SAN ANTONIO – Despite weeks of controversy surrounding Ye’s concert in San Antonio, thousands of fans packed the Alamodome on Saturday night, traveling from near and far to be in attendance.
In the weeks leading up to the performance, local leaders questioned whether the city-owned Alamodome should give a platform to Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who has had a history of well-publicized antisemitic comments. Ye has since apologized for those remarks.
The City of San Antonio said more than 60,000 people were expected to be at the concert, which Ye touted will be one of the most well-attended in the venue’s history.
Some fans told KSAT that their attendance does not indicate support for the beliefs he previously shared.
“I can separate the music from the artist because his music is great,” said Aaron Queen, a fan who traveled from Washington, D.C. “It’s timeless and it’s a classic.”
Ye has been criticized over the last several years for antisemitic actions, including saying “I’m going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” in a 2022 social media post and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
“People have the right to say what they want to say. There are consequences to certain actions,” fan Rob Monsivais said, “but at the end of the day we all make mistakes.”
In January, Ye took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for his previous behavior. In the letter, he said he is not a Nazi nor an antisemite, and attributed his actions to a brain injury and bipolar disorder.
“He’s also had his moment of mental health issues and I can’t hold that against him. You don’t know the battle he’s battling.” said Paula Escalera, who traveled from Houston. “We’ve all had our controversial moments. I don’t care who it is.”
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