Kanye West “808s And Heartbreak” Hollywood Bowl Concert Plagued By Technical Difficulties- But Show Goes On [VIDEO]
Kanye West took his fans on a journey back in time on Friday at the Hollywood Bowl but it didn’t go off without a hitch.
Kanye promised fans that he would perform one of his most innovative albums, 808s and Heartbreak in back to back concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Released in 2008, 808s is a seminal album in the history of hip hop music for it’s explorations of synth sounds, electronica, and the use of Autotune. The album has inspired countless young musicians, including Drake and The Weeknd.
The visual spectacle that Kanye West fans have come to expect from the rapper was hampered by technical difficulties.
According to TMZ, Kanye was not allowed to do a run through of the set list because he was so late for the dress rehearsal. It would have been against local sound ordinances to continue. That lack of preparation showed, especially in the second half of the show. According to TMZ, West struggled with the timing of the music and at one point had to ask for it to be shut off.
But, the show must go on. Although Kanye is well-known to have a penchant of outrageous outbursts, he seemed to take the concert’s tech difficulties in stride.
“This is the best dress rehearsal I’ve ever had,” the “All Day” rapper said, wryly.
Kanye’s “dress rehearsal” at @HollywoodBowl was short, indulgent, and plagued by technical issues. Disappointing. pic.twitter.com/xXr3i00U20
— J.D. Funari (@jdfunari) September 26, 2015
And, it wouldn’t be a Kanye West concert if there weren’t some interesting costumes. In a video posted on The Shade Room’s Instagram profile, we see Kanye wearing what looks like a Michelin Man costume to perform the song, “Pinocchio Story,” which appears on 808s and Heartbreak.
http://instagram.com/p/8FW9JSS2HN/?taken-by=theshaderoominc
“I just want to be a real boy,” he sings with his head completely covered. “To live real life, to be real.”
This isn’t the first questionable costume Kanye West has worn. In 2013, he came to the stage at one of his concerts dressed like a Yeti.
The Kanye West Hollywood Bowl Concert also featured some memorable guest performances, too. Some of the celebrities who joined Kanye on stage included Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Zoe Kravitz and Kid Cudi, who has been busy auditioning for Star Wars movies.
Hopefully the glitches that the 808s concert went through on Friday are ironed out before Kanye returns to the Hollywood Bowl stage tonight. It’s great that he’s learning the value of preparation before he runs for president in 2020.
[Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for go90]
