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Ezra Collective Announces 2023 North American Tour Dates

Ezra Collective has announced a North American tour, celebrating the release of their latest album, ‘Where I’m Meant To Be,’ out now with Partisan Records.

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Ezra Collective has announced a North American tour, celebrating the release of their latest album, Where I’m Meant To Be , out now with Partisan Records ( Idles ).

Following their European run in February of 2023, Ezra Collective’s return to North America will kick off Monday, March 27th, in Los Angeles and make stops in Chicago, Montréal and more before wrapping up with three nights at the historic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. Tickets will be available for pre-sale on December 1st at 10 am local and for general on sale on December 2nd at 10 am local— all tickets will be available here .

Upcoming Live Dates:

02/01/2023 – Madrid, ES @ Lula Club 02/02/2023 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 2 02/04/2023 – Lyon, FR @ L’Epicerie Moderne 02/05/2023 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique 02/06/2023 – Cologne, DE @ Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld 02/08/2023 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich 02/09/2023 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset 02/10/2023 – Berlin, DE @ Metropol 02/12/2023 – Lille, FR @ Aeronef 02/14/2023 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo 02/15/2023 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso 02/18/2023 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy 02/19/2023 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 02/21/2023 – Dublin, IE @ Opium Rooms 02/23/2023 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall 02/24/2023 – London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy 03/27/2023 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room 03/28/2023 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club 03/31/2023 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Dakota 04/02/2023 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 04/03/2023 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 04/05/2023 – Montréal, QC @ Studio TD 04/06/2023 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair 04/07/2023 – New York City, NY @ The Blue Note 04/08/2023 – New York City, NY @ The Blue Note 04/09/2023 – New York City, NY @ The Blue Note

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Details Confirmed for Wacken Metal Battle Canada 2023!

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Born in 2003, V13 was a socio-political website that, in 2005, morphed into PureGrainAudio and spent 15 years developing into one of Canada's (and the world’s) leading music sites. On the eve of the site’s 15th anniversary, a full re-launch and rebrand takes us back to our roots and opens the door to a full suite of Music, Film, TV, and Cultural content.

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I was lucky enough to witness Ezra Collective's superb music in quite an intimate venue. What an honest energy they put on that stage!

Drummer is an absolute beast, the sound was great, the songs were great, the talking before songs was always inspirational and yet sincerely down to earth. It could have lasted two more hours and the crowd (including myself) would have asked for more.

I surely won't miss them when they come back.

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Amazing band to see live! They brought great energy and vibes and playing was excellent across the board. It's awesome to see so much exciting jazz coming out of London right now and Ezra Collective are one of the combos leading the charge. Highly recommend seeing them if you get the chance!

jon-brown-11’s profile image

Incredible Afro beat jazz which seemed to get everyone in the venue bouncing! Incredibly humble guys which only enhanced the vibe.

Can’t recommend them enjoy & can’t wait to see them again :)

Niceguyal’s profile image

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Music Interviews

Ezra koenig on the new vampire weekend album 'only god was above us'.

SSimon

Scott Simon

Eleana Tworek

There's a lot of New York City in the new Vampire Weekend Album. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Ezra Koenig, lead singer/songwriter of the band, about their latest, "Only God Was Above Us."

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The music of Vampire Weekend mixes hip-hop drums with Afro fusion melodies and a hint of ska.

(SOUNDBITE OF VAMPIRE WEEKEND SONG, "CONNECT")

SIMON: And there are those often cryptic lyrics.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CONNECT")

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) The memories don't fade, surprise and fade for days. You're elegantly wasted.

SIMON: Might take nine or 10 listenings to be able to crack those lines, most of them written by lead singer Ezra Koenig. Vampire Weekend's new album is "Only God Was Above Us". Mr. Koenig joins us now from Nashville. Thanks so much for being with us.

EZRA KOENIG: Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

SIMON: We have looked forward to putting Vampire Weekend on WEEKEND EDITION. Kind of fits, don't you think?

KOENIG: Absolutely.

SIMON: Tell us about the song "Connect".

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) The things we used to see, the sandhogs in the street, the chickens in her bedroom.

