A foreboding, shadowy and sinister figure lurks at the edge of an enormous white mountain top. Buzzing synths permeate the arena, and the masked man of the hour saunters below. "Hold My Liquor," one of the standout tracks of Kanye West's most recent album, stirs over the ravenous crowd. He performs the song from the stage's point, trying to no avail to escape the gaze of the demon lurking behind him. It's chilling, an unsettling illustration of man's constant struggle between good and evil.
It is not overdone. As grandiose and theatrical as the Yeezus tour is, at its core it's starkly minimalistic, confrontational, evocative. It's a glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of a misunderstood man. And though it's off-putting that he says it every 15 minutes, you can't deny the man's a genius, especially not after seeing this show.
