The Yeezus Tour
World tour by Kanye West | |
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Associated album | Yeezus |
---|---|
Start date | October 19, 2013 |
End date | September 15, 2014 |
Legs | 3 |
No. of shows | 53 |
Box office | total gross not listed in either Boxscore or Pollstar 100 world tour tours of 2014 or 2013 lowest tour on list 5 million. |
Kanye West concert chronology |
The Yeezus Tour was a concert tour by American rapper Kanye West in support of West's sixth solo studio album, Yeezus (2013).[1] The venture served as West's first solo concert tour in five years. Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, Travi$ Scott, and Pusha T served as opening acts on select dates. It had the second highest grossing leg of a tour during 2013, behind Paul McCartney's Out There! Tour.[2]
Background
After the release of Yeezus on June 18, 2013, rumors begun circulating that West would embark on a solo tour. Co-producer of the album Mike Dean reported that there would be a tour for the album and that he would be a backing producer for the show.[3] On September 6, 2013, West tweeted the word "TOUR" along with the promotional picture of the tour. All of the opening tour dates (of which all are in North America) became available via his official website.[4]
Kendrick Lamar served as a supporting act on the majority of the tour, with "special guests" replacing him on the dates he missed. At the October 25, 2013 show, GOOD Music signee Pusha T served as the opening act.[5] On October 15, 2013, it was revealed that two of the four New York shows will feature A Tribe Called Quest as supporting acts instead of Lamar.[6] These concerts were stated to be A Tribe Called Quest's final performances ever.[7]
Stage and equipment
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Yeezus_tour.jpg/250px-Yeezus_tour.jpg)
West said that the initial idea of The Yeezus Tour came from him thinking about the end of the world, with explosions, fire, mountains, masked beings, creatures and Jesus all making appearances during the show. Vanessa Beecroft, Es Devlin and John McGuire created the scenography with both Maison Martin Margiela and West working together to create fashion pieces and outfits for The Yeezus Tour. The stage used by West also resembled a fashion catwalk.[8] Another influence for the stage setup, according to West, came from the 1973 film The Holy Mountain, a "biblical redemption story". This can be seen with one of the stages main features; a 50-foot high mountain, called Mount Yeezus by some,[8][9][10] that could change its appearance into a volcano. The foot of the mountain then lead to a secondary stage that elevated up to the main stage that was shaped like a triangle and could rise. As part of the redemption theme, the performance is separated into five parts, Fighting, Rising, Falling, Searching and Finding, that feature 12 female dancers that some called "disciples". Above Mount Yeezus, a 60-foot wide circular LED screen was placed along with a custom sound system by DONDA.[8]
On October 30, 2013 while on the road to Vancouver, a truck carrying custom-made video screens and equipment for the show was involved in a car crash; the crash damaged the equipment beyond repair. Def Jam issued a statement on the issue saying,
"This gear is central to the staging of The Yeezus Tour, and central to the creative vision put forth by Kanye West and his design team at DONDA. As a result of this event, it is impossible to put on the show and The Yeezus Tour will be postponed until these essential pieces can be reengineered and refabricated. Kanye West will not compromise on bringing the show, as it was originally envisioned and designed, to his fans. The Vancouver, Denver and Minneapolis dates have been postponed."[11]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Yeezus_Tour_Stage.jpg/260px-Yeezus_Tour_Stage.jpg)
The tour picked back up on November 16, 2013, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The missed Chicago and Detroit shows were rescheduled however, the rest of the missed dates were cancelled, Def Jam cites routing logistics as the reason.[12] On January 7, 2014 Kanye West added 9 new dates to the tour, starting on February 13 in University Park, Pennsylvania and concluding on February 23 at Uniondale, New York.[13] In February 2014, dates were announced for an Australian leg of the Yeezus Tour, beginning May 2 at Perth Arena in Perth.[14] However, in early April West postponed his Australian leg until September, using the months in-between to finish his then upcoming seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo.[15]
Reception
The tour was met with rave reviews from critics.[16][17] Rolling Stone described it as "crazily entertaining, hugely ambitious, emotionally affecting (really!) and, most importantly, totally bonkers."[16] Writing for Forbes, Zack O'Malley Greenburg praised West for "taking risks that few pop stars, if any, are willing to take in today’s hyper-exposed world of pop," describing the show as "overwrought and uncomfortable at times, but [it] excels at challenging norms and provoking thought in a way that just isn’t common for mainstream musical acts of late."[18] NY Daily News wrote that "the show wasn’t about crowd-pleasing. It was about unyielding beats, hellish textures and a brusque flow, all delivered with an impact every bit as stunning as West’s ego itself."[19]
Set list
This set list is representative of the first performance in New York City. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.[20]
- "On Sight"
- "New Slaves"
- "Send It Up"
- "Mercy"
- "Power"
- "Cold"
- "I Don't Like"
- "Clique"
- "Black Skinhead"
- "I Am a God"
- "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
- "Coldest Winter"
- "Hold My Liquor"
- "I'm in It"
- "Guilt Trip"
- "Heartless"
- "Blood on the Leaves"
- "Lost in the World"
- "Runaway"
- "Street Lights"
- "Stronger"
- "Through the Wire"
- "Jesus Walks"
- "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"
- "Flashing Lights"
- "All of the Lights"
- "Good Life"
- "Bound 2"
Shows
Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act | Attendance | Revenue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America[21][22][23] | ||||||
October 19, 2013 | Seattle | United States | KeyArena | Kendrick Lamar
NA | ||
October 22, 2013 | San Jose | SAP Center | Kendrick Lamar E-40 |
10,557 / 10,557 | $670,603 | |
October 23, 2013 | Oakland | Oracle Arena | Kendrick | |||
October 25, 2013 | Las Vegas | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Pusha T Travis Scott |
10,183 / 10,183 | $748,055 | |
October 26, 2013 | Los Angeles | Staples Center | Kendrick Lamar | 28,332 / 28,332 | $2,875,505 | |
