glow in the dark tour kanye west

Live: Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark tour

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KANYE WEST has always fancied himself a hero; now he has staged his “Götterdämmerung.” The hip-hop star may or may not have been thinking about Richard Wagner’s epic Ring cycle when he decided to turn his Glow in the Dark tour into an apocalyptic space opera. The show, which premiered Wednesday at this city’s Key Arena, had more obvious reference points: Japanese anime, Will Smith in “I Am Legend” and any Imax shows about the planets that West might have seen as a kid.

But West, the chart-topper most determined to burn his likeness into the walls of pop’s Valhalla, cares deeply about what it means to be a hero. Wednesday, he didn’t take a spear to the gut the way Wagner’s Siegfried did, but he did confront terror, doubt and filial grief in a show that carried his braggadocio into the realm of myth itself.

FOR THE RECORD: This article states that Kanye West performed to prerecorded tracks during the show. He was actually accompanied by a live band playing below the stage. Also, the article incorrectly gave Lupe Fiasco singer Matthew Santos’ first name as Michael.

Performing a set of favorites from throughout his repertoire, West moved like a dancer in a Gene Kelly movie on a slanted stage made to look like a distant moon.

Screens big and small showed scenes of whirling galaxies and cataclysmic weather; sometimes these images escaped their boundaries and saturated the stage floor. Announcing himself as an astronaut on a mission to bring creativity back to Earth, West used songs like “Through the Wire,” “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Stronger” to narrate his journey from spaceship crash to alien encounter to self-realization and escape.

This was pure comic-book adventure, obvious at times. But the real message came through those unstoppable images. Glow in the Dark raises the bar for arena tours as no show has since U2’s 1992 Zoo TV breakthrough. It’s that innovative and galvanizing.

Unlike most highly staged concerts since U2’s meditation on rock in the media age, West’s show isn’t literary at heart. It’s imagistic. West is a conceptual artist who works in visuals as well as sound, and his inspiration comes from fine artists such as Takashi Murakami and haute couture designers like Hedi Slimane. In this show, he’s imagining not so much how a hero’s story unfolds but what a hero might say if he were to rap -- and how he might appear onstage.

Performing alone is one of West’s key choices. Negotiating vast stages without the aid of a crew, last night he rapped over backing tracks, asserting his independence and uniqueness and presenting a new way to be a hip-hop star, separate from a protective community.

The spectacular backdrops of the Glow in the Dark tour solve a problem his previous solo performances have posed: They provide excitement beyond what West could generate through his own voice and movements, and give him an environment (and a few characters, like that alien -- a chesty, anime-style plastic doll that descended from the ceiling) to play against.

The concert’s screen images also reinforced West’s isolation; he sometimes seemed small, caught up in their storm. The hero’s quest is a source of romantic power for West; as he explores the role more, he seems more interested in its painful aspects too. Roaming the slanted proscenium under violent skies heavy with asteroids and whirling clouds, West played the grim son of destiny, unable to break through and connect with others.

Against this backdrop, West rapped for more than an hour without a break, only slowing down for “Hey Mama,” the ballad he wrote for his recently deceased mother. That song caused a rare moment of real vulnerability as West held his head in his hands for a moment, near tears. Otherwise he projected focused intensity, driving home hits such as “Jesus Walks” and “Touch the Sky” without ever flirting with the audience or even really taking a break to breathe.

His lyrics are often clever and light in tone, but pacing across his self-constructed lonely planet, West couldn’t have been more serious. After all, he has a world to reinspire -- and even when he states that goal in terms of comic-book fantasy, he means it.

The other artists on this carefully built bill share West’s forward-thinking attitude about hip-hop, as well as his showiness. The rapper Lupe Fiasco opened the evening with a smooth set that featured red-clad backup singers and several suave turns by singer Michael Santos. The young, very racially mixed crowd yelled “Lupe!” as the Chicago rapper spun out his hipster tales.

N.E.R.D. made a sensual racket during its mood-lit set. The band, which features Neptunes producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo and their longtime friend, vocalist Shay Haley, plays hip-hop-infused rock with cutting lyrics and menacing beats. With two drummers pushing the groove forward, N.E.R.D. proved musically charismatic. Williams is the band’s star, though he’s a rather delicate vocalist; like many rockers before him, he cashes in on charisma.

Rihanna, the last of the three openers, can really sing, but she hadn’t found her footing Wednesday, struggling to stay in tune and project in the huge arena. It didn’t help that the bass was so distorted during her set that it shook the floor; Rihanna’s talent is for impressing without ever pushing herself, but when your own band’s amps are tuned to “assault,” you have to fight back.

