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Post by BonnarooDetective on Jan 25, 2014 11:58:25 GMT -5
I want to predicate this long-ass post by saying that I don’t expect it to change anything. I don’t think that Ashley Capps is going to read this and say, “Damnit, this guy’s right! We’re never going to book Kanye West at Bonnaroo again.” I also don’t expect it to change anyone else’s mind. Kanye West at Bonnaroo is like an abortion - you’re either for it or against it, and one person’s opinion isn’t going to change your mind.
Well folks, I’ve had an abortion. That is to say, I’ve seen Kanye West perform at Bonnaroo before. Trust me, you do not want to have an abortion.
I also want to predicate this post by stating how passionate I am about the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. I know everyone loves Bonnaroo and it means a lot to them. Trust me what I say that Bonnaroo means as much, or more likely more, to me as it does to you. I’ve attended Bonnaroo every year since 2005 (9 consecutive years). I’ve brought basically everyone I care about to the festival in one year or another. My girlfriend, who has been coming with me since 2006, and I basically fell in love and found ourselves over the years at Bonnaroo. I’ve taken countless friends, my parents, and my brother (who has been every year since 2007). I love Bonnaroo so much, they put me on the History Channel to profess my fondness for it (in a 2007 show titled “Our Generation”). I think about Bonnaroo every single day of the year. It is most definitely the most important nonliving thing in my life. Some people might even say I care about Bonnaroo a little too much. So, understand that this post comes from an emotional (and spiritual) place. Bonnaroo is my Mecca.
A lot of people have told this story, and I know it has been bastardized nearly to the point of myth, but I’m going to give you my first-hand account of what happened last time Kanye West was booked for Bonnaroo. I can assure you than I am not embellishing or hyperbolizing anything.
When the 2008 lineup was announced, Kanye West was unquestionably the most talked-about artist on this message board. Some people hated him and claimed Bonnaroo had sold out. But for every person who hated him, there was another who was excited. There was a lot of hype surrounding his show, as he was on the “Glow In The Dark” tour, and the prospects of a glowing performance at Bonnaroo sounds pretty tempting. Personally, I was on the fence about Kanye. Although I liked some of his earlier material, I really hated some of his newer stuff. Moreover, I was concerned that he didn’t fit the overall “vibe” and attitude of Bonnaroo. I’ll admit, I was intrigued by the “glow” premise and planned on seeing him only if the schedule permitted. When the schedule finally came out, Kanye was slated for 8:15 to 9:45 on Which Stage, which led to some confusion. Why put Kanye’s show on during daylight? Can Which Stage accommodate his crowd size? Well, sure enough, his set time was changed just three days prior to the festival. The Monday before Bonnaroo, they moved his set to 2:45 am to 4:15 am on What Stage. The change came so late, our guidebooks had the wrong schedule in them. There were signs at all the Centeroo entrances and schedule outposts that announced the change, which would later become something of a joke.
On the day in question, Pearl Jam was actually the headliner. They were scheduled from 10:15 to 12:15 (prior to Kanye). Of course, Pearl Jam is known for playing lengthy sets, often beyond their allotted time, and Bonnaroo would be no exception. By my watch, Pearl Jam finished just a few minutes after 1:00 am. If think it was 1:02 if you want to get specific (I was particularly concerned with the time, since I wanted to see Phil Lesh, who had started at 12:15). So, Pearl Jam went off 47 minutes late, but that still left 1 hour and 43 minutes to get Kanye’s rig set-up. In the original schedule, there was only supposed to be an hour between Ben Folds and Kanye West. While most people got comfortable and awaited Kanye’s show, I went to Phil Lesh, who was supposed to perform 12:15 to 4:15 on Which. Even if you aren’t a Dead fan, you can imagine how this was one of the more anticipated sets of the weekend. We all know how great late night Which Stage shows can be, and this was supposed to be a marathon 4 hours set that carried us to the verge of dawn. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way.
