ASTROWORLD FEST 2019
Travis Scott's Astroworld festival goes full 'sicko mode' with A-list celebs
Nov 11, 2019, 10:57 am
It was another massive crowd for the Astroworld Festival. Photo by Michael Anthony
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
Things got chaotic at the second annual Astroworld Festival before the performances even started.
Throngs of people showed up at Travis Scott's music-and-fun free-for-all, held once again at NRG Park, not too far where the mighty Six Flags AstroWorld once stood. By now, you've probably heard that, before the festivities happened, a large group of fans jumped the gate and started a stampede, leaving at least three people hospitalized due to injuries.
These rowdy festivalgoers must've been kids who didn't have tickets and made to decision to attend this by any means necessary. (There have already been tweets showing kids hopping the fence, trying to duck security.)
Despite the anarchic attendees, Astroworld was just as properly coordinated as last year, with its collection of amusement-park rides sprinkled all around the area and its two stages (Thrills and Chills, respectively) providing one performance after another.
Sheck Wes (who was at last year's fest) did a good set, while DaBaby spent most of his stage time deciding which part of the audience he was going to jump into and Houston rising star Megan Thee Stallion basically twerked to her own songs.
We watched Playboy Carti and Migos aggressively demand their crowds to go wild during their sets. By far, the most amusingly insane part of the festival was the set by '90s shock rocker Marilyn Manson. As mostly white and Hispanic attendees flocked to his performance, even he copped to being an odd inclusion at this fest.
"Betcha didn't see this coming, didja?" Manson said to the audience. "That's because Travis Scott is a genius." But that didn't stop him from doing such hits as "The Beautiful People" and his rendition of Eurythmics's "Sweet Dreams."
After that, Pharrell basically did a greatest hits mix of songs he both performed and/or produced and Rosalia did a set that Scott's baby momma Kylie Jenner certainly enjoyed.
Continue on CultureMap to read what happened when Dave Chappelle hit the stage.
The Astros are making noise again — not by bludgeoning teams with a powerhouse offense, but by grinding through games and getting elite production from a patched-together pitching staff. It’s a testament to their depth and resilience that they went 4-2 on a tough road trip while averaging just 3.6 runs per game. Even more impressive? The staff allowed just 2.3 runs per game during that stretch.
It’s fair to be impressed. This is a team still missing key pieces and leaning heavily on unproven arms, yet they’ve built a 2.5-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. If the rotation keeps performing like this, that cushion might not just hold through the All-Star break — it could grow.
Houston's pitching has been the great stabilizer. The Astros rank 1st in strikeouts, 9th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, and 2nd in batting average against. The numbers aren’t carried solely by the stars either. Youngsters like Brandon Walter and Colton Gordon have stepped in admirably. Walter has allowed just two runs combined across his first two starts (6 IP and 5 IP), while Gordon has quietly gone five innings in three straight outings, giving up 1, 4, and 3 runs. Ryan Gusto has been inconsistent — failing to get through five innings in his last three starts — but has kept the damage manageable (3, 2, and 2 runs in those outings).
Meanwhile, the top of the rotation has been lights out. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have become one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in baseball, and Lance McCullers Jr. is starting to look like a real contributor again. It’s a staff carrying the team while the bats slowly try to catch up.
That offense, while mediocre overall — 15th in OPS, 20th in runs, 19th in homers, and 18th in slugging — has shown signs of life in recent days. Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers have provided much-needed sparks. Peña is hitting .370 over the past week with an .851 OPS, while Meyers has been even hotter, posting a .381 average and .934 OPS.
The biggest news off the field this week was the potential end of the Forrest Whitley era. The former first-round pick was designated for assignment, a move that answers an early-season question: Who’s more likely to contribute this year — Whitley or McCullers? The answer is now clear.
Whitley’s DFA also serves as a reminder that not even elite GMs like Jeff Luhnow are immune to draft misses.
The Astros' last four first-round picks of the Jeff Luhnow era show how much of a crapshoot drafting can be.
2016: Forrest Whitley
2017: J.B. Bukauskus
2018: Seth Beer
2019: Korey Lee
Bukauskus and Beer did help land Zack Greinke, which certainly can be justified.
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) June 8, 2025
As the Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan points out, Luhnow’s final four first-round picks with Houston all fell short: Whitley (2016), J.B. Bukauskas (2017), Seth Beer (2018), and Korey Lee (2019) have yet to become meaningful pieces for any club. The draft remains a gamble — even for the best.
Still, the Astros are finding answers. Despite an offense that’s still searching for consistency, their pitching — both from the top and the bottom of the depth chart — has been dominant. If that continues, this club won't just hold the lead. They’ll have momentum heading into July.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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