Photo by: MySpace.com
From the second he was under the stage lights, Emcee Macklemore broke the physical silence of the crowd.
He did not stop moving back-and-forth, raising his hands and calling the crowd to follow.
One man weaved his way through the audience asking people if they had heard of Macklemore, and the majority of people had not.
But nothing stopped Macklemore from setting the room up in a flame of energy that matched the heat of a sold out show.
Emcee and Seattleite Macklemore teamed with producer Ryan Lewis and performed the opening set for Zion I and Grouch last Thursday night at Cervantes’.
Macklemore and Ryan dropped tracks from their EP “VS” which contains songs streamed together from hip-hop beats and original lyrics with songs from other progressive artists including Beirut, The Killers, the Arcade Fire and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Among their performance they haled “Hold Your Head Up,” “Fake Id,” “Ego,” “I said Hey,” and “Otherside” mixed on their EP with the original Red Hot Chili Peppers song.
Macklemore said, “I always wanted to be on stage since I was a kid, doing talent shows, performing in my grandparent’s living room. It was in my blood to perform for people – since I was 15 years old. I have wanted to break the mold of what’s conventional on stage.”
Hence Macklemore’s performance halfway through the set when he disappeared backstage, put on a wig and a jean jacket, and commenced an impersonation of David Bowie with “And We Danced.”
Macklemore broke down the running man, and as the crowd following the lyrics, “We danced/We laughed, and we had a really, really good time.”
Macklemore’s lyrics pursue the conditions of reality, a conscious rap, raising awareness from issues of drugs, to society and politics.
Born to the Pacific Northwest, Macklemore has had a broad range of influences, he said, “Everything from Hieroglyphics, Wu Tang, Mos Def, The Roots, Kanye, Lil Wayne, people that bring a different approach and have something to say and say it differently.”
Macklemore seeks to express and perform his thoughts in a new way, and reach the audience on a different level than other artists.
“Before a show I stretch, do some breathing and become really conscious of my breath, get focused on what my main objective is. It’s not to look cool or not be natural. I want to connect with the audience.”
Macklemore succeeded, he connected with the gathering under the roof of Cervantes’, and there is no doubt he is evolving into a chronic Colorado performer.
