Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos & Video: It's Kanye's Bowery Now
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 24, 2010
Modified Nov 24, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 14
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 24, 2010
Modified Nov 24, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Was Kanye West's intimate performance at Bowery Ballroom last night a 10.0? The internet seems to think so! The show was just announced yesterday, hours before tickets went on sale (and then instantly sold out). With a 550-capacity venue, and a name like Kanye West, it would be interesting to know how many of those coveted tickets went to fans, over, say, the well-connected. The NY Times notes that the majority of those who got inside were "assorted journalists and industry regulars... celebrities, models and bodyguards."
Amongst those celebrities were Diddy, Spike Lee, Mos Def, Q-Tip, ?uestlove, and... Ivanka Trump. Joining West on stage were Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, John Legend, and Bon Iver. But at the end it was just West and his words—Stereogum has his set-ending speech on audio and transcribed, while The Awl has video (also below) and tries to take the rest of the internet down a notch by noting: "those are not really the sounds an audience makes when the preacher is on fire." Maybe that's because Mr. West went back into the Bush/Katrina and Taylor/VMA-era of his life—which probably wouldn't be written about anymore if some people would just stop talking about it.
As for the Everyman at the show, Andrew Breslow who sent along the above photos told us he got in by trading a pair of 1/1/11 Phish MSG tickets on Craigslist, and says "it was sick to see the hottest record on earth right now performed flawlessly and in its entirety in a vastly undersized venue. Had a blast."
Setlist
“Dark Fantasy” (with Bon Iver, Terena Taylor)
“Gorgeous”
“Power”
“All Of The Lights” (Interlude)
“All Of The Lights” (with Bon Iver)
“Monster” (with Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver)
“So Appalled” (with Pusha T, Cy-Hi Da Prince, Swizz Beatz)
“Devil In A New Dress” (with Rick Ross)
“Runaway” (with Pusha T)
“Hell Of A Life” (with Bon Iver)
“Blame Game” (with John Legend)
“Lost In The World” (with Bon Iver)
“Who Will Survive In America”
“Christian Dior Denim Flow”
“Can’t Tell Me Nothing”
“Paranoid”
“The Good Life”
Speech
Tagged
bowery ballroom
kanye west
photos
video
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .