February 10, 2018

Macklemore – Spark Arena February 9, 2018

Was Macklemore playing it safe on his Gemini World Tour? If he was, it sure isn’t a bad thing. The audience expected a good time and Macklemore knew how to throw a helluva party!

There was no elaborate lights or props on the stage. The massive screen only showed the word Gemini while the arena filled up. I felt this form of simplicity was well suited because it allowed everyone to focus on the music. The sound throughout the night was tight and vocals were clear albeit some parts were covered by the thumping sub-bass. The stage might have been a little too big for Macklemore and his crew. But, everyone especially Macklemore himself made up for it by non-stop running end to end and making sure everyone remained rooted to the beat of the show.

A strong family theme featured heavily on the Gemini album and this was surprisingly reflected in the audience. I saw the whole family coming over to enjoy the show with teens dressed up in Thrift Shop Chic, boys in calf length socks and treasured Adidas kicks or Nike Air Maxes.

The show opened with Xperience or better known as XP bringing the eager crowd to a roaring start with solid tracks like 98’, Black (where he was joined by an awfully limber Eric Nally and his almost comical but mesmerising moves!) and Not Today (co-written with Ryan Lewis). In his freshest hat and spiffy sweat suit, XP ensured everybody was ready to move those ‘stiff ass pelvic bones’, before leaving the crowd with the tearjerker, Me Time. A song born from watching his mother lose her fight with breast cancer.

Dave B came on stage after XP and delivered a solid repertoire of songs, perhaps a little raunchier than expected if one were to form an opinion merely from this Seattle boy’s appearance, but who doesn’t love a little surprise. Ranging from RnB, Soul to Hip Hop, the subtle change in rhythm and style showed the diversity of music that was evident on the Gemini album, culminating in a mouth-watering appetizer of sorts — an epic start to what was building up to be a fantastic night!

Accompanied by great visuals on the big screen, the enthusiastic crew came on stage to kick off the show with Ain’t Gonna Die Tonight where Macklemore’s arrival was met with a roar so deafening it drowned out the song for a few seconds. If anything, this was a clear warning that while wholesome-looking, this age-diverse crowd didn’t come to play it safe, they came to party.

After the opening track, Macklemore charmed his way into the hearts of local fans by voicing his appreciation and love for New Zealand – the home of many things, but most importantly, Fruit Bursts (of which he’d already purchased six packs of the stuff and was going back for more after the show). Jokes aside, his opening message for the night was clear — the work week might have come to an end but this was no sit-back-and-relax concert; every able bodied person in the room was expected to get up and get down. And boy, did they.

Offering the perfect opportunities to let loose, the crowd pleasers kept coming; Firebreather with the mean rock guitar riff, followed by Marmalade before we were whisked off on an adventure to the Thrift Shop in Macklemore’s Cadillac. It was at this precise moment that Macklemore reiterated his well-known message of love for all human beings. He further shared that diversity was interesting and beautiful, making the world a place worth living. This segued nicely into a goosebump-inducing version of Same Love where it sounded like all 7,000 people in the arena had showed up to belt out the chorus.

Then it was time for a different kind of fun. There may have been a few confused faces when a little ‘oompa-loompa doompadee doo’ came out the speakers as Macklemore raced back on stage with an orange top hat and purple jacket (akin to Gene Wilder’s costume in the movie adaptation of Willy Wonka). While the dubstep-style Willy Wonka may have seemed a little out of place in the whole setting, the ‘flavour’ it brought with it was no hard pill to swallow, further cementing the appreciation for diversity in all forms.

Dave B later joined Macklemore to perform Corner Store. But, it was Donna Missal who sang Over It with Macklemore that was undoubtedly a remarkable high point of the night. Unlike the same track on the Gemini album, Missal delivered a fiercely raw, live rendition that can only be described as a badass out to take no prisoners.

Evidently, during any good party, it’s only a matter of time before someone challenges someone else to a Dance Off. And this was no different, with two people chosen from the audience to see who could duel to the death on the dancefloor (or come close anyway). After a brief history lesson about technology and cell phones, Macklemore invited everyone to put their phones down and give in to the beat of Can’t Hold Us before he climbed over into a sea of hands up who readily held him up high.

During his encore, Macklemore performed Excavate, Good Old Days and Downtown (joined once more by the weird but wonderful Eric Nally) before introducing the members of his crew. XP, Dave B, Donna Missal, the horn section and the Macklorettes all received praises from the crowd. Tyler Dopps was recognised for his critical but often times inconspicuous role in producing and engineering the Gemini album. Macklemore’s mate from college, his personal friend and favourite musician, Budo, was given a solid show of appreciation.

The evening was drawn to a close with the song Glorious (there’s no way Grandma Helen would’ve been happy if he left without doing that one), which he performed flawlessly before a shimmering cloud of confetti rained down in front of the main stage.

Other performers might have taken this cue to end the night but not Macklemore. He had a few more things to say. He praised the crowd for an incredible evening and thanked everyone wholeheartedly for making it possible for him to continue making music independently in his basement. Earlier on the same day, Macklemore was happy to share that his album just reached Double Platinum. After a 1-2-3 peace salute, the lights dimmed and the show ended. I Feel Good by James Brown played over the speakers and on that dimly lit stage, Macklemore danced to the song while throwing out souvenir towels to the crowd.

It’s ‘safe’ to say, a great night was inevitable if Macklemore was going to be involved.

Reuben and Deborah Raj

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Flynn:

Set list