It was about 2:30 am when Phil and the band walked off stage. I was a bit confused and came to assume they were taking a setbreak. I mean, they were playing a four hour show, they were bound to take a break. But my confusion furthered as Phil came back on stage just a few minutes later. Unbeknownst to me, I had just experienced the encore break. Phil approached the microphone and broke the news to the crowd: there had been some schedule changes (obviously), and their set was over, they were about to play the last song of the night. As the crowd booed, Phil explained that Kanye West’s show was just starting up and that they had to conclude theirs as a result. When it was all said and done, Phil Lesh and Friends concluded their set by 2:50 am, nearly an hour and a half earlier than scheduled.
With Phil finished, my girlfriend and I made our way to the main stage to see Kanye. We arrived just after 3:00 am to a crowd that looked as confused as we were. There were a lot of people in the audience, but no one on stage. I wasn’t surprised, Pearl Jam did run late, so we found a spot and started waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting. The screens beside the stage keep telling us Kanye was “Up Next!” The screens told us 3:15, then 3:30, then back to Up Next! People started leaving, others fell asleep. When Kanye West finally took the stage, it was about 4:30 am. Yes, that’s right, his performance started at 4:30 in the morning, which was an hour and 45 minutes late. You cannot possibly blame this much of a delay on Pearl Jam. Even when you factored in Pearl Jam’s extra time, it took them well over two hours to get Kanye on stage. Keep in mind, the original schedule on allotted an hour for Kanye’s rig to be set up.
The performance itself was absolutely horrible. He failed to acknowledge his lateness whatsoever. It was just him on stage, rapping (poorly) over second-rate remixes of his songs while he stomped around like an idiot. The entire show came with what I can only describe as the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen done on stage. He had an elaborate story to go along with his concert. Basically, Kanye West is to only person who can save music, which he accomplishes somehow by flying through space. Tragically, Kanye’s spaceship crashes, where is left alone to languish in his own ego. To be fair, he isn’t totally alone. He has Jane - the hyper sexualized computer that is also his spaceship (similar to HAL). Kanye and Jane have dialog between songs, all of which is absolutely terrible, along with some bizarre sexual tension. I distinctly remember him exclaiming at one point, “Jane, I need some puussssyyyyyyyy!!!” Oh, and the visuals? B-rate at best. I didn’t really see anything glow in the dark, and the sun exposed the weakness of his rig. Basically he just had a light-up stage with a video screen (Jane) behind him. I can honestly say that, lateness and the whole Phil-thing aside, Kanye West’s performance at Bonnaroo was the single worst concert I’ve seen in my entire life. It was terrible on multiple levels, both musical and otherwise. I’m serious when I say that people started leaving at a greater rate once the performance started - it was that bad. I gave-up and left around 5:15. As I was walking away there were less than 10,000 people at the show and the sun was coming up. His set concluded not long after I got back to camp, about 5:30. So, to top things off, he didn’t even fill his allotted time.
The following day was probably the weirdest day at Bonnaroo I’ve ever experienced. The whole vibe and energy was just off. Whether you wanted to see Phil or Kanye, your night was probably ruined. “Kanye Sucks” and “F*ck Kanye” became mantras for the remainder of the festival. In my opinion, that night was the single worst in the history of Bonnaroo. The fervor continued even after the festival was over. There was a lot of vehemence for Kanye, so much so that he responded in a blog post. The whole thing is a rant where he blames basically everyone but himself for the entire debacle. Here are a couple relevant quotes:
“This Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I’ve ever had in my life. This is the most offended I’ve ever been . . . this is the maddest I ever will be. I’m typing so f*cking hard right I might break my f*cking Mac book Air!!!!!!!!”
“WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH F*CKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN’T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY.”
So, yeah, I’m sorry, but I don’t want this guy back at Bonnaroo. He has disrespected something I love. He has disrespected me. He has disrespected all Bonnaroovians. He embodies the complete antithesis of the Bonnaroo spirit.