The noise distracted from her troupe’s cute dance moves and shiny retro-new wave costumes, but that’s the kind of kink a touring artist works out in a few dates.

By the time she and her tour mates hit the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday, they should be on point and ready to push toward the ridiculous, beautiful heights of West’s heroics.

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Inside a Kanye West Tour: “Glow in the Dark” Photos, Backstage Tales

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Before U2 went 360 and Madonna was Sticky & Sweet, Kanye West ‘s Glow in the Dark Tour raised the bar on multi-sensory arena experiences with gigs that were one part eye-popping light show, one part art exhibit and, most importantly, one part incredible concert. With Rihanna, N.E.R.D., Santigold and Lupe Fiasco as openers, West took the show from North America to China and Europe, and now fans can get a glimpse of the MC’s exploits in the massive 300-page Glow in the Dark book , featuring impressive pictures by tour photographer Nabil Elderkin.

Get a look at choice shots from Glow in the Dark .

Elderkin explains West allowed him fly-on-the-wall access to even his most private moments because they’d connected early in the producer/MC’s career in Chicago. His book includes rare candid shots of West, Rihanna and the tour’s big names, as well as snaps of West’s risqué 808s and Heartbreak listening party and an interview between West and director Spike Jonze that serves as a narrative. (Sample exchange: “Do you watch porn every day?” “Every day.”)

With a bird’s-eye view on West’s creative process, Elderkin has a unique perspective on what would have West’s next major project — the Fame Kills Tour with Lady Gaga — and he reports the show was going to be massive. “He was going big. It was going to be something very interesting and very big,” says Elderkin, who was already shooting the show’s early production stages when it was canceled . “And hopefully will, when the time’s right, something will come out. He spent a lot of time with his designing and conceptualizing of that. Lots of different Moog boards and stuff. He put a lot of detail and work into putting that one together.”

Of the thousands of photos Elderkin snapped of Glow in the Dark, highlights in the book include images of Jay-Z and West onstage together at Madison Square Garden (“You see those moments when Kanye gets super excited, and that was definitely one of those moments,” Elderkin says) and Elderkin’s favorite photograph, a two-page spread of Kanye performing in London.

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Noticeably absent from the backstage photos, however, is Chris Brown, who was a frequent guest of his then-girlfriend Rihanna (“His security guard wasn’t cool,” Elderkin tells RS ), but the team got a treat at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards in Liverpool. “I got to meet Paul McCartney… in the city where the Beatles were born,” Elderkin says about photos showing West embracing both Macca and Bono.

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In one of the book’s most fascinating moments, West takes an honest look at his delayed and lambasted performance at Bonnaroo in 2008. A two-page photograph of five port-o-potties with “Fuck Kanye” graffiti-ed on them opens up into a four-page, text-only collection of headlines featuring every major publications’ headlines regarding Kanye’s much-criticized performance ( including our very own .) “That was definitely Kanye’s idea. He’s Kanye,” Elderkin says. “He’s a very honest guy, as you can tell.”

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Kanye West's Glow In The Dark Tour Dates Announced

Two weeks after Kanye West [article id="1580653"]put a concert poster[/article] on his blog for the upcoming Glow in the Dark Tour, featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D., his label, Def Jam, announced the dates Thursday (February 14).

The two-month trek kicks off April 16 in Seattle and swings through California, making stops in Sacramento, San Jose and San Diego before landing in Los Angeles on April 21. In May, the tour is scheduled to make stops in Texas and then make a run through the South, playing in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.

West and company are slated to headline Madison Square Garden in New York on May 13. The Chicago rapper will then appear in his hometown on May 23 at the United Center.

Labelmate Rihanna is scheduled to miss three dates of the tour, from April 24-26, according to a statement sent out by Def Jam. No information was given regarding the singer's absence during those dates.

West, Rihanna and Fiasco are fresh off [article id="1581292"]Grammy wins[/article] this past weekend. West took home multiple awards, including Best Rap Album for his Graduation.

During the telecast, West performed "Stronger" followed by "Hey Mama," billed as a tribute to his mother, [article id="1573999"]Donda West[/article], who died late last year.

The performance also served as a preview of his Glow in the Dark Tour, which had a [article id="1574722"]successful run overseas[/article]. West was decked out in a flashing LED jacket and light-up shades, as neon lights flashed all over the stage.

