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Parties That Killed People: Cocoanut Grove & The Astroworld Festival
A luxurious nightclub filled with palm fronds and politicians. A festival stage surrounded by screams. In this episode, we revisit two events separated by 80 years—but united by a chilling truth: when crowds gather, things can turn deadly fast.
We start with the Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942, a catastrophe that claimed 492 lives in just ten minutes. Locked exits. Flammable ceilings. One of Hollywood’s biggest cowboy stars. Then, we jump forward to Astroworld 2021—another event where the warnings were there, but not the will to stop the show.
We explore:
It’s about more than panic. It’s about power, perception, and the illusion of safety.
Attribution Notes:
*** Follow This, Again on Instagram: @thisagainshow ***
This, Again is written, produced, and hosted by Mallory Faust.
Sources:
Cocoanut Grove Fire (1942)
Esposito, John C. *Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and Its Aftermath*. New York: Da Capo Press, 2006.
United States Fire Administration. *Cocoanut Grove Fire*. U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA, 1983. https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo47056.pdf.
"Cocoanut Grove Fire." *Boston Fire Historical Society*. Accessed September 2025. https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/.
"The Cocoanut Grove Fire, 1942." *Massachusetts Moments / Mass.gov*. Accessed September 2025. https://www.mass.gov/guides/the-cocoanut-grove-fire.
Astroworld Tragedy (2021–2024)
Queen, Jack, and Mike Spector. "Rapper Travis Scott Avoids Charges over Texas Crowd Crush." *Reuters*, June 29, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rapper-travis-scott-faces-possible-criminal-charges-texas-crowd-crush-2023-06-29.
Serrano, Alejandro. "Travis Scott Won’t Be Indicted for Astroworld Concert Tragedy, Grand Jury Decides." *The Texas Tribune*, June 29, 2023. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/29/harris-county-astroworld-travis-scott/.
Doyle, Céilí, Matt Sledge, and Angelica Perez. "New Evidence Emerges in Travis Scott Astroworld Tragedy." *Houston Landing / The Texas Tribune*, July 28, 2023. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/28/travis-scott-houston-concert-police-report/.
"Houston Police Release Full Investigative Report into 2021 Astroworld Tragedy." *Pitchfork*, July 28, 2023. https://pitchfork.com/news/houston-police-release-full-investigative-report-into-2021-astroworld-tragedy/.
"9 of 10 Wrongful Death Suits over Astroworld Concert Crowd Surge Have Been Settled, Lawyer Says." *AP News*, May 8, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/astroworld-concert-wrongful-deaths-settlement-0a31947b59bc86f5423bf9ec05272557.
"Remaining Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed after Deadly Astroworld Concert Has Been Settled, Lawyer Says." *AP News*, May 23, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/1cda1e925527de38ad2a37e71ebd99af.
"Judge Declines to Dismiss Lawsuits Filed against Rapper Travis Scott over Deadly Astroworld Concert." *AP News*, April 24, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/travis-scott-astroworld-concert-lawsuits-deaths-36b504c7d03483e7960fd31636cccecc.
"Criminal Probe Opened into Stampede at Rap Concert in Texas." *Reuters*, November 6, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/least-8-dead-many-injured-texas-music-festival-media-2021-11-06/.
"Travis Scott Headlines Rolling Loud California 2023." *Pitchfork*, January 18, 2023. https://pitchfork.com/news/travis-scott-headlines-rolling-loud-california-2023-lineup/.
"Astroworld Video Shows Fan Climb on Camera Platform Begging to Stop the Show." *The Independent*, November 7, 2021. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/astroworld-video-travis-scott-latest-b1953263.html.
"ICU Nurse Recounts Horror at Astroworld Festival." *KHOU News*, November 8, 2021. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/icu-nurse-astroworld-fest/285-b0f1a92f-d7ea-4aa1-b6cb-dac96227cba0.
Psychology & Disaster Behavior
"Normalcy Bias: The Brain’s Inability to Process the Unthinkable." *Yale School of Medicine*. Accessed September 2025. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/normalcy-bias/.
"Normalcy Bias." *The Decision Lab*. Accessed September 2025. https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/normalcy-bias.
Gurton, Amanda. "Cognitive Biases Within Decision Making During Fire Evacuations." *ResearchGate*, 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323556184_Cognitive_Biases_Within_Decision_Making_During_Fire_Evacuations.
Historical Echoes – The Who, Station, Hillsborough
"Crowd Surge at a Who Concert Killed 11 People in 1979." *Washington Post*, November 9, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/11/09/the-who-concert-tragedy/.
"45 Years Later: Reflecting on Deadly Crowd Crush at The Who Concert." *Fox19*, December 3, 2024. https://www.fox19.com/2024/12/03/45-years-later-reflecting-cincinnatis-deadly-crowd-crush-stampede/.
"Eleven People Killed in a Stampede outside Who Concert in Cincinnati, Ohio." *History.com*. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-3/eleven-people-killed-in-a-stampede-outside-who-concert-in-cincinnati-ohio.
National Institute of Standards and Technology. *Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire*. NIST NCSTAR 2. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005. https://www.nist.gov/publications/report-technical-investigation-station-nightclub-fire-nist-ncstar-2-volume-1.
"The Station Nightclub Fire." *Encyclopaedia Britannica*. Accessed 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Station-nightclub-fire.
"Injuries Sustained and Lessons Learned from the 2003 Station Nightclub Fire." *ASPR TRACIE*, January 9, 2025. https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/injuries-sustained-and-lessons-learned-from-the-2003-station-nightclub-fire.pdf.
Hillsborough Independent Panel. *The Report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel*. London: HMSO, 2012. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229019/0581.pdf.