October 28, 2013 | ||||||
November 16, 2013 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | — | — | ||
November 17, 2013 | Boston | TD Garden | ||||
November 19, 2013 | Brooklyn | Barclays Center | rowspan= | |||
November 20, 2013 | A Tribe Called Quest Busta Rhymes | |||||
November 21, 2013 | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | Kendrick Lamar | |||
November 23, 2013 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | ||||
November 24, 2013 | A Tribe Called Quest | |||||
November 27, 2013 | Nashville | Bridgestone Arena | Kendrick Lamar | — | — | |
November 29, 2013 | Miami | American Airlines Arena | ||||
November 30, 2013 | Tampa | Tampa Bay Times Forum | — | — | ||
December 1, 2013 | Atlanta | Philips Arena | ||||
December 3, 2013 | Kansas City | Sprint Center | — | — | ||
December 5, 2013 | New Orleans | New Orleans Arena | ||||
December 6, 2013 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | ||||
December 7, 2013 | Houston | Toyota Center | ||||
December 8, 2013 | San Antonio | AT&T Center | ||||
December 10, 2013 | Phoenix | US Airways Center | — | — | ||
December 13, 2013 | Anaheim | Honda Center | 12,503 / 12,503 | $940,846 | ||
December 17, 2013 | Chicago | United Center | 30,010 / 30,010 | $2,687,476 | ||
December 18, 2013 | ||||||
December 19, 2013 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 11,228 / 11,228 | $832,947 | ||
December 22, 2013 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | |||
December 23, 2013 | Kendrick Lamar Drake | |||||
February 13, 2014 | University Park | United States | Bryce Jordan Center | — | — | — |
February 14, 2014 | Baltimore | 1st Mariner Arena | ||||
February 15, 2014 | Newark | Prudential Center | ||||
February 17, 2014 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre | 6,173 / 7,437 | $504,130 | |
February 18, 2014 | Hamilton | Copps Coliseum | — | — | ||
February 19, 2014 | Albany | United States | Times Union Center | |||
February 21, 2014 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | ||||
February 22, 2014 | Atlantic City | Boardwalk Hall | 7,789 / 10,018 | $507,157 | ||
February 23, 2014 | Uniondale | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | — | — | ||
Australia[15][24][25] | ||||||
September 5, 2014 | Perth | Australia | Perth Arena | Pusha T | 12,902 / 12,902 | $1,421,860 |
September 7, 2014 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
September 9, 2014 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 22,635 / 22,635 | $2,557,370 | ||
September 10, 2014 | ||||||
September 12, 2014 | Sydney | Qantas Credit Union Arena | 22,159 / 22,159 | $2,426,320 | ||
September 13, 2014 | ||||||
September 15, 2014 | Brisbane | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | ||||
References
- ^ Amaya, David (September 6, 2013). "Kanye West announces the "Yeezus" Tour and dates". Def Jam Recordings. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ "McCartney Tops Hot Tours With $40M Gross From Japan Shows; Kanye Lands in Runner-Up Slot at $25M". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (June 19, 2013). "Kanye West will go on tour, says Yeezus co-producer". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Yeezus". Kanye West. September 6, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
- ^ "Q-Tip Hints A Tribe Called Quest Will Play Their Last Shows On Kanye Tour – XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest Is Set To Reunite For Kanye West's Tour – XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- ^ "A Tribe Called Quest Last Show NYC Yeezus". Complex. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- ^ a b c "INTERIORS: The Yeezus Tour". Arch Daily. Arch Daily. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Kamer, Foster. "Live Review: Kanye West as Yeezus Christ Superstar in Brooklyn". Complex. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "A Night on Mount Yeezus: The Kanye West Experience". Dead Curious. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Kanye West Cancels Tour Dates Because Of Truck Crash – XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- ^ "Kanye West Announces Revised Tour Schedule – XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
- ^ "Kanye's 'Yeezus' Tour Rises Again". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ Vincent, Peter. "Kanye West brings Yeezus tour to Australia". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ a b Vincent, Peter. "Kanye West postpones Australian concerts on Yeezus tour". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ a b Ringen, Jonathan. "11 Reasons Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Tour Is Actually Incredible". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Staff. "It's Happening: Kanye is Bringing the Yeezus Tour to Australia this April". Acclaim Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Kanye West Makes His Own Artpop On Yeezus Tour". Forbes. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ Farber, Jim. "Concert review: Kanye West startles, appalls during 'Yeezus' show at Barclays". NY Daily News. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ Jim Farber (November 20, 2013). "Concert review: Kanye West startles, appalls during 'Yeezus' show at Barclays". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ North American box score:
- "Billboard Biz: Current Boxscore". Billboard. 25 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. New York. November 6, 2013. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
- "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. New York. November 12, 2013. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. March 8, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. March 15, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Young, Alex (September 23, 2013). "Kanye West adds even more dates to 2013 Yeezus tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ^ Special guests:
- "Kanye West". Kanye West. September 7, 2013. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - "Kendrick Lamar Yeezus Tour San Jose".
- "Travis Scott Yeezus Tour Las Vegas".
- "Busta Rhymes performs scenario, Tribe Called Quest Brookyln".
- "Kanye West". Kanye West. September 7, 2013. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- ^ Vincent, Peter (February 17, 2014). "Kanye West brings Yeezus tour to Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ Box score:
- "Billboard Boxscore : Current Scores". Billboard. September 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
- "Billboard Boxscore : Current Scores". Billboard. September 24, 2014. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.