The Best Memes of Kanye West’s Sunday Service at Coachella
On Easter Sunday, Kanye West spread the gospel of his typically invite-only “Sunday Service” to Coachella. Of course, there were still celebrities present: Among those who made it out to Indio, California, by 9 a.m. were Chance the Rapper and Willow and Jaden Smith, plus pretty much every Kardashian and Jenner you can think of, including Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, Kendall, Kylie, and their assorted offspring. (North West, naturally, took center stage.) Unlike at actual church, attendees were free to be on their phones as they pleased, though no one was more logged on than those tuning in from the comfort of their homes through YouTube’s Coachella livestream.
As the service stretched on for two-plus hours—West didn’t even show up until 45 minutes in—viewers also served as recappers of the affair for those who, whether busy at their own church or not willing to take the chance that West might mention Donald Trump, chose not to tune in. With West not even showing his face for the first 45 minutes, they had plenty of time to provide intel and commentary on the service’s set—something particularly of note given the rumors that West had turned down headlining this year’s festival because he felt that Coachella’s stages were too Shakespearean and “archaic.” It was not, then, atop a typical stage that West and company appeared; instead, he and his congregation spread out across the valley’s hills. Perhaps because one of the hills had been custom built for the occasion, it ended up looking just like the set of The Teletubbies. (Or Bikini Bottom surrounded by hungry nematodes.)
That was far from the only comparison that onlookers made from the comfort of their homes; after all, they had to watch the livestream through a peephole of sorts, rather than full-screen like the rest of the festival’s performances.
There’s also the fact that West outfitted the choir members and musicians in the exact same draped, light purple ensemble, which made for for some very striking visuals—particularly when they formed in circles, as captured through the peephole from overhead.
Whether or not it was intentional, West’s dedication to coordination, paired with the fervor of those participating in the service, made it look like a gathering of Osho and his followers in a scene straight out of Netflix’s Wild Wild Country.
They’re not exactly the same, but those who are looking to join the cult (or should we say “kult”?) of Kanye, and have $70 to $225 to spare, could get started by paying a visit to the service’s merch table. (Just like the church, Kanye is happy to take your money.)
Related: Everything That Went Down at Kanye West’s Coachella Sunday Service
