Yesterday was a tough day to be a Kanye West fan in New York. West was all set to headline the last day of New York's Governors Ball festival, but because of the threat of a storm, the whole festival was shut down for the day. West did make it over to Hot 97's annual stadium show Summer Jam across the river in New Jersey, giving a short not-really-a-surprise surprise performance during the G.O.O.D. Music set. But West's creative director Virgil Abloh also put out word on social media that he'd play another late-night show in the city. It didn't work out.
Word was that West would do a surprise pop-up 2AM set somewhere in the city. And as the time approached, Abloh told West's fans to be at Webster Hall in Manhattan at 2AM. But as The Daily Beast reports, about 4,000 people showed up to a venue with an 1,800 capacity. Fans lined up around the block, and when a truck tried to make a delivery at a nearby building, the line broke, and fans swarmed the truck and filled up the street. People with megaphones at the building gave conflicting messages over whether the show would happen or not, while fans climbed on top of dumpsters and nearby cars.
Around 1:20, West tweeted that the Manhattan show was sold out, even though no tickets had gone on sale. And around 2:05, a car that held West drove near Webster Hall. He stood up, with his head out the sunroof, while screaming fans trailed after him. According to the TeamKanyeDaily Twitter, West and his wife Kim Kardashian tried to negotiate a last-minute outdoor show, but police wouldn't let it happen. The NYPD is not especially friendly to rap music in the best of circumstances, and shortly after a few people were shot at a T.I. show at Irving Plaza, it shouldn't really come as a surprise that this was never going to happen.
Meanwhile, the Daily Beast reports that Kanye affiliates Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, and Desiigner all played at the Manhattan club S.O.B.'s around 3:15, but West didn't show up. And while there were rumors that West would do a show at the Trump SoHo hotel, and a small crowd showed up for it, that didn't materialize, either. Below, check out some scenes of the insanity, via TeamKanyeDaily.
SHUT DOWN THE BLOCK 4 STREETS AND PUT SCREENS SO THEY CAN HAVE A PARTY OUTSIDE. @kanyewest the 🐐 pic.twitter.com/scOfRht9V6
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
Show at 2am SOLD OUT — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) June 6, 2016
Kanye's 2am concert got my street like: pic.twitter.com/S4Z307Yrba
— Andrew Goldstein (@AngeGold) June 6, 2016
KANYE ARRIVING AT WEBSTER HALL pic.twitter.com/NaC3l30DCN — TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
I just met and shook Ye's hand #shoutdownNY @TeamKanyeDaily pic.twitter.com/JktMp5AIhh
— Matthew (@matthew_david92) June 6, 2016
i just saw Kanye ride out the moonroof. I was eating a turkey wrap at 11th and 3rd. he saw me. — patty pat (@patthemanager) June 6, 2016
RAN AFTER KANYE DOWN 14th HOLY SHIT pic.twitter.com/bv21wQqwBW
— 2katez (@katertot527) June 6, 2016
Kim is in the car with Kanye and said Webster Hall shut it down and they had to drive away. Tweet her suggestions of what to do next. — TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
Kim is live streaming and they are looking for a place, speakers and microphone. Kanye is suggesting to perform on top of a truck.
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
Kim is live again and Kanye is talking to the police right now. — TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
VIA @KimKardashian: No performance. Be safe. Kanye was calling everyone in the background trying to find a way to perform.
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
when @kanyewest is getting mobbed by screaming fans right across your dorm 😅 pic.twitter.com/PMVJWD6MAw — Eric Liang (@hiEricLiang) June 6, 2016
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"] [/videoembed] UPDATE: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has offered to plan a block party with Kanye to benefit NYC kids in response to Kanye's tweet:UPDATE: Kim and Kanye are back home in NYC. Again, Kim said Kanye tried but cops wouldn't allow a performance tonight.
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) June 6, 2016
.@kanyewest @kimkardashian Great block parties are planned. @Chirlane & I can throw one w/ you to benefit NYC kids. pic.twitter.com/lfGMOGiEYq
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) June 6, 2016
