American rapper, singer and songwriter, Macklemore, sold out his Sept. 30 show at The Rave Eagles Club.
The event began with fans of all ages crowding outside for food and drinks, all eager for the doors to open and to get their spots. Outfits ranged from jeans and a Macklemore shirt to dedicated fans who dressed as the artist himself.
The minute the doors opened it was clear that everyone wanted to get as close to the stage as possible. His concert was located in the largest of all the ballrooms, The Spectacular Eagles Ballroom.
The concert opened with Beeba, a DJ who just so happens to be Macklemore’s younger brother. He did a great job of playing hit songs from various decades, making sure everyone in the crowd knew at least one song, and hyping the crowd up for his older brother’s performance. With songs by the Spice Girls to SOMETHING, there was not a moment where the dancing stopped.
There were about 30 minutes between the opener and the main performance, which was filled with hip-hop music and people preparing themselves for Macklemore. The moment the music slowly stopped, and the lights began dimming, the cheers were deafening.
He walked out wearing one of his iconic leather jackets and instantly began singing “CHANT,” a song that I enjoy, but seemed like an odd opening song to me. I always feel as though when artists step onto the stage their opening song should excite the crowd, and this song starts off slow before the excitement hits.
Following his opening song, he ran off the stage and came back out in a Brewer’s jersey and the crowd went wild. I have personally never seen a crowd so thrilled over a baseball jersey in my life, but I loved the energy. Rather than going right into his next song, I enjoyed how he took a moment to recognize the crowd and talk to his fans. I think it was a great way to connect with the audience and express how grateful he was.
Looking around, I noticed the pure joy that could be seen on everyone’s faces — from the people 10 years younger than me, to those my age, to those who were 10 years older than me. It was the moment that I was truly amazed by an artist who can connect with people of all age ranges and generations.
The enthusiasm of the crowd only grew as the concert went on. Each song had its own vibe, whether that was in terms of the outfit he wore, the way he introduced the song or how he interacted with the crowd. With hits songs “Thrift Shop” and “Downtown” there was no surprise to me when the entire crowd was singing every lyric.
Out of all the concerts I have attended, I truly think that Macklemore has a great connection and interaction with his crowds. Whether that was due to having a concert at The Rave, or the excitement in the room, he had a way of personally hyping up the crowd.
I found that the crowd favorite was when he brought two fans up on stage — sadly I was not one of them — for a dance off. This had the crowd going crazy as each fan tried to out dance the other.
Overall, for my first experience at The Rave, along with my first Macklemore concert, I can easily say that it is one that I will remember forever. The energy from not only the group of friends I went with, but the entire crowd provided an amazing atmosphere full of smiles, dancing and singing every song we know.
This story was written by Lauren Puthoff. She can be reached at [email protected].
