Planetarium Show Is Out of This World

“We can’t have a party at the museum,” The Cool Kids shouted as a crowd of people jumped up and down to their lyrics. But that’s what happened on Friday, Jan. 25 at the concert held at Hayden Planetarium as part of Flavorpill’s “One Step Beyond” series, where The Cool Kids were joined by Kid Sister, A-Trak, and surprise guest Kanye West.

It was an unlikely scene—Kanye West performing in the Museum of Natural History—but then, the entire night was unusual. While it was not Avalon or Webster Hall, the massive line of event-goers seemed to suggest that the Hayden Planetarium was the hottest club of the moment in New York City. The early ones, lucky enough to be already inside the concert, mingled with other attendees and enjoyed the music of a talented DJ. While waiting for the performers to go on, some grabbed beers and made small talk, while others wandered through the open exhibit halls and discovered how much they would weigh on Haley’s Comet, Uranus, Saturn, and the Sun. As more people entered, the mood of the concert turned into that of a hot nightclub—the majority of the audience were in their 20s or 30s. Museums have definitely grown to entertain a new sort of crowd.

The first performance of the evening was by The Cool Kids, a hip-hop and rap duo that rocked the stage with its electric performance and original lyrics. The hypnotic beat set the mood for a party, and the crowd was crazy with excitement as people started pushing forward to get a better glimpse of the exceptional pair.

Following The Cool Kids, Kid Sister, the current opening act for Kanye West, entertained the crowd with her uniquely raspy voice. Despite the fact that she had bronchitis, she sang her heart out and displayed great showmanship, while the receptive crowd cheered for her to go on. The chemistry between Kid Sister and DJ A-Trak, who performed alongside of her,
was amazing.

Suddenly, an immense surge of energy rushed through the crowd as a mysterious person emerged onto the stage. Within a nanosecond, the crowd went wild and threw its arms up to the lyrics of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” a song from Kanye West’s album Graduation. The atmosphere escalated to party-of-the-year with West’s appearance. While some people were still dazed by the surprise performance, others readily accepted the blissful shock and partied hard—either way, the audience sang to every word of his lyrics. The chart-topping,
Grammy-winning superstar sounded just as great live as he did on his album, but it was his stage presence that amplified the quality of his performance. West performed four songs in total, along with his recently debuted single “Stronger.”

Audience members will forever remember the night that Kanye West gave an outstanding performance at the Museum of Natural History. The energy his presence brought to the Planetarium was incomparable to anything else throughout the evening. There is nothing to be said except that he rocked the house, and that this concert event was better than any party at a club. So next time, before blowing off an event at a museum, consider this—it could be the event of a lifetime.