SIMON: A lot of references I kind of picked up on to New York City, Amsterdam Avenue and sandhogs, as a lot of construction workers are called, but what are we hearing?

KOENIG: This is a song - as we were working on it, I described it as psychedelic Gershwin. It opens with this slightly insane piano riff.

KOENIG: Yeah. It had kind of, like, this old-school New York flavor, but there's a bunch of twists and turns within it, a lot of things that have always loomed large in my mind, such as the sandhogs. My dad briefly was a tunnel inspector for the city, and he would tell me these stories about being down a mile underneath Manhattan, working with sandhogs, and that's a phrase, especially when you're a kid, you're not going to forget.

SIMON: (Laughter).

KOENIG: So that's always been something I've thought about, the tunnels of New York and the underground and these amazing construction projects.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) I know once it's lost, it's never found.

SIMON: And that line, I know once it's lost, it's never found. I need you now.

KOENIG: Well, I think everybody feels that way sometimes. This song is track four on the album. And I was happy to notice that some of these songs that have a little more riddled with anxiety and gloom are towards the beginning. It doesn't stay there. But, you know, this song is an important part of the journey.

SIMON: Let me ask you about the song "Gen-X Cops".

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GEN-X COPS")

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) It wasn't built for me. It's your academy. But in my time, you taught me how to see each generation makes its own apology.

SIMON: That piercing line, each generation makes its own apology, where does that come from?

KOENIG: At first, I just wanted to have a song called "Gen-X Cops". That's a late-90s Hong Kong action movie that I remember being very interested in growing up, and then I think I thought more about Gen-X cops. Why was I actually attracted to that phrase? At least in my lifetime, I can't think of a time where I've heard more talk about generations, decisions the boomers made. I'm a millennial.

SIMON: Turning 40 on Monday, I'm told.

KOENIG: Yeah, I'm about to turn 40.

SIMON: Happy birthday.

KOENIG: Thank you very much. And millennial culture and then the Zoomers, and even my son is Generation Alpha. I've even heard - you know, you go on the internet. You have people already making sweeping predictions about Generation Alpha's behavior. And there's a lot of talk about generations and how they're different. And I think there's a part of me where I kind of feel like, aren't these generations so similar? They have more in common with each other maybe than any set of generations in history, whereas the post-boomer world - there's something in common. Everybody's using the internet, everybody has grew up with certain cultural norms and cultural archetypes. So yeah, each generation makes its own apology. I think that song is talking about the different generations but also coming to this conclusion that everybody's on the same trip, so to speak. Certain things are repeated eternally.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MARY BOONE")

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) Oh, my love, was it all in vain? We always wanted money. Now the money's not the same.

SIMON: I want to hear a little of the song "Mary Boone".

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) In a quiet moment at the theater, I could feel your pain. Deep inside the city, your memory remains, Mary Boone, Mary Boone.

SIMON: An actual person - right? - convicted of tax fraud.

KOENIG: Yeah, a famous, iconic, downtown New York gallerist. I was mostly interested in her as this kind of famous figure of the downtown New York art scene. The character in the song is not her. It's somebody addressing her. I kind of pictured the person who wants to make it, the person who comes to the city, literally or metaphorically, looking for a way in. And this idea of the person looming on the dark side of a room - it felt kind of rich to me. And also, you know, she's got a great name, Mary Boone. Gagosian would not be as easy to rhyme.

SIMON: Like Eric Bogosian, you mean?

KOENIG: Oh, Larry Gagosian. I don't even know how to pronounce it.

(SOUNDBITE OF VAMPIRE WEEKEND SONG, "MARY BOONE")

SIMON: "Only God Was Above Us." The title and the cover comes from a photograph?

KOENIG: Yes, there's a photo I came across that really stayed with me. It's this kind of, like, gritty '80s New York picture with a messed up subway car, but there's this surreal quality because there's a guy sitting normally on the seat, and then there's a guy who's sideways. It's not edited, no Photoshop. It was because this photographer, Steven Siegel, took a bunch of photos of his friends posed in a subway graveyard in New Jersey in 1988. So they could play with the gravity a bit because the subway car was overturned, kind of like an old-school, like, Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling trick.

