Kanye West brings "Touch the Sky Tour" to SIU Arena

By SA, ARENA PROMOTIONS

Hip-hop icon, triple Grammy winner, and one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, Kanye West kicks off his national tour, "Touch the Sky." Chicago's legendary Rapper, Common, along with Fantasia (winner of America Idol 3), and Keyshia Cole will open for Kanye during the tour.

Previously known for producing hit singles for Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Jay-Z, Kanye turned artist with a bang in 2004 with his release, "College Dropout." Two songs on the album, "Through the Wire" and "Slow Jamz" were instant hits, saturating music-video television and radio while skyrocketing to the top of the charts. His newest release, "Late Registration" debuted at number one on the charts with more than 860,000 copies sold during its first week on the shelves. Songs from the album, "Gold Digger" and "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," are currently topping the charts.

In 2005, Kanye garnered a historic 10 Grammy nominations. "College Dropout" won Best Rap Album, "Jesus Walks" received Best Rap Song, while his songwriting skills earned Best R&B Song for Alicia Keys's "You Don’t Know My Name." Additional awards include a Video Music Award for "Best Male Video."

Tickets for Kanye West will go on sale 10am, Friday, September 30. Tickets are $45, $40, and $35. Order tickets through Ticketmaster at 866-646-8849, www.ticketmaster.com/siuarena, or at any Ticketmaster outlet. This includes Schnucks in Carbondale and Cape Girardeau; Kroger in Carbondale (east), Marion, and Mt. Vernon, and FYE in Paducah's Kentucky Oaks Mall. Ticketmaster convenience charges apply. Tickets may be purchased in person at the SIU Ticket Office (west entrance of the SIU Arena) or the Student Center Central Ticket Office.

This event is presented by Arena Promotions with national sponsorship from Verizon Wireless.