Image via Complex Original
Kanye West took the stage last night at the KeyArena in Seattle to kick off his much-anticipated "Yeezus" tour. His first solo trek since 2008's "Glow in the Dark" tour, which also started in Seattle, the concert was a momentous occasion for the Chicago MC. His latest album, Yeezus, topped our list of the best albums of 2013 so far, and with good reason. Forget Jimmy Kimmel and TMZ—Kanye is in his true element on stage, spreading his gospel one city at a time.
Of course, such a painstakingly detailed show doesn't come without hiccups. Doors were scheduled to open last nght at 6:30 p.m. sharp, but according to event staff, Kanye's stage was still being put together at that time. (Mike Dean, producer, engineer and mixing extraordinaire for 'Ye, claimed one of their trucks was stolen.) They finally opened the doors at 8:40 p.m., to the relieved applause of more than 15,000 cold and tired fans—and one eager Complex writer—looking to witness something special.
And we did, to a certain degree. Here are Complex's 10 First Impressions from Opening Night of the "Yeezus" Tour.
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Written by Edwin Ortiz (@iTunesEra)
Kendrick Lamar opened the show, backed by a live band.
The Compton MC opened the show with a 40-minute set and performed a number of songs from good kid, m.A.A.d. City, along with a live band.
"Money Trees," "m.A.A.d city," "Swimming Pools," and "Backseat Freestyle" all got the love they deserved from the crowd as Kendrick kept the energy at a decent level while fans were still filing into the arena. Before he got into "Sing About Me," he stated, "This song is dedicated to the fallen soldiers." As Kube 93's DJ Hyphen pointed out, the set from Kendrick was similar to his performance at Bumbershoot last month in Seattle. Still a great performance though.
Kanye's stage design is as elaborate as you might expect.
The main stage featured a mountain about 50 feet or so high which many attendees immediately began calling "Mt. Yeezus." That mountain led to a triangular center stage where Kanye did most of his performance. The center stage elevated while Kanye performed a few songs, including "Coldest Winter." There was also a walkway about 30 feet long between the mountain and center stage, vividly illuminated by lights throughout the night.
Right above the mountain was a circular projector angled just enough so fans in the nosebleed sections could get a closer look at Kanye onstage. A little over halfway through the night, the mountain split in half and acted as a corridor for Kanye. Considering there were more than a dozen semi-trucks parked outside of the venue that transported all the equipment, it's clear that Kanye and DONDA pulled out all the stops for this elaborate set design.
The tour merch is cool but expensive.
Kanye offers up quite a collection of merchandise for concert attendees. Items range from hats, Yeezus tour T-shirts and Confederate-flag(!) cloth bags, as well as skull-themed shirts that include slogans like "God wants you." Expect to pay $35-40 for a T-shirt or hat. Sorry, no leather jogging pants.
Kanye rocked Yeezys and brought back his masks.
I can't say that I'm well-versed in the fashion world, so I wouldn't be able to rattle off each designer Kanye was wearing throughout the night. (UPDATE: Turns out it was all Maison Martin Margiela, at least for Seattle.) Kanye rocked Red Yeezys and tan Yeezys, as well as his Margiela masks—one black and another white.
He opened with "On Sight" and closed with "Bound 2."
Considering this is the Yeezus tour, it's no shock that Kanye performed every song from his latest studio album. He opened with "On Sight" and proceeded to run through Yeezus with "Blood on the Leaves," "New Slaves" and the performance-closing "Bound 2." He also sprinkled in a number of records from albums past, including "Power," "Flashing Lights" and "Heartless."
At nearly 30 songs altogether, it was a fairly thorough run through Kanye's catalog. However, a few notable 'Ye records were excluded from the setlist. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and "Touch the Sky," both staples in his catalog, didn't get spotlighted here. He would also forgo "Monster," though quick verses from "Mercy" and "I Don't Like (Remix)" were enough to make up for this omission.
The two-hour show had its share of odd moments.
Kanye's performance lasted about two hours. That's either a good or bad thing. Yes, audience members were treated to more than their fair share of 'Ye's glowing presence, but they also had to sit through some odd interlude transitions. There were also moments where Kanye would lay on the stage and not get up until the next song came in. Maybe he was exhausted, maybe it was part of the act. Either way, Kanye lost some of the audience's energy.
Similarly, Kanye forgot quite a few of his lyrics when performing some of his older songs. Again, this may have been due to fatigue, but there were clear moments where he stopped rapping altogether on "Heard 'Em Say" and "I Wonder." On "Through the Wire," he didn't even rap at all and instead greeted fans that were near the center stage while the instrumental played. It made for an odd showing.
Kanye performing "Hey Mama" brings a LOT of emotion.
It's no secret that the death of Kanye's mother Donda West in 2007 has had a tremendous effect on his life. He made this clear during the show, during which he shared an emotional story about when he found out she passed away. Explaining that he had just gotten off a plane, Kanye recalls, "They told me that my mother was no longer here and I could never speak to her again." This led him into "Coldest Winter" off of 808s & Heartbreaks.
Later on, Kanye would attempt to perform "Hey Mama." However, before he could get a word off, he fell to his knees, mic in hand. It was a powerful moment, one that felt personal for Kanye for obvious reasons, but also for the crowd. Understanding the circumstances, they willed him back to his feet by cheering and singing the words he couldn't. While "Hey Mama" was ultimately never performed, what occurred onstage meant a lot more.
You can watch a short clip of "Hey Mama" here.
Kanye's female dancers have an important role.
The 12 female dancers, who Rob Markman from MTV perfectly dubbed Kanye's "disciples," played an integral role throughout his performance. They held him up in the air while he screamed out "God!" for "I Am A God" and showed off their choreographed moves during "Blood on the Leaves." They also created a circle on the stage floor around Kanye at the end of "I'm In It."
Yeezus brings out Jesus.
You read that right. Before Kanye West performed "Jesus Walks," he brought out a Jesus look-alike and had a playful conversation with him. The crowd certainly got a laugh out of it. Kanye asked: "White Jesus, is that you?" Oh, shit," before playfully apologizing for his language. Jesus then told 'Ye that he's not here to punish him, but to help him. As Jesus exited, the lights dimmed and "Jesus Walks" blared through the speakers as Kanye got into his 2004 hit single.
Jesus would later return at the end of the show, appearing at the top of the mountain. Kanye and the women performers onstage bowed to Jesus while the sample from "On Sight"—Holy Name of Mary Choral Family's "Sermon (He'll Give Us What We Really Need)"—looped until they walked off the stage and the show ended.
"If you love somebody tonight, hold on."
No Kanye West show would be complete without some insightful proclamations. On the outro of "Blood on the Leaves," he told audience members, "You are the future—don't let them enslave you," later adding a call to "live to the fullest." He also stated, "You got the power. It's our now. You got the power now."
At the end of "Runaway"—where he played a bit on the MPC 2000XL—Kanye announced, "If you love somebody tonight, hold on. You may not be perfect, but you're perfect for me." We feel the same, 'Ye.