As I learned more about Steven Siegel, I realized that this guy has hundreds of amazing pictures from that era and even had video footage, so his work has become a huge part of this album and its visual identity. And I love this picture so much that I ultimately decided I didn't want to throw our logo on it or a title. And the only text on the cover is the newspaper that this guy's reading, which was a real Daily News cover from 1988. And the headline was "Only God Was Above Us," and it was a story about a Hawaiian Airlines flight where the roof came off mid-flight. But this was a direct quote from a survivor of that flight. "I looked up. Only God was above us."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CAPRICORN")

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) The world looked different when God was on your side. Who builds the future?

SIMON: May I ask how you're going to ring in your birthday on Monday?

KOENIG: We're playing a concert. So 7 years ago, there was a big eclipse that went through the U.S. Maybe you remember. I said, I wonder when the next total eclipse is. And I looked it up, and of course, I wouldn't forget the date because I said, that's my 40th birthday. So, you know, in the back of my head for years, I said, all right, my 40th birthday, there's going to be a big eclipse. Turned out this was going to be right around the time the album was coming out. I could talk to the rest of the guys and our team and say, wouldn't it be cool to do a daytime concert during the eclipse? so it kind of came together in Austin, Texas. We're playing at a this place called the Moody Amphitheater, so we'll be outdoors. We'll play on either side of the eclipse, we've made the decision we're going to pause to throw on our glasses and do that. So that'll be the main event on my 40th birthday.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) On someone's dime.

SIMON: Now that's a birthday.

KOENIG: Absolutely, and it's a 3 in 1, you know?

SIMON: Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. Their new album, "Only God Was Above Us," available now. Happy birthday to you, and thanks for joining us.

KOENIG: Thank you. Great talking to you.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: (Singing) Listen, baby, you don't have to try. Capricorn, the year that you were born. Finished fast, and the next one wasn't yours. Too old for dyin' young, too young to live alone...

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

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The Rise and Fall of O.J. Simpson Changed Media Culture Forever

By Daniel D'Addario

Daniel D'Addario

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LOVELOCK, NV - JULY 20: O.J. Simpson attends his parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center July 20, 2017 in Lovelock, Nevada. Simpson is serving a nine to 33 year prison term for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction. (Photo by Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)

O.J. Simpson died April 10. But the media age ushered in by his presence, his saga and his white Bronco, remains very much with us.

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This live media sensation — which came years before L.A. local news outlets became consumed with car-chase coverage — set the tone for all of the coverage of the trial, and for Simpson’s life in public after it. Judge Lance Ito’s decision to allow television cameras into his courtroom turned each player in the trial (including and especially prosecutor Marcia Clark) into media celebrities, but it was Simpson, sitting at the center of it all, who had the highest voltage. The trial functioned as yet another low-speed chase — spanning from January to October of 1995, it unfolded methodically enough for daily viewers to savor its twists (with the infamous “if the glove doesn’t fit” moment a sweeps-week moment for the ages). All the while, viewers knew that at the end, one sort of catharsis or another awaited.

Once his blockbuster trial ended in 1995, Simpson was, once again, a celebrity hanger-on, but clinging to a very different kind of fame. And his continued attempts to convert his notoriety into money — in particular the horrific and tawdry media circus around the 2007 book “If I Did It” — cemented Simpson as a figure who might only be able to exist in America. The book, styled as a confession for crimes Simpson had always denied and explaining how Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman would have been killed, was met with outrage and disgust, and a planned interview special on Fox was cancelled. Simpson’s sheer ambition for finding the camera’s gaze, shamelessly choosing to play unaware of why it was he was being broadcast at all, made him an ideal cast member for the country’s ongoing reality show.

