'Wake Up, Mr. West': Mr. By Your Performance, Nobody Was Impressed

Bonnaroo took a leap of faith this year, inviting mainstream hip-hop artist, Kanye West,to perform at the legendary "hippie" festival. But the 31 year old Pre-Madonna quickly proved that he was not ready for such an honor. Having just returned from Manchester, TN, I have the details about the Kanye Delay.

The History:
Kanye West, who was not scheduled to headline, decided that his celebrity status should earn him a spot next to rock legends Pearl Jam and Metallica. The importance of a headlining band is not only that they are the biggest name there but also, they play while no other band is playing. So at Mr. West's request, the folks at Bonnaroo moved Kanye's set to 2:45-4:15 AM, so that he would not have to perform over Phil Lesh. Little did the Bonnaroo organizers know, this would only be the first of Kanye's requests.

The Delay:
2:30 AM- sound check ends
4:15 AM- music (not Kanye's) is playing from a stereo at the main stage
4:30 AM- the lights around Bonnaroo go out
4:35 AM- Kanye's set begins
4:40 AM- Kanye comes on stage
ca. 6:00 AM- set ends

The Details:
One might assume that because Kanye's set did not begin until well after it was supposed to end, that someone had made an announcement about the delay but no such announcement occurred. Angry fans, clad head-to-toe in tie dye, began to boo and many left, while others stayed and tossed debris onto the stage. The tell-all sign that the show was about to begin was when all of the lights around Bonnaroo, minus the vendors, went out. Rumor has it that Kanye refused to perform his Glow In the Dark set, while lights remained on.

The show itself, was the least interactive of all the performances at Bonnaroo. Not once did Mr. West address the audience except in his refrain, "is this what you've been waiting for?" Once the show began, those who remained at the main stage seemed to enjoy the performance, although most of them were under the influence of several chemicals. Midway through the performance, the navy blue sky broke, as the sun began to rise. At the end of his performance, Kanye simply stepped off the platform, neither thanking the audience nor acknowledging his tardiness. As fans questioned whether or not the show had ended, the sun filled the sky and angry campers returned to their tents around 6:30 AM.


Delay aside, Kanye West's performance was terrible. The light show was less than impressive and I've seen better audience interaction at a fourth grade talent show. Sure, he may not be concerned with impressing the tree-hugging crowd at Bonnaroo, but that stunt cost him his credibility. With a desire to headline the festival and prove his stature, his Glow in the Dark set seemed more of a Glow in the Dawn dress rehearsal. Needless to say, Kanye West will never be invited to Bonnaroo again and probably ruined the chances for other mainstream acts. To quote the man who is pretentious enough to speak about himself in the third person, "Wake up, Mr. West, Mr. West, Mr. Fresh/Mr. by-his-self-he-so-impressed/I mean, damn, did you even see the test?"

'Wake Up, Mr. West.' Your fans are more important than you will ever be.