View all episodes
By Mallory FaustA luxurious nightclub filled with palm fronds and politicians. A festival stage surrounded by screams. In this episode, we revisit two events separated by 80 years—but united by a chilling truth: when crowds gather, things can turn deadly fast.
We start with the Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942, a catastrophe that claimed 492 lives in just ten minutes. Locked exits. Flammable ceilings. One of Hollywood’s biggest cowboy stars. Then, we jump forward to Astroworld 2021—another event where the warnings were there, but not the will to stop the show.
We explore:
It’s about more than panic. It’s about power, perception, and the illusion of safety.
Attribution Notes:
*** Follow This, Again on Instagram: @thisagainshow ***
This, Again is written, produced, and hosted by Mallory Faust.
Sources:
Cocoanut Grove Fire (1942)
Esposito, John C. *Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and Its Aftermath*. New York: Da Capo Press, 2006.
United States Fire Administration. *Cocoanut Grove Fire*. U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series. Emmitsburg, MD: FEMA, 1983. https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo47056.pdf.
"Cocoanut Grove Fire." *Boston Fire Historical Society*. Accessed September 2025. https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/.
"The Cocoanut Grove Fire, 1942." *Massachusetts Moments / Mass.gov*. Accessed September 2025. https://www.mass.gov/guides/the-cocoanut-grove-fire.
Astroworld Tragedy (2021–2024)
Queen, Jack, and Mike Spector. "Rapper Travis Scott Avoids Charges over Texas Crowd Crush." *Reuters*, June 29, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rapper-travis-scott-faces-possible-criminal-charges-texas-crowd-crush-2023-06-29.
Serrano, Alejandro. "Travis Scott Won’t Be Indicted for Astroworld Concert Tragedy, Grand Jury Decides." *The Texas Tribune*, June 29, 2023. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/29/harris-county-astroworld-travis-scott/.
Doyle, Céilí, Matt Sledge, and Angelica Perez. "New Evidence Emerges in Travis Scott Astroworld Tragedy." *Houston Landing / The Texas Tribune*, July 28, 2023. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/28/travis-scott-houston-concert-police-report/.
"Houston Police Release Full Investigative Report into 2021 Astroworld Tragedy." *Pitchfork*, July 28, 2023. https://pitchfork.com/news/houston-police-release-full-investigative-report-into-2021-astroworld-tragedy/.
"9 of 10 Wrongful Death Suits over Astroworld Concert Crowd Surge Have Been Settled, Lawyer Says." *AP News*, May 8, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/astroworld-concert-wrongful-deaths-settlement-0a31947b59bc86f5423bf9ec05272557.
"Remaining Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed after Deadly Astroworld Concert Has Been Settled, Lawyer Says." *AP News*, May 23, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/1cda1e925527de38ad2a37e71ebd99af.
"Judge Declines to Dismiss Lawsuits Filed against Rapper Travis Scott over Deadly Astroworld Concert." *AP News*, April 24, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/travis-scott-astroworld-concert-lawsuits-deaths-36b504c7d03483e7960fd31636cccecc.
"Criminal Probe Opened into Stampede at Rap Concert in Texas." *Reuters*, November 6, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/least-8-dead-many-injured-texas-music-festival-media-2021-11-06/.
"Travis Scott Headlines Rolling Loud California 2023." *Pitchfork*, January 18, 2023. https://pitchfork.com/news/travis-scott-headlines-rolling-loud-california-2023-lineup/.
"Astroworld Video Shows Fan Climb on Camera Platform Begging to Stop the Show." *The Independent*, November 7, 2021. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/astroworld-video-travis-scott-latest-b1953263.html.
"ICU Nurse Recounts Horror at Astroworld Festival." *KHOU News*, November 8, 2021. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/icu-nurse-astroworld-fest/285-b0f1a92f-d7ea-4aa1-b6cb-dac96227cba0.
Psychology & Disaster Behavior
"Normalcy Bias: The Brain’s Inability to Process the Unthinkable." *Yale School of Medicine*. Accessed September 2025. https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/normalcy-bias/.
"Normalcy Bias." *The Decision Lab*. Accessed September 2025. https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/normalcy-bias.
Gurton, Amanda. "Cognitive Biases Within Decision Making During Fire Evacuations." *ResearchGate*, 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323556184_Cognitive_Biases_Within_Decision_Making_During_Fire_Evacuations.
Historical Echoes – The Who, Station, Hillsborough
"Crowd Surge at a Who Concert Killed 11 People in 1979." *Washington Post*, November 9, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/11/09/the-who-concert-tragedy/.
"45 Years Later: Reflecting on Deadly Crowd Crush at The Who Concert." *Fox19*, December 3, 2024. https://www.fox19.com/2024/12/03/45-years-later-reflecting-cincinnatis-deadly-crowd-crush-stampede/.
"Eleven People Killed in a Stampede outside Who Concert in Cincinnati, Ohio." *History.com*. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-3/eleven-people-killed-in-a-stampede-outside-who-concert-in-cincinnati-ohio.
National Institute of Standards and Technology. *Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire*. NIST NCSTAR 2. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005. https://www.nist.gov/publications/report-technical-investigation-station-nightclub-fire-nist-ncstar-2-volume-1.
"The Station Nightclub Fire." *Encyclopaedia Britannica*. Accessed 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Station-nightclub-fire.
"Injuries Sustained and Lessons Learned from the 2003 Station Nightclub Fire." *ASPR TRACIE*, January 9, 2025. https://files.asprtracie.hhs.gov/documents/injuries-sustained-and-lessons-learned-from-the-2003-station-nightclub-fire.pdf.
Hillsborough Independent Panel. *The Report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel*. London: HMSO, 2012. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229019/0581.pdf.