His eventual imprisonment was unrelated to the two 1994 deaths — he was convicted in 2008 of armed robbery and kidnapping in an odd, sad scheme to steal his own sports memorabilia from dealers. His nine-year sentence came as a result of Simpson’s obsessive desire to own his image, an image perhaps only he saw as worthy for reasons beyond scandal. After his 2017 release on parole, keeping up with Simpson became increasingly unsavory, as random videos of the man sharing his thoughts on various matters came to be a slow-news-day staple on TMZ. (In 2020, for instance, he begged golf courses to stay open during the COVID pandemic; coverage of a free Simpson golfing after his acquittal had long been a bugbear for those who believed he deserved to be in prison.) He was, at once, a figure whose long presence in American life, as it went on, felt to many like an increasingly irksome reminder of justice denied, and a say-anything card who didn’t mind being the butt of some dreadful joke as long as he got to stay on camera.

All of which helped set the tone for the years after his trial. Simpson had, in his car chase, seemed to be in a state of extreme distress, but his unwillingness to turn himself in looks, in the context of the rest of his life, like presence of mind, not madness. For those hours, he was, preposterously, evading trouble and prolonging freedom simply by dint of his unwillingness to slow down. The lessons our culture learned from this were found in the watching: Millions upon millions absorbed that the news is best told as an endlessly rollicking, celebrity-fueled drama, and that those who make the news could find their best advantage by treating their role in it as that of a star finding their light. Every day — at least since the two Simpson projects first aired, in the consequential year of 2016 — is a slow-speed car chase. And we’re all riveted.

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Vampire Weekend turns Austin fans into creatures of the night at total solar eclipse concert

Vampire Weekend performs at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park in Austin, Monday, April 8, 2024, for a total solar eclipse show. Thousands attended and were equipped with solar eclipse glasses and watched as the eclipse reached totality, while the band paused their performance.

Despite the name, it’s always been easier to picture the members of Vampire Weekend guzzling clam chowder than blood. On Monday, though, our favorite Ivy League rock stars finally found meaningful communion with their undead namesakes. They came to Austin, put an army of the living under their thrall and cheered as the sun went black.

Out-of-towners and townies alike staked spots around the city to watch the total solar eclipse that afternoon. Some marked the moment with their favorite alt-rock stars at Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park. 

When first announced, the concert felt a bit random. The band is more associated with preppy northeastern idiosyncrasy than the sound of Texas skies. Nevermind all that. Vampire Weekend took a once-in-a-lifetime moment on the shores of Waller Creek and made mystic music, happy to be the opening act at their own show. 

Solar eclipse 2024: Austinites cheer on the sun during the 'very, very, super duper cool' total solar eclipse

Consider the components of the vamps’ spell. The symbols of the lunar phases adorned the stage backdrop. It was frontman Ezra Koenig’s birthday. On one of their drums, the moon smiled; on the other, a wary sun shot a sideways glance. 

A little after noon, a de rigueur Bonnie Tyler needle drop heralded the band members. All dressed in black or white, except Koenig, who met the stifling humidity and vexingly cloudy skies with a Blind Melon T-shirt. ( “No Rain,” get it?)

The live debut of two tracks from new album “Only God Was Above Us” kicked things off. “Ice Cream Piano” rollicked with classic Vampy Weeks rhythm. Fans wearing galaxy-pattern shirts bopped to “Classical.” Koenig sang of bleak sunrises, and his impish crooning hadn’t weakened a bit over the years. If anything, his voice rode the bubbling percussion and sultry keys with warmer blood than the early days.

The crowd-pleasers really brought the birthday boy to life. His adorable shoulder shakes on “Unbelievers” punctuated more celestial lyrics: “See the sun go down/ It's going on down and the night is deep/ Want a little light/ But who's gonna save a little light for me?” Listen, if there’s an eclipse, you’re gonna hear what you need to hear.

Koenig’s falsetto shot straight to the sky on “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” People’s eyes, cowering behind commemorative Vampire Weekend eclipse glasses, traced the arc of his voice right up to the clouds. Practice glances, the first of many. 

Wind started to cut the muck in the air. Koenig gesticulated with purpose while performing, with two fingers held up like a Boy Scout. Or, as it was easy to think while he sang “White Sky” with a glowing ring at his back, like Benedict Cumberbatch opening a dimensional portal in “Doctor Strange.”

See? Mystical.

The energy at the concert, on stage and off, seemed to grow more frantic as wispy gray stuff rolled away overhead. “How’s the sun looking?” Koenig asked the crowd after “Sunflower,” quickly chiding: “With glasses only.” Answer: like a Hostess CupCake with a big bite taken out. 