After the show, West [article id="1581324"]premiered his latest video[/article], for "Flashing Lights," co-directed by Spike Jonze, at an Entertainment Weekly party. The almost three-minute clip features a West bound-and-gagged in the trunk of a car as a female temptress presumably has her way with him in a violent manner.

Glow in the Dark Tour dates, according to West's label:

· 4/16 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena

· 4/18 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena

· 4/19 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion

· 4/20 - San Diego, CA @ Sports Arena

· 4/21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre

· 4/25 - * Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Casino Resort Spa

· 4/26 - * Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion

· 4/27 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center

· 4/29 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center

· 4/30 - Austin, TX @ Frank Irwin Center

· 5/1 - Dallas, TX @ SuperPages.com Center

· 5/2 - Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

· 5/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Gwinette Arena

· 5/5 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre

· 5/6 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena

· 5/8 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

· 5/9 - Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

· 5/10 - Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion

· 5/11 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

· 5/13 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

· 5/15 - Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center

· 5/16 - Hartford, CT @ North East Dodge Music Center

· 5/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehana Bank Center

· 5/18 - Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion

· 5/20 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre

· 5/21 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Centre

· 5/22 - Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills

· 5/23 - Chicago, IL @ United Center

· 5/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center

· 5/27 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre

· 5/29 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Palace

· 5/30 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome

* indicates dates that do not include Rihanna.

[This story was originally published at 2:20 pm E.T. on 04.10.2008]

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Watch the Trailer for an Unreleased Kanye Documentary About 2008 Glow in the Dark Tour

Check out unreleased footage from a Kanye doc that never saw the light of day.

Kanye West’s return to Twitter doubles as yet another of the artist’s ambitious projects: his tweets are becoming a philosophy book, written in real-time . This is just Kanye’s newest out-of-the-box idea—and, more importantly, it’s one of the likely thousands of ideas that he has that have actually come to fruition. An artist as prolific and creative as Kanye must leave quite a few projects by the wayside. Take, for example, a documentary of his that never saw the light of day.

The trailer for the doc, titled  What Doesn’t Kill Me , was directed by Tobias Spellman and can be seen above. Based on the trailer, the doc followed Kanye and his team as they prepared for the Glow in the Dark Tour, one of Kanye’s largest world tours that went from April to December 2008. The tour also featured performances by Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, and N*E*R*D, among other acts throughout the trek.

Kanye has come a long way since 2008, but many fans would echo Perez’s sentiment that this doc should still come out. It’s unclear why it wasn’t released, and there are few mentions of the doc anywhere, suggesting it was done in secret and stayed that way for some reason.

In any case, we know from the Great Kim Kardashian vs. Taylor Swift Feud of Summer 2016 that Kanye always has a film crew when he’s in the studio. Kim told GQ that Kanye “commissions videographers to film everything when he's recording an album, for posterity (and possibly, one day, a documentary).”

There is probably a lot of footage of Kanye in the studio that we might never see. With that in mind, this trailer becomes even more precious.

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Kanye West's 'Glow in the Dark' tour opens in Seattle

Chris Willman is a senior music writer for Entertainment Weekly

Kanye West has tried to keep the design and theme of his new tour shrouded in secrecy, but the cat’s out of the bag now that the nationwide trek opened at Seattle’s KeyArena on Wednesday night. EW.com was on hand for the premiere of the “Glow in the Dark” tour — which also features Rihanna, N.E.R.D., and Lupe Fiasco as opening acts — and can offer a preview of what audiences across the country have in store over the next few months.

It’s as “big” a production as you might have expected from all the anticipation West has been building up, but maybe the biggest conceit is how minimalist it really is, in that West spends his entire 83-minute performance alone on stage. Indulging in metaphorical dialogues with a computerized voice and rapping and dancing in front of a giant LED screen full of star fields and spacey desert landscapes, West is attempting to pull off the hip-hop equivalent of a Broadway one-man show.

More details and — WARNING — spoilers, after the jump.

addCredit(“Walik Goshorn / Retna”)

As stated earlier, no other humans share the stage with West. You might

even think he’s rapping to tracks, though you’ll eventually notice that

there is a live pit band, a la Broadway, playing in the dark below the

lip of the stage. At the beginning of his 83-minute set, West explained

that he was lost in space, marooned while on a mission to search for

creativity in the universe. “My only companion is my spaceship, Jane,

and this is our last mission,” he said. Yes, his off-screen computerized

foil has a name: Jane. “Our system has encountered a meteor shower,”

Jane soon tells him. The damage is severe and West collapses. “Wake up,

Mr. West!… We have crash landed on an unknown planet.” Soon, his

spaceship is prompting him for some personal flashbacks: “Mr. West,

remember, this is not your first crash.” West does most of his

performing on a platform slanted at about a 30-degree angle in front of

the giant screen, and the only real prop of the evening is an inanimate

female alien that drops in on some wires at one point, looking like a

sex doll with a blue anime wig.

