The Pepsi Center was abuzz with excitement as the most anticipated concert of the year rolled in on Sunday.

The Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour was about to redefine what constitutes an amazing concert.

The tour seemed to subscribe to the belief of “go big or go home.” It boasted three big name opening acts and, of course, the ultimate performer, Kanye West.

Each opening act was as fulfilling as a regular concert. They wooed the crowd with their sets of at least six songs each. Lupe Fiasco got the party started with songs such as “Superstar”, and “Daydreamin.” Next up was N.E.R.D. who rocked out with tunes such as “Lapdance” and “Rock Star.” Then Rihanna, dressed in black and neon attire in true glow in the dark fashion, titillated the crowd with the songs “Please Don’t Stop the Music” and “Umbrella”. The crowd seemed to really enjoy the opening acts, but there was audible frustration. The problem was that because there were so many elaborate openings it took a long time to tear down and set up the stage.

After being teased by the preceding musical morsels, the crowd was ready for the main event. When Kanye took the stage, the excitement was palpable. Everyone was standing and there was a sea of outstretched hands bobbing to the beat.

Kanye is not only a terrific musician but also a dedicated and creative performer. Even so, it came as a surprise to most when it became evident that this was to be more of a musical adventure than a concert.

As events unfolded so too did an intricate storyline. The plot of this adventure was that Kanye and his broken space ship, Jane, were having trouble getting home from their year long expedition. This 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque theme was much less corny that one might expect. He took his performance very seriously and ingeniously weaved his hit songs into the story line. These songs included “Hey Mama”, the song written for his late mother, Dr. Donda West, and his hit song “Stronger.”

Upon departing, satiated fans were surprised with an inspirational book written by Kanye West and J. Sakiya Sandifer. This concert was not only the concert of the year bu,t it was the best value concert of the year. Four performers, four and a half hours of musical bliss and a book valued at $10 dollars retail…what more could a fan want?

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Boones