Both Billboard and Pollstar are reporting Kanye West Glow In The Dark Tour to be one of the best selling tickets of 2008 thus far - with sell outs reported from coast to coast and in Canada. The high demand for the show is uncharacteristic of most hip hop tours, which often cannot translate radio success into ticket sales.
I just went last week. I'll copy and paste a review I wrote into here... But before that - it is clear that hip hop music can sell shows, even if part of it has to do with the fact that the show boasts a mega bill including Rihanna, Lupe, and N.E.R.D.
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In order to have all four artists have a set and still finish off the night at an appropriate hour, Lupe and N.E.R.D took the stage at 6:30 and 7:15 sharp - which was a bit early, and unfortunately, we only caught N.E.R.D's last song and none of Lupe. From what I heard, Fiasco performed the majority of his new album in an extremely fast-paced 30 minute set.
At 8:10, the extremely hot Barbados native Rihanna took the stage and she too was forced to rush through a 35-minute set that packed all the heat you could handle in such a short time frame. Best thing yet? She didn't play Take A Bow or Shut Up And Drive! haha. Even she knows which of her songs are crap.
Setlist:
Breakin' Dishes
Pon De Replay
Paper Planes (M.I.A. cover)
Doo Wop (Lauryn Hill cover)
Love Like This (Faith Evans cover)
S.O.S.
Unfaithul
Hate That I Love You
Don't Stop The Music
Umbrella
Although it seems like a lot of covers, they were fairly short, with the exception of the MIA track which was such a surprise and delight to hear. Rihanna is confident and poised on stage - and the fact that she has a huge reservoir of ready-made hit singles - everything comes across as "the best song of the night". But really, it's "Umbrella" that takes the cake - and just when you thought "Dont Stop The Music" couldn't be topped - she proves you wrong with an absolutely stunning finale which reminds us why she's at the top of her game.
Kanye West
There's a reason why he was able to sell over 16,000 seats for the sole Toronto show on his tour - and its not just because he had great company on board with him.
Setlist:
Good Morning
I Wonder
Heard 'Em Say
Through The Wire
Get 'Em High
Diamonds From Sierra Lionne
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
Spaceship
Good Life
All Falls Down
Hey Mama
Jesus Walks
Gold Digger
Don't Stop Believing (Journey cover)
Stronger
Homecoming
Touch The Sky
As you can see - all the hits and more we're there. Although fan interaction was minimal, there is a reason this guy is as cocky he is. And I will go out on a limb and say its warranted. This guy puts on an exhausting, all about him with no help or support, show for nearly 100 minutes - and he never gives up. Always giving you your moneys worth, always keeping you entertained.
What a blast this show was.
Obvious highlights were the Good Life, Homecoming, Through The Wire, All Falls Down, and surprisingly, I Wonder - which I wasn't expecting to come across as incredibly as it did.
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Only joking, but God your so lucky