Musical Adventures from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

I generally give positives reviews, because (thus far) the shows I’ve attended have been good. Therefore, I find it difficult to express myself when a show was truly amazing.  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ performance at the Bowery Ballroom was flat-out incredible. Although there were some heavily rehearsed dialogue parts between the songs, the overall performance was profusely high-energetic.  Although some parts did seem staged, you could sense his sincerity towards his fans and his passion for music pervaded throughout his performance. His eccentric costume changes, humorous commentary, exuded confidence, and articulate rhymes, made this a stand-out performance and my crush for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis intensified like a middle-school girl.

Macklemore embraces the Seattle swagger demonstrated by his clothes which looked like he bought them at trendy vintage store. He began with a leather jacket, followed by a denim jacket touched with black fringe dangling from his side, ending with an 80’s big-hair wig that sparked the crowd’s enthusiasm.  There was never a dull moment within all the chants and interaction among the crowd. When he played “Life is Cinema” sampling the Killers’ “All these Things that I’ve Done,” got the crowd literally jumping.  The audience truly “got soul” and preached it as everyone was making the ground shake from their chants and boots pounding against the wooden floors.  Although the majority of the tracks had everyone visibly bobbing their heads and clearly rapping every word, “Can’t Hold us Down,” “And we Danced,” “Irish Celebration” and “My Oh My” were other knee-benders.

I felt like I had a deeper understanding of Macklemore’s character regarding his past battles, his roots and his drive.  It’s difficult for an artist to immediately find a connection with their fans given an 1 ½ time span. Macklemore undoubtedly did just that.  His exposure of himself through is music and his comfort on stage was noticed.  It also helps that he has remarkable enunciation while spitting his rhymes, supported by his meaningful and intelligent lyrics.  He has true talent as an entertainer; but most importantly, he has true talent as an artist and his exceptional performance proved it.

Right before he exited the stage, he ended the show with a splash of colorful confetti sprinkling throughout the crowd. He then exited. I secretly wanted to chase after him.