If you don’t want to take my word for it, look back at Inforoo circa June 2008. There are countless threads about how awful his show was.
And please, do not give me that, “Well you don’t have to see him” crap. This is bigger than that. I don’t want to support Kanye West, especially not through Bonnaroo. Buying a Bonnaroo ticket would be an implicit show of support, and I absolutely do not want to support the notion of Kanye West at Bonnaroo. Moreover, Kanye West would likely be a headliner, which means his set is unopposed. So, I might not have to see him, but I also won’t have any alternatives. Headliners are a big part of ticket cost, and I really don’t want to shell out all that money for a festival headlined by Kanye West. If he was just another act, playing a daytime tent show, I probably wouldn’t be complaining.
If he really ends up on the bill, I can’t rightly say what I would do. There is a very real possibility that I could skip Bonnaroo this year, and I cannot begin to articulate how upset that thought makes me. If I like the other headliners and the undercard is solid, I’m sure I’ll end-up going, if only to maintain tradition.
Again, maybe I’m part of the old guard, but I just cannot fathom why you would want to bring back the guy who put on literally the worst performance in Bonnaroo history.
Again, maybe I’m part of the old guard, but I just cannot fathom why you would want to bring back the guy who put on literally the worst performance in Bonnaroo history.
Yeezy season approaching Fuck whatever y'all been hearing Fuck what, fuck whatever y'all been wearing A monster about to come alive again
I want to predicate this long-ass post by saying that I don’t expect it to change anything. I don’t think that Ashley Capps is going to read this and say, “Damnit, this guy’s right! We’re never going to book Kanye West at Bonnaroo again.” I also don’t expect it to change anyone else’s mind. Kanye West at Bonnaroo is like an abortion - you’re either for it or against it, and one person’s opinion isn’t going to change your mind.
Well folks, I’ve had an abortion. That is to say, I’ve seen Kanye West perform at Bonnaroo before. Trust me, you do not want to have an abortion.
Oh my god, are you really comparing an issue as serious as a woman's right to choose what she does with her body to something as trivial as whether or not some artist should be allowed to play a music festival again after showing up late? Perspective, bro, perspective.
Again, maybe I’m part of the old guard, but I just cannot fathom why you would want to bring back the guy who put on literally the worst performance in Bonnaroo history.
Maybe I'm part of the new guard but I can't fathom why you would want to bring back the guy with literally the biggest head in Inforoo history.
If he really ends up on the bill, I can’t rightly say what I would do. There is a very real possibility that I could skip Bonnaroo this year, and I cannot begin to articulate how upset that thought makes me. If I like the other headliners and the undercard is solid, I’m sure I’ll end-up going, if only to maintain tradition.
And if he's on the bill, there are other people who will buy a ticket because of it. Myself included.
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All they're doing is making money. Kanye is one of the biggest names out there and will attract a lot of people. I am surprised that they are giving him another chance, and I personally wouldn't give him another chance, but that's because I already didn't like him, on top of what happened last time. There will be people that will be upset by it and may not go, but there are many others that will go because of it. I'm sure it will go off without a hitch this time and his fans will love it. I won't be there to see it, but that's no big deal, I skip headliners every year. I will be the most disappointed if they booked him instead of Outkast. But I'm sure if he was booked, it happened before the Outkast opportunity even came up.
Oh wow, shit got real dark up in here for a minute. Aaanyway, as the great Yeezus once said:
Bow in the presence of greatness 'cause right now thou has forsaken us You should be honored by my lateness That I would even show up to this fake shit So go ahead go nuts go ape shit Especially in my pastel on my bape shit Act like you can't tell who made this New gospel homey, take six, and take this, haters
Here's my concern with a possible Kanye set at Roo this year. I was not at Bonnaroo in 2008 but I work for the security company that works bonnaroo, and I've heard the story plenty of times. I know how hard it made their job (having to stay later, crowd members thinking they had answers, etc.). I see a future where at least a small part of the crowd boo's at Kanye, and this could spread, or at least be heard by others. Heck, it would be fun right? All later Rooers would have grown up on the "fuck kanye" ideal, so why not? You're apart of a big community right? I'm scared of this. He could have a good show, and even though I don't like him personally, it doesn't matter what you think of him there are going to be crowd members booing this guy you're trying to enjoy. My coworkers will probably 100% boo him and be very lazy in helping their crew.
