Kanye’s show will be tough to surpass
[Apr27]
Concerts
(from azstarnet.com)
“Is this what you’ve been waiting for!?” screamed Kanye West during the climax song, “Stronger,” of his sold-out show at McKale Center.
Well, yes.
Not only was West’s Glow in the Dark Tour show the first concert in more than a decade at McKale, the experience was one of unity for the community — as important as any sporting event that has taken place under its roof.That the last major artist permitted to perform under the UA championship banners was country star Garth Brooks in 1996 proves how far hip-hop has come, and West just kept pushing it forward Thursday night.
“You ever wonder if you’ll find your dreams?” he asked during “I Wonder” off the 2007 multi-platinum album “Graduation.”
If so, the journey probably looks and feels a lot like the surreal Glow in the Dark Tour. If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t have believed it, and because no news photographers were permitted, you’ll have to use your imagination.
On top of a massive hilly surface mounted on the stage, which was backed by a video screen of drive-in movie theater proportions, West didn’t come out on stage so much as wake up on it.
Spotted lying down when the lights came on, he slowly stood up, dressed in a “Mad Max”-like tan shirt, blue jeans and sneakers similar to what Marty McFly wore in “Back to the Future Part II.”
Bringing himself to his feet, West performed the opening track to “Graduation,” titled “Good Morning.”
West’s stage show was somewhere between a sci-fi flick and a one-man Broadway production set to hip-hop.
The show followed a loose narrative: roughly that West sets out into space in search of a new source of inspiration, crash-lands on an unknown planet, then has to try to find his way back to Earth.
Aside from some banter with a computer on his spaceship named “Jane,” an odd appearance from a floating robot with blue hair, and another from opener Lupe Fiasco during the show’s final number, “Touch the Sky,” it was just West isolated on stage throughout.
There was a backing band, but the members were dressed in all black and played in front of the stage, not on it.
At times you felt like it wouldn’t have killed the production to have a guest singer come out and bust the chorus to, say, “Flashing Lights,” but West did a pretty good job carrying the show on his own.
Aided by video screens displaying everything from oncoming stars to the inner parts of a spaceship, shooting blue and green flames from the floor and bursts of sparks, West danced, jigged and made dramatic, crouching poses to punctuate particular lyrics.
After energetic versions of the massive hit “Gold Digger” and the feel-good anthem “Good Life,” West broke into a particularly tender version of “Hey Mama,” during which a sea of cell phones bobbed around McKale. West’s mother, Donda West, died late last year.
You know the audience is hungry when it’s filled up to the nosebleeds during the first opening act, chanting for rapper Lupe Fiasco.
The second opener, the hip-hop-rock-hybrid N.E.R.D., led by multitalented Pharrell Williams, turned McKale into a huge dance party.
It may have taken a while to get here, but Thursday proved we can fill 8,100 or so seats if the appeal of the act is there.
Here’s hoping Tucson gets to see more shows at McKale, but don’t expect anything matching Glow in the Dark to come around anytime soon.
King Kanye,
When are you going to wake up? What are you doing with your life anymore? You are responsible for more than you realize and it is going to cost you. To whom much is given much is required. Jesus is not pleased with you at all and neither am I. Pray, seek, humble yourself NOW. I shall continue to pray for you and I expect change.
Loving U Always N Christ,
Queen Antoinette
King Kanye,
Satan is after you.
Loving U Always N Christ,
Queen Antoinette
Queen Antoinette… Shut up. Just because Kanye is 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 times better than u doesnt mean u can threaten or make fun of u.
Queen Antoinette… Shut up. Just because Kanye is 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 times better than u doesnt mean u can threaten or make fun of him.
I’m not exactly sure who Queen Antoinette is but I’m 100% sure she is in no place to say anything about how Jesus feels or what Satan is doing, no one is.
Anyway I’m from LA and I’m going to see this concert at the Staples center but it will not even compare to floor seats at McKale…amazing concert…blew my mind
I can’t get Homecoming out of my head… but anyways did you guys see that http://www.kiisfm.com is having a contest giving away a trip to Canada to see Kanye in concert? Pretty exciting, I’ve only seen him here in Cali.