and that's one giant leap for.....

the glow in the dark tour........ april 22, nokia theater, L.A.

i was REALLY REALLY excited about being able to see kanye perform his new tour. i'd heard all the hype and i wanted to see it and experience it myself. it sounded out of control. both nights in LA were sold out and the crowd was definitely buzzed. he began with 'good morning' as he "woke up" on the deserty stage with the sunrise background beaming across the arena.

kanye said next to nothing to the crowd for the whole show, instead spending the breaks in music (which were few and far between) talking to his spaceship "jane". the entire show played out like a narrative with kanye on a mission to find a new source of inspiration in the universe. he unexpectedly finds himself on an unknown planet where the spaceship crashes.

the show was miles away from the set that he played at good vibes a mere two months earlier- gone were the back-up singers, the band, the costume changes. the 'glow in the dark' is a one-man show in the most complete sense. there is NOBODY on stage but kanye. lupe joins him briefly for 'touch the sky' but that's all. his clothes aren't even flashy or a focal point by any means, instead he goes for a back to the future-esque michael j.fox look with a top, jeans, sneakers and swirtshirt tied around his waist- further adding to the 'lost in space' theme.

'flashing lights' was great- a true spine-tingle moment when he sang "she don't believe in shooting stars, but she believes in shoes and cars" and i released i was in LA, the ultimate city of flashing lights and dreams of stardom.

the stage was decorated to resemble a barren moon-like surface with changes for each song from the lighting to the addition of clouds, to even real fire?!?! (i swear it was real, i know what the fake stuff looks like and it wasn't fake)

he simultaneously poked fun at his well-publicized ego, "i promise to stop talking shit and spazzing out at award shows" and reminded everybody that he would make no apologies for it (jane to west)- "but you're the biggest star in the universe."

there wasn't a dry eye in sight for 'hey mama' and it was immediately followed by journey's 'don't stop believing' blaring across the auditorium, as if it was a message from his mum to him. 'stronger' was probably the highlight of the set. the vibe in the room was electric and there wasn't a single person in their seats.

one of the things that really struck about the show was just how much stamina kanye displayed. he honestly BARELY stopped bouncing around the stage for the entire set. i'd heard that right before he went on stage for this tour, he would do 30 minutes of cardio with trainer and if you saw the show you would understand why- it would be so physically gruelling, even for the fittest person.

every single aspect of the whole night was so meticulously crafted- from the set list to the lights to the staging to the storyline to the dialogue. you could see why kanye was all-consumed by this tour- to the point of obsession. he gave it his all and then some. it was a visual spectacular.

and on the way out, everyone even gets a kanye book! containing his all-important life lessons- "GET USED TO GETTING USED" etc.

OH! KANYE!

Kanye West- Flashing Light (Diplo Remix)

* p.s. obviously no photos were taken at the show because it was strictly prohibited and STRICTLY enforced. i saw at least 6 people get kicked out. it was so cruel! at least give them a warning first!