Houston, Texas was known for a famous theme park back in the 197os and 80s called Astroworld, named after its neighboring Houston Astros ballpark, the Astrodome. But in 2005 it was abruptly closed permanently due to corporate cutbacks, disappointing generations of people who grew up loving it. So it’s interesting that singer-rapper-songwriter and lone star native Travis Scott chose to name his newest album after the park, because looking at his creative process and style of stage performance in a new Netflix tour documentary Look Mom I Can Fly, he’s certainly trying to transform himself into a human amusement center.
Scott’s music is a blend of intimacy, bravado, introspection and unfiltered honesty, and he tries to capture that same atmosphere during his stage show. His elaborate sets showcase him flying on a giant bird during the song “Butterfly Effect”, riding on a circular roller coaster, stage diving into frenzied crowds, and inviting starstruck fans on the stage with him to do the same. And even then, when the show’s over he’s still an artist who’s only willing to reveal so much. Like his friend Kanye West, he’s also married to a wealthy celebutant, namely Kylie Jenner, but he’s nowhere as brazenly outspoken as Ye’.
What he does permit is a look into the development, build-up and eventual release of the ASTROWORLD LP, as well as his pursuit of a Grammy award and the birth of his and Kylie’s first child Stormi. For all of the cameras and reporters surrounding him, Travis still manages to come off extremely ordinary and genuine in these closer parts of the film. They’re interspersed with home footage of a young Travis developing his musical talent, creating some early rap verses and banging on the drums like a cuter Keith Moon.
The filmmakers are willing to broadcast some of Scott’s more awkward moments, like opening the documentary with Scott’s arrest following a concert for allegedly inciting a riot (because the show was just that insane), and also briefly touching on some of the public backlash from his performing at the Super Bowl Halftime show and interrupting the Spongebob tribute (and even then there’s later footage of Travis and crew goofing around and sprinting down the field), so you can’t call it a total fluff piece. But don’t expect much in the way of unsettling or damning revelations, it’s designed to show Travis at his current artistic, personal and professional peaks.
What’s fascinating is that as charismatic and sincere Scott is, this doc spends just as much time looking at how Travis affects the people around him as the artist himself. Count on numerous scenes of young teenagers, some emotional, discussing how his music comforted them during bouts of depression and made them feel less lonely, as well as elated fans running after his car and slapping on the windows, reaching inside. I could only imagine how scared I’d be in that instance, but Travis is willing to take the chance in order to keep his fandom satisfied.
Now I’m not going to be the one who decides if Scott’s musical legacy is going to be comparable to people like Michael Jackson’s or the Beatles, but that’s how these Travis fans are certainly acting in terms of how they discuss their connection to his work, their intensity screaming, and their fainting. It does look extremely Beatlesesque, while the mosh pits and slam dancing wouldn’t seem out of place at a metal concert.
Some of the more diehard Scott fans wear their bruises with a badge of honor, but Travis is always conscious of the safety and enjoyment of people at his shows, unwilling to let security remove them. One fan looks over the moon as Travis gets in his face and sings the opening verses to “Antidote.”
Much of that connection I feel derives from the amount of time, deep thought and work Travis puts into his material. This can be from going over a Murda Beatz instrumental that would become the basis for Butterfly Effect, his collaborations with producer Mike Dean and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Sometimes it gets to the point of obsession, like when he insists for his stage crew to get the lighting and cameras exactly right, or a spontaneous, child-like enthusiasm like when he debuts his new song “No Bystanders” and dances around his Hawaii getaway with his crew. It’s moments like these that make Look Mom I Can Fly feel like the unique documentary it intends to be, even if it only tells us so much.
To me, this is a story about someone trying to recapture their childhood memories and craft them into an experience that will resonant with as many people as possible, and Mr. Scott’s clearly pulled that off judging by the reactions of record-buyers and concert-goers across the globe. I’ll easily recommend it for Travis fans or anyone who’s interested in a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a high profile tour. If you’d had the opportunity to check it out, let us know your opinions at @Official_FAN on Twitter and share your thoughts!