And We Danced

Gig Review: Macklemore x Ryan Lewis
The Forum - Saturday 16th February

Photo: Lisa Klifunis

I'd purchased tickets months ago to see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Long before commercial radio had flogged them to death, and they’d topped the Triple J Hottest 100 & ARIA charts. Now however, instead of an intimate show at The Corner, a line of hundreds snaked its way around Flinders St and up Hosier Lane - three hours before doors at the larger capacity The Forum even opened. And half of the line was wearing fur hats… in the middle of summer. Thank God this was an 18+ event. I couldn't deal with teenyboppers who only knew the words to one song ruining my night; dealing with twentysomethings doing exactly the same was going to be enough. 

Don't get me wrong. I love that these guys have finally got the recognition they deserve. But really, you should have to  pass some sort of quiz to be entitled to witness their genius. Local Fitzroy duo Diafrix had done well to score the support slot. These local veterans write and perform with a rare authenticity, owning a funky scratch vibe which throws back to the 90s golden era of rap - Tupac, Nas, Eric B and Rakim. They’re the real deal; yet no-one appreciated them. 

They played a killer set, mixing in some Drum and Bass breaks with their usual vibe. I loved it. Apparently I was the only one though. The crowd seemed far more pre-occupied with getting the right selfie to post on their Instagram. It was not until a surprise guest appearance by 360, to drop his feature verse on the track Dreamer, that the crowd seemed even mildly interested. Full credit though, he tore up the stage in his brief appearance and abruptly signed off with his catchphrase of see you next Tuesday. Though they deserved an ovation, the boys left the stage to an increased appreciation and anticipation building for the main act. 

With the mood amplified, the house DJ thought it the perfect time to drop global smash-hit Monster by Kanye West. For a typical hip-hop crowd, this is the moment when you lose your shit, when you begin to raise your glass, scream and quote every damn line like it was you on stage. Nope. Not tonight. Nothing. Not even when Shutterbug or anything from Kendrick Lamar was given a spin did the crowd give a response. There were no hip-hop heads in the crowd. This could be a long night…and I was way too sober for that. If all these Thrift Shoppers had come to see their newest hero, he'd better give a damn good show. Otherwise we were in trouble. 

Cue the music, dim the lights and raise the iPhones... 

The words "Welcome to The Heist" appear on screen to a roaring audience, and the huge opening track Ten Thousand Hours is met with cries of approval and excitement from a crowd that knows every word. 

As the lights and music fade, everything on-stage stops. A lone figure with a faded cut and wry smile stops and stands, motionless under the spotlight - soaking in the energy of the moment. Ben Haggerty, a humble dude from Seattle who’s spent the last decade in the merciless underground hip-hop scene is now the world’s latest star; Macklemore. His first spoken words send the crowd into frenzy; “I fucking love Melbourne.” 

He hypes the crowd, demanding that everyone dance and make this the best show yet – they respond as the duo launches into an array of up tempo dance tracks; Crew Cuts and The Killers inspired Life is Cinema, before the biggest roar of the night erupts; when a camouflage jacket is ripped off to reveal a gold singlet with a green kangaroo emblazed on the chest. Make no mistake; this man is a true showman. 

It’s clear that Macklemore is a guy who clearly loves what he does. A born communicator, he has a unique ability to pen down regular, everyday concepts, be they struggles or nostalgic moments and with the help of producer extraordinaire Ryan Lewis, transform them into global anthems. They perform Thrift Shop early and the devotees go mental, it’s a far cry from the group that were deathly silent only a half hour earlier – this is a new breed of hip-hop fan, one who can’t relate to money, drugs and bitches but to hand-me-down clothes, memories of Space Jam, and a push for a more equal world. While some may not, I certainly respect what Macklemore has brought to the game. Macklemore is not just a storyteller but a sublime one, and he may well be THE storyteller of this generation. 

The duo go through a couple of back catalogue tunes including the Dave Niehaus tribute track My Oh My as well as the Chili Peppers inspired Otherside before reaching their most recent hit; the beautifully poignant Same Love (read my earlier article for an explanation at how amazing this song really is). Ben and Ryan are visibly moved by the response of the audience who chant every word, these guys never foresaw that their creative expression would become global inspiration, and yet it has. They declare this their proudest moment. Only in Australia is this song Number 1. We are leading the world and they are extremely grateful. 

With the sentimental numbers out the way it’s time to party. The energy in the room for Can’t Hold Us, complete with the Wanz sung chorus is massive, the stars crowd surf as everyone dances together; performers, crowd, bar staff, roadies – everyone enjoying it equally. Huge songs Wings and Starting Over are separated by tales of addiction, inspiration and identity which people can relate to - Macklemore is real, there is no gimmick here. Do what helps you to be creative, what helps you find yourself he encourages and don’t waste your life. 

The show closes with a three-song encore as the new faces of independent music display their talent in entertaining a crowd. Stage dives from Ryan Lewis, a James Brown impression and a huge Irish flag are all involved in a medley of And We Dance, Irish Celebration and finally a second run of Thrift Shop. Even I’m happy to hear it again. These guys know what they’re doing. There’s nothing false about it. Their own lyrics perfectly capture the essence of the night; “We danced, and we cried, and we laughed and had a really, really, really good time…” 

Such is the humility and authenticity of Haggerty, the final number is followed by a ten minute love-fest of thankyous and applause, highlighting everyone else involved with the production from the support staff, to the fans, to his newly engaged fiancé’ - a much deserved chant spontaneously erupts for the man behind the decks and the lights go out to raptures of applause and a promise to return to Australia in the not too distant future. 

While immediately next up for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is a guest slot on prominent US television show Saturday Night Live, long term it is clear they have the key ingredients; the passion, the talent and now the enthusiastic fan-base, to conquer the globe. New chapters. New stories. New hits. I can't wait. 

Postscript: I had the pleasure of meeting Ben and Ryan backstage after the show and everything I wrote about authenticity and humility was 100% confirmed. The dudes are legends!