Not for long. The band played “Capricorn,” and suddenly the sky held the remains of a pancake that the whole table shared at brunch. 

The free love jangle of “This Life” reminded everyone that “pain is as natural as the rain” — hopefully neither’s services would be required Monday. 

New song “Gen-X Cops” squealed and careened on its steely strings, a fresh sound for the band. On the roof level of the amphitheater, two police officers peered up at the sky through their special glasses. 

Bassist Chris Baio shook his tail as the band pummeled “Diane Young.” Horn trills drilled through a frenetic “Cousins,” and suddenly you could see an orange peel through your glasses. The band treated everyone to a rarity: “Jonathan Low” from the soundtrack to “Twilight: Eclipse.” If not then, when? “Shoutout to Robert Pattinson and the whole gang,” Koenig said.

The invocation of Edward Cullen shifted the celestial bodies — a much more exciting thought than the boring truth of a well-scheduled setlist. From the darkened stage, a funky miasma of guitar, cymbals and soprano saxophone plunged the venue into a more feral place. The orange peel above had dieted its way to a fingernail clipping. Suspense built. Perhaps, even, unease. Koening’s elfin demeanor turned to trickster glee.

“Curse the night/ If the sun don't make things right,” he sang on “Flower Moon.” A clattering klatch of shakers and discordant guitar broke into a jazzy reverie. 

And then, it all stopped. Totality knocked. Let the experience be “beautiful, restorative, mystical,” Koenig urged. The band left the stage. 

Soon, the office lights from nearby buildings shone brighter than anything else. Everybody made two pivots — first away from the stage, then upward. A few people squeaked. More shushed their neighbors. For a few surreal moments, the shadows stole all the sound. Still, clouds covered the big show.

People started howling. Vampirism? Out. Lycanthropy? In.

One eager soul shouted: “Moon!”

For a few seconds, the blanket of cotton above spun out into threads. Just long enough. The eclipse — black hole, white glow — took center stage. The crowd went wild.

But the sky was on a dimmer switch. God’s house lights came up. Vampire Weekend returned. Koenig clutched his own eclipse glasses.

“Talk about a buzzer beater,” he cracked, adding, “That’s the main event — nature, reality, the universe.”

The rest of the concert felt like one long cigarette drag with a sheet clutched to your chest. Remarkable, really, because the band brought out some special guests. First, Thomas Mars of Phoenix joined Koenig to perform their fabulous collab, “Tonight.” Koenig sang, “You need a little splendor,” and as the previous ten minutes had proved, so true bestie.

Another Francophone, Dave 1 of Montreal’s Chromeo, took the stage next to perform “Needy Girl” with the band. Guitar ace/Paramore touring musician/Vampire Weekend ally Brian Robert Jones joined the band for “Harmony Hall.” 

That led into fan faves “Oxford Comma” and “A-Punk.” It seemed like things might wind down. The moon had long since left the building.

But no. The eclipse seemed to inspire literal lunacy in the band. Since 2019’s “Father of the Bride,” Vampire Weekend has embraced their jam band dreams. They gave Austin an extended honky-tonk medley dubbed “Cocaine Cowboys.” 

“It’s a ride,” Koenig warned.

More: The next solar eclipse will be visible to Texans. What to know about the 2044 eclipse

Truly, the frontman became Cowboy Koenig on that stage. (Or he entered his “Joanne” era — choose your diva.) Lyrics from the song “Married in a Gold Rush” took up residency at the Broken Spoke, full of newfound twang and boot-scootin’. Ghosts who flew in express from Graceland possessed Koenig and Baio’s legs. The band switched pardners, and “All the Gold in California” by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band cut in. 

“Here at Vampire Weekend, we’re not just singing about gold — we’re giving it away,” Koenig said. The crew brought out a giant eclipse-themed cornhole board. One of the band’s stage techs tossed golden bean bags at the hole. He sank a shot. 

As a reward, venue staff came down the aisles and flung gold-wrapped chocolate bars into the audience. One man a few rows back from the stage promptly unwrapped his catch and broke off its tiles like communion wafers, sharing them with his neighbors. An eclipse miracle.

