The city of San Antonio appears to be keeping a concert by Ye on the city-owned Alamodome’s schedule despite blowback from Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and other elected officials over the rapper’s history of antisemitism.
City spokesman Brian Chasnoff didn’t directly say whether the controversial show would go on as planned, but he said it’s expected to draw more than 60,000 people. As of Monday, 50,000 tickets have been sold, including more than 14,000 within Bexar County and thousands of sales from outside Texas.
“Once Alamodome staff books an event, conceptually, the City Council can direct the City Manager to cancel it,” Chasnoff said in a statement late Monday.
It’s unclear if Jones or City Council members want to call a vote on the concert.
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is slated to perform at the Alamodome on July 4 as part of his international tour promoting his new album, “Bully.”
Ye announced June 14 that he was coming to the Alamo City and tickets went on sale June 18.
American rapper Kanye West performs during his Vultures Listening Experience at Wuyuan River Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Haikou, Hainan Province of China. (Photo by Luo Yunfei/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images) (China News Service/China News Service via Getty Ima)
Jones took to social media on Saturday evening to call for the concert to be canceled. Her post drew national attention, appearing in the New York Times, USA Today and Rolling Stone, among other outlets.
“Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome – not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation’s 250th birthday,” Jones wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Standing up to antisemitism is exactly what it takes to achieve a more perfect Union.”
On Monday, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and County Commissioner Grant Moody denounced the concert. The county has no control over the Alamodome.
Jones told TPR’s “The Source” on Monday that the City Council would have to vote to direct the city manager to cancel the concert, but noted she was uncertain if she had support from her council colleagues.
The Jewish Federation of San Antonio will hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon urging officials to cancel the event. Jones, Moody and state Sen. Jose Menendez will attend, according to a news release.
“The Alamodome staff reviews all events – whether Paul McCartney, Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, or Ye – using the same factors, including public demand, expected economic impact, facility revenue, hotel bookings and the goal of bringing a wide range of events to San Antonio,” Chasnoff said.
Ye was once one of the most successful and influential hip hop artists of his generation. In recent years, however, he’s more often made headlines for his offensive and erratic behavior, including running for president, wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at a fashion show, making antisemitic comments and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
Ye apologized for his actions in a January full page ad in The Wall Street Journal and attributed his behavior to untreated bipolar disorder.
A number of Ye’s European concerts have since been cancelled.
The British government in April barred him from entering the country to headline the Wireless Festival in London planned for July. That led organizers to cancel the festival after sponsors dropped out. Italian and Polish officials also canceled Ye concerts scheduled for the summer.
Ye will perform in Tampa days before his San Antonio tour stop and is scheduled to appear in Chicago in early September.
The Alamodome has hosted other controversial performers – whose concerts city and county elected officials did not denounce.
Chris Brown played at the Alamodome last September and will return in October. He pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2009 for punching and choking then-girlfriend Rihanna.
Guns N’ Roses will perform at the Alamodome in September. Multiple women have accused frontman Axl Rose of assault. In 2018, the band removed a song featuring racist and homophobic language when it reissued its album Appetite for Destruction.
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This article originally published at Ye concert still on at the Alamodome despite blowback from Mayor Jones, others.