The point of my post is this. I get why they would book Kanye, I do. Money, good performer, etc. But when you have a history of the fans like this, there is a huge possibility his show will be ruined again, maybe not by him, but by disgruntled fans. Anyone feel what I'm feeling here?
Here's my concern with a possible Kanye set at Roo this year. I was not at Bonnaroo in 2008 but I work for the security company that works bonnaroo, and I've heard the story plenty of times. I know how hard it made their job (having to stay later, crowd members thinking they had answers, etc.). I see a future where at least a small part of the crowd boo's at Kanye, and this could spread, or at least be heard by others. Heck, it would be fun right? All later Rooers would have grown up on the "fuck kanye" ideal, so why not? You're apart of a big community right? I'm scared of this. He could have a good show, and even though I don't like him personally, it doesn't matter what you think of him there are going to be crowd members booing this guy you're trying to enjoy. My coworkers will probably 100% boo him and be very lazy in helping their crew.
The point of my post is this. I get why they would book Kanye, I do. Money, good performer, etc. But when you have a history of the fans like this, there is a huge possibility his show will be ruined again, maybe not by him, but by disgruntled fans. Anyone feel what I'm feeling here?
Makes total sense, it's just sad and immature. If someone you don't like is playing there are like 5 other stages you can go to.
Or go to camp Or silent disco or waterslide or ride the ferris wheel or check out the food trucks or get a frozen lemonade or checkout the barn or lay down somewhere (not recommended) or make a new friend or check out Planet Roo or send a postcard from the post office or try hooping or whatever
You get the point. I'm just don't get people that would ruin other people's good time because of a six year old grudge or people who will pass on a perfectly good time due to one performer. Isn't the great thing about Bonnaroo that there is so much diversity and variety?
If someone you don't like is playing there are like 5 other stages you can go to.
So, I guess you're assuming he won't be headlining?
See, I've been through this before - I had another stage to go to. I went to Which Stage, where my show was cut short (by an hour and a half) for Kanye.
If he's not a headliner and I actually have musical alternatives, I'll be much less inclined to complain, but I just don't see it that way.
If someone you don't like is playing there are like 5 other stages you can go to.
So, I guess you're assuming he won't be headlining?
See, I've been through this before - I had another stage to go to. I went to Which Stage, where my show was cut short (by an hour and a half) for Kanye.
If he's not a headliner and I actually have musical alternatives, I'll be much less inclined to complain, but I just don't see it that way.
Even if he does headline there is plenty to do besides stand there and be disgruntled. I just don't understand your thinking. There are people and things in life that I do not enjoy and I simply avoid them and find things that do bring me joy and pleasure. It's very simple and it makes each day a more positive experience. Don't just give up on something that you claim makes you happy due to one attendance-not-required performance. It's just silly.
Post by Paroxysm714 on Jan 25, 2014 18:07:44 GMT -5
There have been plenty of headliners who I've passed on over the years, so I agree that it's silly to be upset about Kanye playing Roo again or, heaven forbid, to skip the festival entirely because of it. I mean I skipped Eminem, slept through RHCP, skipped Kings of Leon, DMB in '05, the list goes on. Though I'm not really a Kanye fan, and though I'm one of the folks who left shows early in '08 only to stand waiting in the What stage field to the point where even if I wanted to go back and see something else I was basically too late because most of it had shut down, I know that I can and will find something else to do during his set and still manage to have a fantastic time because I always do at this festival. (I thought the '08 show was decent, but the sun coming up in the middle kind of ruined the whole thing.)