Before sending everyone home with “Walcott,” Koenig, Austin’s newest high priest of the astral realm, gave a benediction.

“Thank you,” he said, “to the sun and the moon.”

Eric Webb is an award-winning culture writer based in Austin. Find him at www.ericwebb.me .

After the eclipse, we'll have posters and framed prints from Statesman photojournalists available at  usatodaystore.com.

Setlist for Vampire Weekend at Moody Amphitheater on April 8, 2024

  • “Ice Cream Piano”
  • “Classical”
  • “Unbelievers”
  • “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”
  • “White Sky”
  • “Sunflower”
  • “Capricorn”
  • “This Life”
  • “Gen-X Cops”
  • “Diane Young”
  • “Jonathan Low”
  • “Flower Moon”

Break for total eclipse

  • “Tonight” (Phoenix song with guest Thomas Mars)
  • “Needy Girl” (Chromeo song with guest Dave 1)
  • “Harmony Hall”
  • “Oxford Comma”
  • “Cocaine Cowboys” (country Western medley of “Married in a Gold Rush” by Vampire Weekend, “All the Gold in California” by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band and more)

Judge dismisses lawsuits filed against rapper Drake over deadly Astroworld concert

Drake performing in Atlanta

HOUSTON — Hip-hop artist  Drake  has been dismissed from a lawsuit over the  deadly 2021 Astroworld festival  in Houston in which 10 people were killed, a judge has ruled.

Drake was a special guest of rap superstar  Travis Scott , who had headlined the festival. He performed with Scott at the end of the concert on Nov. 5, 2021, as the crowd surged and attendees were packed so tightly that many could not breathe or move their arms or legs. Authorities and festival organizers were trying to shut down the show.

The families of the 10 people who died during the concert, as well as hundreds who were injured, sued Drake, Scott and Live Nation — the festival’s promoter — as well as dozens of other individuals and entities.

Many of those who were sued, including Drake and Scott, have asked state District Judge Kristen Hawkins to dismiss the lawsuits against them. On Wednesday, Hawkins dismissed Drake from the case in a brief order.

Lawyers for Drake, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, had argued during a court hearing April 1 in Houston that he was not involved in putting the concert together so was not liable for the deaths and injuries that had occurred.

During a deposition he gave in November in Toronto, the Canadian rapper said in the moments before he took the stage, no one told him that people in the crowd were suffering cardiac arrests or other injuries. He said when he was on stage, the crowd looked like a blur and he couldn’t make out any details.

In the deposition, Drake was shown a video that the youngest victim,  9-year-old Ezra Blount , took as he sat on his father’s shoulders.

“Do you see the panic in those people’s eyes?” an attorney asked Drake about the video.

“I do, sir,” the rapper responded.

Later, when asked by an attorney for Blount’s family about whether it would be important for him to hear from those who put the concert together about why Blount died, Drake said, “I think I would want answers for what happened, yes.”

On Monday, Hawkins dismissed seven companies and individual people who had been sued. But she denied motions to dismiss that were filed by 10 other companies and individuals, including Apple Inc., which produced a livestream of the concert, and two companies associated with Scott. Hawkins was set to hear other motions to dismiss, including one related to Scott as an individual, on Monday.

Following an investigation by Houston Police, no charges were filed against Scott. A grand jury in June  declined  to indict him and five other people on any criminal counts related to the deadly concert. Police Chief Troy Finner declined to say what was the overall conclusion of his agency’s investigation.

In July, the  police department made public  its nearly  1,300-page investigative report  in which festival workers highlighted problems and warned of possible deadly consequences.

Those killed, who ranged in age from 9 to 27,  died from compression asphyxia , which an expert likened to being crushed by a car.

The first trial from the lawsuits is scheduled for May 6.

Some of the lawsuits  have since been settled , including those filed by the families of four of the people killed during the concert. The most recent settlement related to a person who was killed was announced in court filings on Feb. 5, with lawyers for the family of 23-year-old Rodolfo “Rudy” Peña saying they had settled their case.

The Associated Press

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