K'naan a No-Show at the Ogden

This is the space that was supposed to have been reserved for my rave review of K'naan's performance at the Ogden this past Saturday. The only problem with that is that he didn't actually show up to the concert. When we arrived the opening act Trevor Hall was on stage, so we made our way toward the front of the stage, settling in behind a few rows of people. We were in good position for when Mr. Warsame took the stage.

Trevor Hall was followed by a long period of setting up, sound-checking, and a whole lot of waiting. After half an hour of nothing, there was movement backstage. The lights were dimmed, and the crowd crescendo-ed in cheering. As the band walked out onstage and got behind their respective instruments, I was thinking, "This is K'naan's band?". Somehow, they just didn't look like what I was expecting. But it wasn't until I saw Matisyahu's lanky frame emerge from the darkness, that I really began to realize that there was something very wrong.

Somewhere amidst Matis' three hour long show (which was incredible) I came to terms with the fact that we wouldn't be experiencing a K'naan performance, so we might as well enjoy the rest of the night. Following the show I spoke with a manager of the Ogden Theatre who informed me that K'naan and his crew had gotten stuck in the mountains due to the snow. She said the theatre employees didn't even know K'naan wasn't going to make it until about 9pm, when the show was set to begin.

EDIT: After publishing this article, we've come to find out K'naan had a show in Aspen the night before the Denver show that was not a part of the Matisyahu tour. Thus making the following rant unjustified. Please feel free to skip to the end.

(Warning: This is where this article devolves into rant-mode.)

Now, I can understand that when people come to Colorado they want to go to the mountains. That's what people do here. But as a performer, you do have a responsibility to your fans. That responsibility should include something as simple as checking a weather forecast, and perhaps putting off your plans to go do whatever you were doing in the mountains (a Somali friend suggested he was there smoking weed, but that's beside the point). People payed money and adjusted their plans (some of us cancelled Thanksgiving travel plans) to see you perform.

All I'm saying is that it would behoove K'naan to find a way to make the missed show up to his fans. Whether that means rescheduling a show in the area, offering a free copy of the upcoming album Troubador to attendees of the show, or some kind of acknowledgment that you screwed over the people that are most eager to see you succeed.

We will continue to promote and support K'naan's music, because at the end of the day he is creating beautiful music with poetic and meaningful lyrics. And despite our personal disappointment at missing a performance, we wish him all the success in the world. But K'naan, next time you come to Denver, stay away from the mountains.

Related posts:

1. K'naan at the Ogden, Nov. 29th
2. Free Download – New K'naan Track "Somalia"
3. Rock Africa – November 14th
4. MTV Africa Music Awards – Winners