I went to a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis concert and all I got was my mind blown

The tale of my first hip hop concert...

If you know me, you know that I have been absolutely in love with Macklemore for years now, which may come as a surprise to some. I don't know what it is about him, but he is one of the most amazing artists of today, in my opinion. Just a couple months ago, I received an email saying Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were coming to Broomfield, Colorado and I simply HAD to go. I bought tickets to my first hip hop show and patiently awaited the day that I would finally get to see Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and all of their energy for myself, and let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait.

I usually stick to my normal scene of alternative or pop punk concerts, with the occasional boy band sprinkled in there, so the idea of getting to see a hip hop show excited me (probably more than it should have).

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis came with two openers, which included Xperience (XP) and Raz Simone. Both of which were independent rappers from Seattle, Washington, much like Macklemore. XP put on an entertaining show and it was obvious that he was very passionate about his music. XP has been best friends with Macklemore for 13 years and is featured on several of Macklemore's tracks, so it's clear that the love for independent hip hop is there. Raz Simone had a unique energy about him. He (attempted) to crowd surf, split the crowd so he could walk down it and had some of the most interesting dance moves, in the best way of course.

The time came for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to take the stage. The show opened with "Light Tunnels" and right off the bat, Macklemore came on stage with full energy as sparks flew behind Ryan Lewis and the stage lit up. You could just tell he loved what he was doing and was extremely passionate about the music. One of the best parts about seeing him live is that he not only puts everything into the music, but that he is also very entertaining in between songs when he tells stories or makes jokes. At one point in the night, after finishing "Let's Eat" with XP, Macklemore generously handed cookies out to people in the crowd, but saved one in order to try to throw it into the second level of 1st Bank Center, which he successfully did. (Not to mention, he also had amazing dance moves.)

All of these little jokes and fun times made it feel like a more intimate show, which is shocking when it's with an artist as famous as Macklemore. I've been to a whole lot of concerts and there are bands that aren't even half as famous as him, and it feels like the crowd is more disconnected from them. Again I think this can be brought back to the fact that he is an independent hip hop artist who has always connected more with the fans, since they're the ones that carried him this far. Whatever it is, it's amazing.

Another memorable moment in the night was, of course, when he sang "Same Love" and "White Privilege II." Macklemore has definitely not been quiet about his beliefs on certain topics in the past, including gay rights and the idea of white privilege. It was amazing to stand in his presence as he spoke on the topic of being who we are before singing "Same Love." He began to list that he didn't care who you choose to love, what color your skin is or what bathroom you choose to use. All that matters is what is inside of us.

*Cue the chills that ran all over my body*

He then sang "Same Love" and it was an experience for sure. Everyone around me sang "And I can't change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to..." and for a moment it felt like we were all connected and in fact, no one cared about all the things Macklemore had listed previously. It's amazing how music can bring such a diverse crowd together. After he wrapped up "Same Love" he moved into "White Privilege II" which set a different tone.

I remember standing there listening to the passion in his voice as he rapped about all of the wrong going on in the world regarding black lives and I couldn't help but feel a little ashamed for being part of the group that hasn't necessarily done anything to help. Once Macklemore finished rapping, "We take all that we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?" he stepped to the side and his trumpet player stepped up to the microphone. He then proceeded to list names of individuals lost in recent years and recited a poem that ended in a trumpet solo in honor of all the lost lives.

*Cue even more intense chills*

This was an experience I didn't even think was possible in a concert setting. I felt so many emotions in the time span of two songs, that I didn't know was possible. What's amazing about Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' music is that there might be light hearted songs like "Downtown" and "Thrift Shop," but there are so many powerful songs that address such important topics. I feel honored to be able to be in the same room as them as they performed these two songs that they clearly felt extremely passionate about. I'll never forget what that experience felt like.

As the show went on, it focused more on the light hearted songs, including the first encore which consisted of "And We Danced" and "Dance Off." Macklemore came back on stage dressed as his famous alter ego Sir Raven Bowie in order to preform "And We Danced" which I'm sure you can imagine, was hilarious. He danced around the stage for the entirety of the encore and the crowd jumped along with him. He exited the stage and when he returned everyone gave their all in the performance of "Downtown," Eric Nally included.

From start to finish, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis gave their all and there wasn't one point in the night where I wasn't entertained. I have pretty much dedicated my life to attending concerts and honestly, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are definitely in my top five concerts I have ever been to at this point. The amount of love for the music is insane and to think that they did it all without any help, makes it even more amazing.

In short, 10/10 would recommend.