Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wowwww! After securing tickets for the Toronto show on Wednesday we knew it was important to locate floors for a neighbouring city since this tour is something special (check). Despite being an extremely similar show to that in the city earlier this week, there were four main differences and they all happen to be located in the end of the setlist. Plus, the fact we upgraded from the upper bowl to just feet away from the stars.
Opening up the show on each end of the arena with "H.A.M." (Kanye on a cube near the mainstage, Jay deeper in the crowd on his own platform) and continuing along with Watch the Throne hits "Who Gon Stop Me", "Otis", and "Welcome to the Jungle", the dynamic duo set the Palace on fire with this highly energetic barrage of crowd pleasers. The show was scheduled to begin at 7:30 (ha) but they came on at about 9:15 and played until it was just about Sunday. Plowing through all of the hits we have grown to love by each artist they certainly sent everybody home happy on this evening.
One observation among us is that this tour seems a bit Kanye-centric, perhaps once you break it down his tracks extend longer than Jay's did, or the latter is more engaging so they are possibly flying by. Upon checking the setlist again, turns out it is a completely even split--Combined: 18, Each: 12.
Certainly recommend this tour, if you can locate tickets still. I wouldn't expect a whole lot different from one city to the next (perhaps Chicago on Wednesday or Thursday), but they have definitely constructed this show in a well thought-out manner so that everybody goes home happy (check).
And what about that finale?! Just be sure to show some love when it looks like they might be leaving for the night. Although it's irrational, we only got "...Paris" three times on Wednesday, and it looked like it could be going a similar route in the Palace as the crowd started to file out after only two. At this point they whipped into the third round which ended with Jay calling out those who had decided to leave, and upon taking complete control over those who remained the pair delivered a fourth round of the hit track. Then a fifth. Then a tour-tying sixth... and just when they were showing signs of exiting and complete exhaustion, we got number seven. SEVEN!! They played "N*ggas in Paris" seven times. SEVEN! That shit cray! 1/6 of the setlist was devoted to it, wow! One of those things you just have to experience to grasp the ridiculously fun nature of.
Setlist:
(Throne Music)
H.A.M.
Who Gon Stop Me
Otis
Gotta Have It
Where I'm From
Nigga What? Nigga Who?
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
All Falls Down
Jesus Walks
Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)
Public Service Announcement
U Don't Know
Run This Town
Monster
Power (Remix)
Made in America
New Day
Hard Knock Life
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
(New York, New York)
Empire State of Mind
Runaway
Heartless
Stronger
(D.A.N.C.E.)
On To The Next One
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
That's My Bitch
Good Life
Touch the Sky
All of the Lights
Big Pimpin'
Gold Digger
99 Problems
(What A Wonderful World)
No Church in the Wild
(Lift Off)
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Album Breakdown:
Watch the Throne: 15
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 4
Graduation: 4
The Black Album: 3
The Blueprint 3: 3
Late Registration: 3
The Blueprint: 2
The College Dropout: 2
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: 2
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia: 1
808's and Heartbreak: 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1: 1
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter: 1