Late in the show, “Jesus Walks” is followed by his ode to his late

mother, wherein, scripted or real, West drops to one knee and appears

genuinely caught up in raw emotion. Then the pit band plays an excerpt

from Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” before Jane admonishes West: “We’ve been on this journey so long — we can’t give up now…. We need the

brightest star in the universe: You, Kanye. We need you. Only you can

bring us home. You can glow in the dark.” At that point, he launches

into a rousing version of “Stronger,” the equivalent of what they call “an 11 o’clock number” on Broadway. (It was literally well after 11 p.m.,

though, since West didn’t take the stage until 10:20.) After one last

number, in one of his very few direct addresses to the crowd (as

opposed to Jane), West exulted, “You have just experienced the “Glow in

the Dark” tour! Don’t act like I never told ya!”There were no encores,

which may or may not have had anything to do with the fact that he was

already wrapping up 43 minutes past the venue’s curfew, ensuring some

hefty local overtime penalties.

General consensus: West is taking himself awfully seriously with

this show, and the hubris borders on the ludicrous — and yet the whole

thing manages to be fairly galvanizing anyway, thanks to his being

fully committed at every step of the way. (Reviews of this first show

in the Los Angeles Times and Seattle Times were fairly rapturous. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was less impressed, though, headlining its

review: “Kanye was feeling the love — for himself.”) The

audience also adored all three opening acts, each of whom got a

half-hour in front of a white curtain.

The oddest moment may have been when Pharrell from N.E.R.D. came out

on stage during a lengthy set change, about 15 minutes after they’d

finished performing, and issued a public apology for having cursed on

stage, since it had been brought to his attention that there was a

5-year-old in the front row. (A few minutes earlier, the crowd had

cheered as he’d come out from backstage walked down to the front row,

presumably to have a discussion with the offended parent.) It’ll be

interesting to see whether future shows will have Pharrell reviving the

encouragement to women to chant “I want to f— tonight,” and whether

that’ll depend on how many grade-schoolers the N.E.R.D. frontman spies

in section A.

For a review of the tour, check out the next issue of EW, out May 2.

As stated earlier, no other humans share the stage with West. You mighteven think he’s rapping to tracks, though you’ll eventually notice thatthere is a live pit band, a la Broadway, playing in the dark below thelip of the stage. At the beginning of his 83-minute set, West explainedthat he was lost in space, marooned while on a mission to search forcreativity in the universe. “My only companion is my spaceship, Jane,and this is our last mission,” he said. Yes, his off-screen computerizedfoil has a name: Jane. “Our system has encountered a meteor shower,”Jane soon tells him. The damage is severe and West collapses. “Wake up,Mr. West!… We have crash landed on an unknown planet.” Soon, hisspaceship is prompting him for some personal flashbacks: “Mr. West,remember, this is not your first crash.” West does most of hisperforming on a platform slanted at about a 30-degree angle in front ofthe giant screen, and the only real prop of the evening is an inanimatefemale alien that drops in on some wires at one point, looking like asex doll with a blue anime wig.

Late in the show, “Jesus Walks” is followed by his ode to his latemother, wherein, scripted or real, West drops to one knee and appearsgenuinely caught up in raw emotion. Then the pit band plays an excerptfrom Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” before Jane admonishes West: “We’ve been on this journey so long — we can’t give up now…. We need thebrightest star in the universe: You, Kanye. We need you. Only you canbring us home. You can glow in the dark.” At that point, he launchesinto a rousing version of “Stronger,” the equivalent of what they call “an 11 o’clock number” on Broadway. (It was literally well after 11 p.m.,though, since West didn’t take the stage until 10:20.) After one lastnumber, in one of his very few direct addresses to the crowd (asopposed to Jane), West exulted, “You have just experienced the “Glow inthe Dark” tour! Don’t act like I never told ya!”There were no encores,which may or may not have had anything to do with the fact that he wasalready wrapping up 43 minutes past the venue’s curfew, ensuring somehefty local overtime penalties.

General consensus: West is taking himself awfully seriously withthis show, and the hubris borders on the ludicrous — and yet the wholething manages to be fairly galvanizing anyway, thanks to his beingfully committed at every step of the way. (Reviews of this first showin the Los Angeles Times and Seattle Times were fairly rapturous. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was less impressed, though, headlining itsreview: “Kanye was feeling the love — for himself.”) Theaudience also adored all three opening acts, each of whom got ahalf-hour in front of a white curtain.

