I forgot all about this, but Bonnaroo had previously had Kanye West headline back in 2008, which didn’t exactly end on a high note. That year, Kanye didn’t even go on until after 4am in the morning, and ended up giving a half-ass performance before blaming Bonnaroo, the previous act (Pearl Jam) and pretty much anyone within eyeshot for the debacle.
Fast forward to 2014, and Superfly (the festival’s promoter) has once again booked the Chicago emcee/producer….below is a message released explaining exactly why they decided to so:
First and foremost, we think Kanye is one of the most prolific and groundbreaking artists of this generation. He’s hugely influential. His albums are as great and as acclaimed as they get. He’s also a great live performer. He takes a lot of chances and he’s adventurous with the live space. All those things are what Bonnaroo performers are about. That’s why we booked him [in 2008].
Everyone has moved on—it’s in the past. We’re happy he wants to come back to Bonnaroo and is embracing this. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to look forward, and we think it’s a great opportunity for the Bonnaroo community to show what it’s made of. It goes back to what Bonnaroo stands for: It’s about having good time, radiating positivity and that whole message. We couldn’t be more excited about what we think has the potential to be another historic Bonnaroo moment. – Superfly’s Rick Farman, as explained to Relix