We got a chance to see the opening show in Indianapolis, and the show has transformed a bit since its opening night. West did away with many of the lengthy instrumental interludes, and the concert was much more succinct, as songs flowed from one to another seamlessly. The heart of the spectacle stayed true, as Kanye drifted from end to end of the stadium, his disciples moshed below him. West was vigorously focused and energetic, and commanded his hometown crowd with ease.
RSVP enlisted two of Chicago’s premiere photographers, ‘Swopes’ and ‘Trashhand’ to capture photos of the spectacle, while we took care of the video. Check out a gallery of their photos below and the video above for a full recap, and in case you missed it, we took on Gucci Mane at UIC.
Kanye West held six screenings for his song ‘Famous’ last night in New York City. By now everyone knows “I FEEL LIKE ME AND TAYLOR MIGHT…,” the first 10 words of the song, which have ignited the masses. West’s ever-changing album The Life of Pablo has been at the pinnacle of hip-hop conversation this year. Not just because of the content within the album, but the conversation and controversy subsequent to its release. The Taylor Swift quip being the height of the hype. I don’t need to recap their complicated relationship, but if you have seen the video, you know that fuel has been added to the flame, depending on perspective.
The video, which is currently only available via Tidal, has been screened in Los Angeles and now, New York. LA got the Hollywood treatment and tickets sold out almost instantly. West took the streets of NYC, much like his famed ‘New Slaves‘ screenings, and notified fans with tweets revealing six screening locations at 10 p.m. RSVP Gallery headed to the E Houston screening location as fans and curious passerby eagerly awaited the screening. Nearly two hours passed, but at midnight, the projectors illuminated the sides of buildings as onlookers cheered.
Since its release, everyone has come out of the woodwork to weigh in; Lena Dunham took to social media to air out her woes with the video, while Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel (insert Kanye’s Spongebob meme here) blocked out segments of their show to poke fun at West. The Reddit community has already dedicated a slew of threads to the video and its interpretations. The flick features George W. Bush, Donald Trump, Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kim Kardashian, Ray J, Amber Rose, Caitlyn Jenner, Bill Cosby, Taylor Swift and West in bed together and is mimicked after Vincent Desiderio’s 2008 “Sleep” painting. West, who entrusted Uzi to put his signature style on the video, has yet to weigh in on the truths of any interpretations, and may very well leave it to the masses. Check out the gallery above for a full recap and stay tuned for news on more screenings.
Kanye West took to his twitter to make an abrupt announcement which simply read “TOUR.” This was followed by a link to his website which revealed his next showcase. In just three months, West will amass 32 shows in North America, kicking off in Indianapolis on August 25th. Ye will make appearances in 21 states, supplemented by two additional shows in Canada. Most notably, he will play back-to-back shows in Chicago on October 7th & 8th at the United Center and All-State Arena, respectively.
His last outing, the Yeezus tour, ended in 2014 and spanned 45 performances from October 2013 to September 2014. It received iconic status for West’s avant-garde performance approach and its success was only eclipsed by Paul McCartney’s ‘Out There!’ tour. Opening acts included the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Drake, A Tribe Called Quest, Pusha T, Travi$ Scott, and E-40.
No information has been released on the artists, if any, who will accompany West on the tour. Tickets go on sale June 18th and will be available through Live Nation. Check out the images above for a full list of dates.