The oddest moment may have been when Pharrell from N.E.R.D. came outon stage during a lengthy set change, about 15 minutes after they’dfinished performing, and issued a public apology for having cursed onstage, since it had been brought to his attention that there was a5-year-old in the front row. (A few minutes earlier, the crowd hadcheered as he’d come out from backstage walked down to the front row,presumably to have a discussion with the offended parent.) It’ll beinteresting to see whether future shows will have Pharrell reviving theencouragement to women to chant “I want to f— tonight,” and whetherthat’ll depend on how many grade-schoolers the N.E.R.D. frontman spiesin section A.

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“Glow In The Dark” Tour Review: Philly

Kanye West is one of hip-hop’s few true geniuses that pushes the culture and musical genre forward with each outing of his. Whether it’s the daring sound of his third album, Graduation , the provocative (or some would simply say confusing) clip for his last video, “Flashing Lights,” or now his otherworldly showcase, “The Glow In The Dark” tour, which stopped at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey over the weekend.

‘Ye, as always, should be credited for his ambition. The Chicago lyricist often goes without praise for the way he introduces the hip-hop audience to global trends and vice versa, introducing the global audience to hip-hop at large.

The downside to trend setting, however, is that every so often there’s a miss.

And unfortunately West is off the mark this time.

He doesn’t miss entirely. The giant LCD screen that West performs in front of for most of his set is impressive. Throughout the show, lights cut in and out and flash in the background while smoke billows on stage, creating a visually stunning sight. At times, West moves in and out of the imagery masterfully, in effect performing almost as an interpretive artist.

His entrance to “Stronger,” and songs like “I Wonder” and “Heard ‘Em Say” are imbued with an emotional jolt by the light offerings and West’s less-is-more vocal delivery on each.

It’s easy to see why Diddy would approve. It’s easy to see, too, why his show has been getting mixed reviews.

“Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” with its big, chanting chorus, on the other hand, was muted by the theatrics.

The song, bare and passionate, became ‘Ye’s first street anthem last year. The theme, more about defiance than monetary desire, connected with fans as West talked directly to both thugs and backpackers alike. Everyone related to the idea of bravado in the face of adversity. Fancy tricks weren’t needed.

So it’s worth noting that West, a natural-born connector if there ever was one, didn’t even acknowledge the audience until almost half-an-hour into his just over hour-long set.

Physically, he waved his arms in order to get the crowd louder. But he didn’t directly address the audience until later in the show. Also, at points, when he performed sitting on the floor or with his back slightly to the audience there was a noticeable lag.

For an artist such as West, who craves acceptance and reception to his work, it was odd. You beg for the world to pay attention and you often speak about how great your work is (which, with regularity, it is) but once you have the stage to yourself you stop talking?

The notion seems extremely self-indulgent. Especially considering a concert is about becoming one with your audience; in this case, the die-hards who supported West and helped his album debut at number one and also top 50 Cent’s challenge last Fall. And now, given the opportunity to reward them, Kanye doesn’t fully.

West is certainly brilliant, it goes without saying, and the light component to the show was impressive, but the combination never coalesced. Far too often, it felt like he wasn’t projecting his presence (‘Ye was the only person that appeared on stage until Lupe Fiasco joined in at the very end). Older selections of West’s also seemed stale when combined with the flashy laser show.

Kanye is at his best when, even though he’s ascended to higher heights, he’s fighting as if he still has something to prove to fans. To prove that he can produce, to prove that he can rap, and to prove that he can be as big a superstar as Jay-Z.

His genius lies in his genuine passion to please, which usually is all heart and about servicing fans. During his “Glow In The Dark” run he’s made it all about himself and aesthetics, without the soul that powers much of his work.

Perhaps ‘Ye could have taken one more page out of Big Brother’s playbook and paid attention to (most importantly) you, the customer. – Jayson Rodriguez

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Check Out Images From Kanye West's New Glow in the Dark Tour Book

By Ryan Dombal

All photos by Nabil Elderkin

Let's try to ignore Kanye West 's current woes for a moment and think back to a time when he was triumphantly traveling around the world with his sci-fi-themed Glow in the Dark tour. The 2008 show had tons of blinding lights, a vaguely pornographic alien, and Kanye rampaging like the last man on Mars. It was incredible.

