The “Yeezus” Tour is officially back underway. But getting the concerts back on track–a number of dates were postponed, or outright cancelled, when equipment crucial to Kanye West‘s stage show was damagedin transit–was no easy feat.
New York magazine detailed how the Yeezus Tour made its return with a timeline. Why the tour was delayed has been well documented, although contrary to reports the 60-foot LED screen was not damaged. But its return proves to be just as fascinating. Eric Pearce, owner of Show Group Production Services, which built the trusses to support the screen, and John McGuire, the tour’s production designer, offered details
4. October 31:
An equipment truck carrying segments of the screen’s trusses is in an accident on the way to Vancouver, damaging some pieces beyond repair. (The screen itself, made up of smaller four-by-four-foot panels, was unharmed, despite reports that said otherwise.)
5. October 31:
West postpones concerts in Vancouver, Denver, and Minneapolis (and, later, Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit). “Without the screen, we lose a third of the show,” says McGuire.
6. October 31:
McGuire calls Pearce and asks him to build a new truss. “They asked if I could do it in seven days,” says Pearce. “I said no, but we compromised on ten.”
7. Early November:
A crew of 30-plus people works twenty hours a day to rebuild the truss. Midway through production, the screen’s circular frame is shipped from L.A.
to Las Vegas, where Show Group’s other shop can continue working on it. They finish in ten days, with no hiccups. “The final product was even more perfect than the initial one,” says Pearce.
Read the full story over at New York.
The next “Yeezus” tour date is scheduled for tomorrow (November 19) in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.
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Photo: YouTube