You know who else will have a fantastic time though? Everybody who's a fan of Kanye and is going to his show to have a good time. Because that's how live music works, people. See and do what makes you happy. It's Bonnaroo.
If someone you don't like is playing there are like 5 other stages you can go to.
So, I guess you're assuming he won't be headlining?
See, I've been through this before - I had another stage to go to. I went to Which Stage, where my show was cut short (by an hour and a half) for Kanye.
If he's not a headliner and I actually have musical alternatives, I'll be much less inclined to complain, but I just don't see it that way.
I just don't get why you can't get over something that happened in 2008. And it's not like it specifically hurt you in any way. A musical act went on late and you're comparing that to an abortion (which is disrespectful in itself). I also think it's funny that you feel you should say you love Bonnaroo more than everyone else, as if it justifies you're being butt hurt. Get over it dude. Your argument is old and worn out. If you really care about the "vibez" of Bonnaroo, then you should just be happy for the 90 percent of us who are thrilled to have him. Can't you see you're in the minority now? Your pov is outdated.
Last Edit: Jan 25, 2014 19:23:27 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
Wow....I seen Kanye live when I was in college back in 2005 around when Late Registration came out. It was an excellent show one of the best shows Ive been to. I hope he does headline bonnaroo this year I like his music I guess a lot of people do because of his album sales, but for anyone who does not like the idea of him coming just go see another artist or something wow!!!! In 2012 the RHCP headlined bonnaroo and I still went to bonnaroo and Im not a RHCP fan but I went bc I like Ludacris, The Roots, Skrillex, Alabama Shakes, Kendric Lamar etc. Basically to me one band, one artist is not going to kill my vibe....
I just don't get why you can't get over something that happened in 2008. And it's not like it specifically hurt you in any way. A musical act went on late and you're comparing that to an abortion (which is disrespectful in itself). I also think it's funny that you feel you should say you love Bonnaroo more than everyone else, as if it justifies you're being butt hurt. Get over it dude. Your argument is old and worn out. If you really care about the "vibez" of Bonnaroo, then you should just be happy for the 90 percent of us who are thrilled to have him. Can't you see you're in the minority now? Your pov is outdated.
You're absolutely right, I'm in the minority, so I should stop expressing my opinion.
Instead, here are some quotes from your fellow inforoosters:
I'd like to preface this by saying I'm a huge Kanye West fan. (Or was.) I don't really like Graduation, but I thought College Dropout and Late Registration were witty and intelligent and fun. I've seen Kanye twice before and loved both shows.
Kanye's actions this weekend were pretty close to unforgivable for me. He had his set time changed, was two hours late for that, and put on one of the worst performances I've ever seen. And I really wanted to like it. Kanye also never addresses the crowd once, or even said "Bonnaroo". Anyone that plays Bonnaroo has to know that it's a community, a movement, a family. If you're going to preform you need to be a part of that, one of us. You can't be a part of that if you're never saying a word to us, or not even just saying the name Bonnaroo.
Kanye lost every ounce of respect I had for him. Despite his ego, I still thought he was talented. But, you just do not treat your fans like that.
I was talking to one of the security guys before Orchestra Baobab, and he said he didnt want to go on because he demanded to play unopposed. What a roosterass.
And his show was the most ridiculous thing I ever witnessed. I left 5 songs into it. It should be called "Kanye goes to Space: The Musical" rather than the Glow in the Dark tour. His next tour's going to be called "Kanye Quack. His Motherboard"
I cant believe I passed on Ghostland Observatory for that monstrosity
I get that the people who didn't get let down by Kanye are going to tire quickly of hearing about him. But, you also have to respect that it wasn't just a late and crappy show, it was a train wreck that followed people back to camp and maybe even all day Sunday. It just put a really, really bad vibe out that spread its fingers throughout the camps and beyond the gates of Roo.
They should invite Kanye West back next year and about ten minutes into his set have GWAR hi-jack the stage. Just imagine kanye covered in semen and slime