Now, we're going to get a really nice belated program in the form of the 288-page book Kanye West: Glow in the Dark , featuring photos by Nabil Elderkin (director of Kanye's "Paranoid" and "Welcome to Heartbreak" videos) and designed by the graphic team Base . Along with on stage and behind-the-scenes shots, the book includes conceptual sketches by West, costume designs, and stage models. The book comes with an audio CD featuring the previously unreleased live instrumentals for "Hey Mama", "Touch the Sky", "Jesus Walks", and "I Wonder", as well as an interview with tour collaborator Spike Jonze. It's due out this month via Rizzoli .

Click on to see a few choice pics from the book, including one of Kanye apparently being eaten by an overgrown lizard:

Conceptual sketch by Kanye West (this explains a lot):

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Kanye West "Glow in the Dark Tour"

Kanye west, lupe fiasco and n.e.r.d could fairly and accurately be described as the soundtrack to many hypebeast readers’ lives. therefore, when whispers surfaced that kanye was bringing his highly praised “glow in the dark tour” to the united states, the anticipation and speculation among the hypebeast faithful was at a fever pitch. everything from kanye’s clothing, n.e.r.d’s set list and possible special guests have been debated and discussed in the days leading up to the first show. the speculation can now be put to a rest, as kanye and his supporting cast have commenced the first leg of the tour and have literally left fans as well as critics in awe. kanye’s show reportedly goes above and beyond all expectations. there is a bizarre space odyssey story line, cutting edge set design, vivid visuals on big and small screens and as to be expected, impeccable wardrobe. also not to be outshined, rihanna, lupe and n.e.r.d are holding down their opening performances with a enormous amount of energy for the awaiting fans. hypebeast readers are already gathering on the message boards and trading stories of their experiences. in all of its grand pageantry hip hop now has it’s equivalent to u2’s zoo tour. a jolt to the system and a intense rush of pleasure to all the senses. completely out of this world. source: flickr.

Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D could fairly and accurately be described as the soundtrack to many HYPEBEAST readers’ lives. Therefore, when whispers surfaced that Kanye was bringing his highly praised “Glow In The Dark Tour” to the United States, the anticipation and speculation among the HYPEBEAST faithful was at a fever pitch. Everything from Kanye’s clothing, N.E.R.D’s set list and possible special guests have been debated and discussed in the days leading up to the first show. The speculation can now be put to a rest, as Kanye and his supporting cast have commenced the first leg of the tour and have literally left fans as well as critics in awe.

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The Eras Tour Stage: See the Intricate World-Building of Every Set in Taylor Swift’s Most Ambitious Shows Ever

By Katherine McLaughlin

Since kicking off in March of 2023, the Eras Tour stage has provided an immersive backdrop to Taylor Swift’s most ambitious shows to date. Indeed, there was a joke circling the internet following the opening weekend of the now nonpareil: look at any random collection of photos taken throughout the night—some even snapped mere minutes apart—and you’d never know they all came from the same show. What starts in a hazy pink, cotton candy dreamscape ends in a sultry, sparkling twilight—with plenty of undulating stops in the middle, from ethereal fairytale woods to the energetic skyscrapers of the concrete jungle.

“[The stage] changes for almost every song, which is crazy to think about considering most artists have the same stage for their entire set list,” Maya Minocha, a fan who has attended multiple shows, tells  AD. Broken down by “era,” the concert takes fans on a three-plus-hour journey through nearly every album in the singer’s 18-year career. “The sets absolutely made this possible,” Ginnie Low, a fan who attended the tour and runs the TikTok account The Thrifty Swiftie , says. “I didn’t move from my tiny little seat area the whole concert, but was transported to 10 different worlds.” Ariel Miranda , another concert-goer agrees. “It was such an immersive experience,” she says.

Now, over a year into the global phenomenon, the singer is still keeping fans on their toes with an ever changing assortment of costumes, track lists, and even a brand new set to commemorate her latest release, The Tortured Poets Department . With a distinct focus on world building,  AD takes a look at the incredible set design that helps bring her music to life throughout the triumphant concert.

The Lover Era

Swift during the opening number of the Eras Tour

Swift opens the show with tracks off of her seventh studio album,  Lover. “It was as if she picked up right from where she left off,” Miranda says, referring to Swift’s COVID-19-induced cancellation of her sixth headline tour, Lover Fest, in 2020. Having characterized the album with yellow, pink, and blue pastels, Swift—outfitted in a shimmering leotard—belts songs like “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” and “Cruel Summer” while dancers wielding billowing tapestries perform beneath a rosy glow. Screens show two pink triumphal arcs, which were historically built to honor a person or commemorate an important event—a fitting gesture to begin the one-of-a-kind spectacle.

