Music

Inspired by my attendance of Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour in Atlanta on May 4.

With a looming death and complete reinvention of the music industry ahead, one would be forgiven for assuming that most, if not all, artists have chosen to keep it bare and brief when touring in support of music that isn't physically selling as well as any suit would have hoped. However, one would not be forgiven for assuming the same is true for envelope-pusher extraordinaire Kanye West.

In a creatively paralyzed and financially crippled industry, Kanye is still putting forth obvious amounts of blood, sweat, and tears — and an even more obvious amount of money. There's nothing more dissatisfying than watching an artist simply sing through the hits, wave and leave for the bus; all neatly wrapped into 90 minutes of predictable stage banter (if any at all) and desperate pleas of "put your hands up" or "I know y'all know this one."

With the nationwide Glow in the Dark tour (following a successful run overseas), Kanye doesn't settle for tired hip-hop clichés and demographic pandering. Instead, he informally challenges every other living artist to wake up and seize the infinite possibility of the future.

Thankfully, Kanye isn't alone in these convictions. Glow in the Dark, also featuring Rihanna, N.E.R.D., and Lupe Fiasco, is a perfectly assembled package of refreshing, often overlooked examples of bold artistic dedication. Lupe Fiasco, a master of intelligent wordplay, opened the show with the energy of a headlining performance, fusing sly theatric hand gestures and confident posturing to give his songs fresh, new roles as genuine stadium epics. Fiasco — a successful, though underrated artist — walked the stage with the assurance of a champion fighter, daring anyone to even dream of challenging his position.

N.E.R.D., fronted by charismatic, famed producer (The Neptunes) Pharrell Williams, took the party status to the next level, asking politely for everyone to "spaz," which the audience (including yours truly) did very well. "Everyone Nose," quite possibly the best commentary on cocaine in quite some time and the smartly chosen first single from N.E.R.D.'s upcoming third album Seeing Sounds, capitalized on the brewing energy of the wildly diverse crowd, inevitably inspiring fans right out of their seats.

Rihanna, best known in the states as the beautiful woman behind the gargantuan hit "Umbrella," packed her 30 minutes with three costume changes spread over a varied assortment of smashes, including a wonderful cover of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." "Umbrella" was Rihanna's highlight (the song is a rare, genuine pop treasure), but every song was laced with a vibrant sensuality, and it was more than welcome. Kanye has chosen supporting acts wisely, intentionally rounding up "the converted" — those rare artists who, like himself, put absolutely everything they have into the production and presentation of their work.

Despite the nearly flawless string of opening acts it was blatantly Kanye West's night. After a short but grueling setup, the lights were darkened, allowing official "Glow in the Dark" bracelets to softly light up sporadic sections of the arena. The curtain dropped to reveal Kanye West sprawled out on the ramp of a crashed spaceship, surrounded by mountains and smoke (a true stage design accomplishment). Remaining on his back, Kanye started with the first track from 2007's Graduation, "Good Morning," immediately inspiring an eruption of screams and recited lyrics.

For nearly the entire two hour set, Kanye moved, twirled, danced, jumped and vocally plowed his way through his best, from his first hit "Through the Wire" to the poignant "Hey Mama" all the way to last year's monster "Stronger." Each song was appropriately placed in the Glow in the Dark storyline (all crafted by West himself), pulling together a fully realized escape, an event allowing you to truly lose yourself in the spectacle.

Kanye West's self-confidence consistently exceeds that of your average confident individual, yet West continues to prove himself very right … he truly is as talented as he says. West, and the rest of "the converted," have helped restore my faith in the future of music.

The airwaves may change, or cease to exist altogether, but the presentation will always be important. The industry's in supposed shambles, sure, but there's hope to be found, and that hope is the future. Get converted.