it in the same place where the shooting took place. It just feels kinda pointless at this point. There is mass shooting after mass shooting, and nothing really changes. It is always the same discussions after every one, then there are some memorials, some plans change, and then nothing actually changes. Sure, security has gone up, but the amount of security necessary to actually prevent mass shootings moving forward is completely unsustainable and impossible to have everywhere. But the United States is very set on prioritizing the right to have guns over the right to not get shot, and as long as gun control is perceived as someone coming to “take away people’s guns” (which to be fair, might not be entirely inaccurate) this is just going to keep happening. And at this point, I don’t think each subsequent one is getting any closer to changing anyone’s mind about anything, because things stop being shocking and making you reassess your views if they are a fairly regular occurrence.
I am sincerely glad to see Vegas not only rebounding after such a tragedy, but also actively changing and adapting to lessons learned from the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting. I wonder how attendance at the marathon will be impacted this year; I could see both an increase in numbers as a show of support for the city, or a decrease in attendance as people worry about security and safety at such a large event. I also think the decision to keep the first two and a half miles of the marathon silent in remembrance of the shooting and its victims is also an excellent idea. The fact that the city perseveres in the face of such a tragedy is vital, yet the fact that the city acknowledge the immense loss of life is equally as important. I hope the marathon goes well, both helping the city to recover, while also providing a platform upon which the Route 91 victims can be remembered.
It is really reassuring to see the live performance industry reacting and adapting to the tragedy of the Route 91 shooting. It is so crucial in a time like this that we understand and learn from past experiences, while still moving forward with our passions and communities without fear of the unknown. We only really begin “losing” to these harmful people and attacks when we allow them to start limiting our lives and forcing us into submission. I found the tribute they plan to pay to the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, in which they will leave the first two and a half miles in silence, really moving. The presence of added security measures with each concert, as well as through the marathon as a whole will not only increase the safety of the event, but also give reassurance to those who still feel intimidated by the Route 91 shooting. We cannot plan for every possible tragedy and mistake, but Las Vegas seems to be prepared to de everything they can to ensure the safety of their community in this next event.
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