Taylor Swift performs in front of the Lover House during the Eras Tour.

A familiar dollhouse-like home appears behind Swift later in the set, which many fans recognize from her “Lover” music video. “The screen begins flashing images that eventually piece together to become the Lover House, which was a huge Easter egg,” Miranda adds. In the video, Swift and costar Christian Owens move through various colored rooms  within a house in a snow globe. When the music video first dropped, fans theorized that each room represented one of her existing albums, and with the release of three new albums, many believe the home is now complete .

During “The Man,” Swift uses scaffolding and office props to emulate a corporate environment.

Other notable scenes from the Lover section of the show include a full-scale office cosplay moment during “The Man,” where Swift sings about the sexism she’s faced throughout her career. While it’s been a part of the show since 2023, it certainly fits into the “ corporate fetish ” trend of late, in which offices have become unlikely muses.

The Fearless Era

Projects and stage lights provide a golden glow during the Fearless era.

By Michelle Duncan

By Erika Owen

By Joyce Chen

Next up in the night, Swift performs three songs from her second album,  Fearless, for which she won album of the year in 2010 at the Grammys (the youngest artist to ever win the accolade). Though she was certainly popular in country circles following her self-titled debut album, it was this second record that established her mainstream success. And not only does the singer bring back some classic circa 2009  dance moves , she also showcases a dazzling gold motif that she employed when promoting the album over a decade ago.

Taylor Swift with her bejeweled guitar

Outfitted in soft curls and sequins, Swift was often portrayed as the girl next door and an American sweetheart during this period. Though she did, at times, lean into this persona, fans remember her determination to be bold, strong, and, yes, fearless. The sparkles and shine acted as visual representation of this.

For fans, perhaps the most exciting Easter egg was a nod to the bedazzled guitar that she toured with during her  Fearless era. In an Instagram story, Swift revealed that it was her parents who artfully stuck the shimmering crystals onto her acoustic instrument just days before the Eras Tour started.

The Red Era

Taylor Swift wears an outfit nearly identical to one she wore in the “22” music video.

During the European leg, Swift switched up the order of her sets, and moved the Red era to the third spot. The original tour for the album, which took place between 2013 and 2014, was her biggest at the time. It included a seven-piece band, fifteen dancers, multiple costume changes, as well as jumbotrons and multilevel stages. Though the Eras Tour stage certainly honors some of these larger-than-life moments from the first  Red tour, it also shows considerable restraint.

Swift wears a sparkling red coat during an acoustic set.

During one particularly emotional moment, Swift sings the 10-minute version of her critically acclaimed “All Too Well” with just her acoustic guitar. However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t exciting. “Even some of her slower songs like “All Too Well,” where it was just her and a guitar, had insane stage effects that you wouldn’t expect, like snow confetti falling across the stadium and the stage rising when she starts singing a high note,” Minocha tells  AD.

The Speak Now Era

Swift sings “Enchanted” during the Speak Now set.

Though Swift only performs one song from her third album,  Speak Now —much to the disappointment of some fans—she makes sure it counts. The singer belts in a ballgown in a digitally crafted field of flowers, thanks to projections on the screens and the stage floor. The color purple defined the album’s aesthetic, and, though the shade is often associated with royalty, it can also symbolize ambition, power, and independence. Following her historic win at the Grammys for  Fearless,   Speak Now was a pivotal moment in her career. Could she keep up the pace or was she another teen star who lost momentum as they reached young adulthood? Not only did Swift deliver, she proved she could do it on her own: Speak Now was the first album she wrote entirely solo.

The Reputation Era

Swift stands atop a raised stage during the Reputation era of the concert.

Spawned from Swift’s 2016 public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West,  Reputation represented the singer’s reflection on fame, public perception, and an opportunity to rewrite the “good girl” narrative she’d carried around for years. Though the album is often billed as defensive and reactive, it remains one of her most misunderstood collections: It’s also full of love songs and sweet moments. The dark stadium and blood red risers certainly support the most common perception of the album; however, it’s hard to miss the lit candles just below her. After all, it’s no coincidence burning is just as frequently used to describe rage and anger as it is passion and love.

The backup dancers pay homage to Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” music video.

During “Look What You Made Me Do,” Swift’s backup dancers perform in doll boxes dressed in outfits inspired by previous looks she’s worn. The moment is a direct nod to the song’s  music video , in which Swift reenacts various moments throughout her time in the public eye in an eruptive, Easter egg-filled video.

