Promising “the greatest show on Earth,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s performance was hyped to the highest of heights. Luckily, the daring duo opened their show with Light Tunnels and immediately lit a fire under their seated audience. Behind the pair’s podiums hung three screens, projecting images of the rich and famous and iconic Grammy moments. Thus, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made was underway.
Frontman Ben Haggerty and producer Ryan Lewis are bold and brazen entertainers. Rocking a Colts baseball jersey and conducting his surroundings with ultimate ease, Macklemore could not be more engaging on stage. A technique not often used, the vocalist used fictitious stories to introduce many of his tracks. The first one centred on Australian customs officials not allowing him into the country because of Brad Pitt’s Cousin.
While the duo’s second record is enthusiastically celebrated, their debut album The Heist brings a collection of unforgettable hits. The first is, of course, Thrift Shop. Slapping on his leopard mink, Macklemore moved across the stage, decorated with racks of clothes, acrobats and dancers. Next up was a mixture of The Shades and Arrows that saw big ideas being shared and even bigger sceneries being projected.
Wing$ ignited the room in red as Nike symbols took over the screens space. A hard-hitting song in any circumstance, it was taken to an entirely new level in a live capacity. Ryan Lewis and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Jones pounded on the double set of drums, an incredible sight for all involved. As expected, the show saw various moments of inspirational speech. Condemning indoctrinated hatred, Macklemore proclaimed, “More than ever I believe that we need to be reminded that hatred can never overpower love,” before singing Same Love. The socially significant and tear-jerking track was followed by Growing Up, which saw Macklemore bring his daughter Sloan on stage.
White Privilege II had the power of slam poetry, featuring the sound of piano keys and a single spotlight. Inviting XP on stage to spit his own verse, Macklemore shared his self-aware stance on society with the crowd. St. Ides and Let’s Eat were followed by a venue-length cookie throw and Danny the security guard having his name screamed by thousands of devoted fans. Easily the night’s highlight, Can’t Hold Us had Macklemore crowd surfing, Ryan Lewis showcasing his production talent and the entire room losing their shit.
A double encore included And We Danced, Prince’s Kiss and Dance Off. To top it all off fans went Downtown with Eric Nally. Together, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis brought the highest level of musicianship, charisma and creativity.
WORDS BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
IMAGE BY IAN LAIDLAW
Loved: Thundamentals support set.
Hated: People speaking throughout the speeches.
Drank: Saved myself for Saturday.
