Billie Eilish waited two years to get back on the road, and now that the Happier Than Ever tour is in full swing, she’s here for her fans — in more ways than one.
On Saturday, the singer was performing at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena when she halted the concert mid-show to retrieve an inhaler for a seemingly distressed fan in the audience.
From the stage, Eilish oversaw security as they located the young woman in the pit, reminding the audience members not to crowd her. She quipped: “I wait for people to be OK until I keep going.”
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The singer did some crowd control of her own, turning to the rest of the arena to soothe their anxieties from the rafters: “Relax, relax, it’s OK. We’re taking care of our people, hold on.” Ready to jump back into the show, Eilish reminded the crowd to get someone’s attention if they needed anything and walked them through a quick breathing exercise before starting the next song.
Artists ensuring crowd safety during their shows has long been a part of being on the road, especially when hundreds of fans fill general admission areas in front of the stage. But in the wake of the Astroworld Festival tragedy, where 10 concertgoers died of compression asphyxia during Travis Scott’s headlining set in November, these crucial moments of pause are more essential than ever before.
From Rolling Stone US