The Folklore and Evermore Era

Taylor Swift on an A-frame during the Folklore set

To make room for new material, Swift now combines two albums, Folklore and Evermore, into one set. “I was so obsessed with the  Folklore set because it seemed like Taylor was living her best life in a little remote forest cabin even though some 60,000 people were watching her,” Minocha says of watching the opening night show in Glendale, Arizona back in 2023. (A version of this home was first seen in her  2021 Grammy’s performance .)

Thematically,  Folklore explored a fictional woodland world Swift dreamed up during quarantine, and while a cabin certainly captures that aura, the choice of an A-frame specifically is notable. Because they were relatively cheap and easy to build, the style of home grew in popularity in the United States following World War II as vacation properties—an appropriate connection given the album is centered around an escapist fantasy.

A-frames also represented a unique moment for architects who, with little financial consequences at stake, were able to test out their more speculative creative ideations. In many ways, with lockdowns, limited promotion, and no obvious answer for how or if the music would be performed live, this is what Swift’s  Folklore era represented too: the opportunity to explore,  uninhibited . “I love that album and she really created this whole world for it,” Low adds, “Building the folklore cabin and bringing us all into that world with her was just so cool.”

Swift uses a moss-covered piano for songs during this set.

Swift’s ninth album, Evermore, was positioned as a deeper exploration of the “folklorian woods,” the fictional, cottagecore-inspired place Swift used to direct her first foray into indie folk music. In the combined set, trees circle the singer on the screens behind her while Swift croons behind a moss-covered piano.

The 1989 Era

The 1989 set of Swift’s Eras Tour

“Another thing that I loved about the stage design in general was how there are basically three different parts of it that all connected together: the main stage, the diamond stage, and the catwalk that leads to the end of the stage,” Miranda says. “She really utilizes each and every one of these sections of the stage at different times during the night.”

Swift and dancers wield golf clubs during “Blank Space.”

Though examples are abundant, a particularly creative use comes during Swift’s  1989 set, a record which won Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2016. While performing “Blank Space” on the central diamond, the raised portion displays a Shelby Cobra, which Swift and backup dancers “hit” with light-up golf clubs in a live reenactment of an iconic scene from the song’s music video.

The Tortured Poet’s Department Era

Following much speculation, Swift added a brand-new set to the Eras Tour when the show began its European leg in Paris on May 9. Designed for her latest record-shattering album, The Tortured Poet’s Department , the stage takes on a noir palette for this portion of the show. Screen projections and props include a UFO ship that beams a spotlight on the singer as well as a rolling bed-table hybrid seemingly designed to resemble a 19th-century hospital bed.

“For a minute I knew cosmic love,” Swift sings beneath the beam of a UFO.

The Tortured Poet’s set also includes the addition of a new stage piece: an elevated box that mirrors the floor projections, giving the appearance that Swift is levitating around the stage. Some fans have endearingly describe the prop as a “ stage Roomba. ”

The bed recalls Swift’s “Fortnight” music video.

The set ends with a highly theatrical performance of the singer’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” in which the stage takes on the appearance of a vaudeville-, burlesque-style theater . Many fans linked the design to Clara Bow, a silent film star who Swift name-checks on the album. However, perhaps the most notable aspect is the simulated proscenium arch. In theater architecture, the detail marks the metaphorical plane separating performers from the audience, similar in concept to the “fourth wall.” It’s a unique addition considering the architectural detail is not possible in a stadium designed for 360-degree views—generally the only venues in which Swift performs.

Swift sings “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” at The Eras Tour in Paris.

It’s particularly impactful when considering a recurring theme on the album: Swift’s complex relationship with fame and fans . In songs like “But Daddy I Love Him” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” she sings about the pressure to please fans and her frustration with commentary about her life and decisions. The proscenium could represent a metaphorical separation between Swift, the performer, and Swift, the person, showcasing which version of her she believes fans are entitled to.

The Midnights Era

During the final set of the show, Swift performs songs from her album Midnights.

The non-stop show ends with cuts from Swift’s 2022 album,  Midnights,  with the stage cast in dark light, representative of both the title of the album and the end of the concert. Standing firmly in the present,  Midnights still has its roots in the past, since the album tells “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” Swift explained in a  Instagram post . It’s easy to follow the way the previous two-plus hours of sonic reflection—aided through the incredible set design—brings her to where she is now. As Minocha summarizes, “I’ve been to almost all of Taylor’s past tours ,and the stage and production has always been above and beyond, but because this one explores all the eras of her career, everything is just next level.”

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