Maple Park farm sues over Kanye West listening party
Kuiper's Farm is suing a promotional company for damages after a Kanye West album listening party in early June spun out of control, arguing the event was billed as a 200-person VIP party at the Maple Park farm but organizers released more than 1,100 tickets on the internet at the last minute.
“That was definitely not something we contracted for,” said Kimberly Kuipers, who owns the 230-acre farm with her husband, Wade, who also is plaintiff in the suit. “We had no idea this was going to happen. This was a private party, when they released tickets online; that was not something we'd discussed. They misrepresented what they were going to do.”
The “they” in this case are defendants Boulevard Management Inc. and Getting Out Our Dreams, II, LLC, according the lawsuit that was filed this month in Kane County.
West released his new album, “ye,” on June 1 and Boulevard contracted with Kuipers for a June 6 listening party, one of three that night across the country.
Kim Kuipers said the event was billed as a 200-person VIP event in which people from Chicago would come to Maple Park in chartered busses. Kuipers notified Boulevard on June 4 that the farm would bill Boulevard $60 each for any guests over 200, according to the lawsuit. Kim Kuipers said the $60 fee per guest over 200 is a standard procedure at the farm.
But organizers, according to the lawsuit, put tickets on three internet sites, adding some 1,114 guests beyond the 200. The suit argues Boulevard breached the contract and seeks $60 for each person in damages, or $62,715 total.
Kim Kuipers said 453 people attended the event, which grew loud and resulted in numerous noise complaints from neighbors. She said the expected crowd forced her to incur more costs, such as renting additional portable toilets and more security and traffic control.
“There was definitely the potential for 1,500 people to show up,” she said.
Pat Gengler, spokesman for the Kane County Sheriff's Office, said “a lot” of complaints were made but he could not specify exactly how many. “The only issue was an intoxicated individual that arrived there and never made it in who was taken to the hospital due to his level of intoxication,” Gengler said.
A month later, Kim Kuipers was issued an ordinance violation for excessive noise, according to Kane County court records. She paid a $230 fine and received three months of court supervision, records show.
Kim Kuipers said she and Boulevard also were cited by Kane County for not having a special event permit. After a hearing about two weeks ago, she and Boulevard were both fined $1,000 each, she said.
Kim Kuipers said the crowd did not cause any problems; additional guests did not receive special wristbands for access to the open bar, she said.
Efforts to reach Boulevard Management for comment were not successful; West is not a defendant in the lawsuit.
The parties are due in court on Nov. 8.