The first annual AAHH! Fest, a community-focused concert effort between Common and his Common Ground Foundation and Donda's House Inc. (a creative arts foundation co-founded by Kanye West and Che "Rhymefest" Smith"), took place Sunday in Union Park. With an already announced lineup of emcee Dave Chappelle, DJs like Timbuck2, Wayne Williams, Vince Adams and performers like Lil Herb, Diggy Simmons, MC Lyte, Twista, De La Soul, Jay Electronica, Lupe Fiasco and Common himself, there was more than enough to call the event the most stacked of any of the festivals that took place in Chicago this year.
Things got interesting during the weeks leading up to the festival when Common promised a special surprise guest at the festival (I'm not referring to Lil' Mama, who popped up during MC Lyte's afternoon set and caused a genuine WTF moment for yours truly), and everyone saw the writing on the wall.
Kanye was coming.
Before we go any further, let's take a moment to address a long-standing fact in Chicago's nightlife industry: If a big-name act is promised to be there, that usually means the person isn't coming. This time, however, we weren't denied.
West, clad in the same red Off-White (the fashion brand by DONDA art director/Kanye consigliere Virgil Abloh) flannel that Jennifer Hudson wore earlier during her set, took the stage, performing for what has to be the most intimate concert he's done in years. He tore through the hits, from "Jesus Walks" to "Gold Digger" to "Can't Tell Me Nothing" to "Blood on the Leaves." Seeing Kanye is always a fun experience, but seeing him smiling (no "rant" took place, in case you were wondering) and playing to his home crowd was a sight to behold.
Don't sleep, though: The entire fest was loaded with great moments. Earlier in the day, the stage was set for a community showcase curated by Donda's House that spotlighted some great performances from up-and-coming acts. MC Lyte kicked a pointed, old-school set and Common reminded me why he's actually one of the better live performers in rap when he wants to be. The entire vibe was surreal; Was this actually happening? Is Dave Chappelle really on-stage making jokes about Illinois needing to legalize pot? Is there really a Harold's Chicken food truck selling wings for $4? The biggest question was the one that still seems impossible to consider:
Did a crowd of less than 5,000 seriously just witness a Kanye/Common/Twista/Lupe show?
Yes, we did. And it was awesome.
YEEZY'S HOME!!! pic.twitter.com/9imPOj7p93
- Ernest Wilkins (@ErnestWilkins) September 22, 2014Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.