Memory lane: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis concert is one of the greats

When I was in high school, my guilty pleasure was attending concerts. I had two best friends who were always on board and ready with tickets to come with me to the menagerie of venues. I had probably been to every venue in my hometown of Phoenix more than twice and was always willing to go see any artist that came, even if I didn’t know much of their music.  I have to say, a little ashamedly that the best concert I ever went to was when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed at Club Red in Tempe my junior year in October 2012.

I know that today, Macklemore is considered a slight cliché, a kind of rap-pop sellout who, unfortunately, has become more of a joke among young people than an artist. I still stand by my previous statement though. For starters, I had never been to this venue, an unusual thing for me. It was this tiny little hole-in-the-wall venue, pitch-black with some aggressive red neon lights backlighting the bar. I attended this concert with a large group of guy friends, the same people who just days earlier had made me listen to his new song, “Same Love.” Granted, this concert happened before he became famous for radio and media coverage around his supportive LGBT anthem.

You could tell he wasn’t quite a pop star yet because this venue honestly couldn’t have held more than 100 people, all of which were crammed against my back at the front of the stage. Despite the fact that I was being stepped on by my overzealous friends in the crowd, it was the most fun and musical experience I have ever had.

There’s just something about a group of people experiencing something together in an intimate setting, discovering something that they hold secret that creates a unique musical bond between concertgoers. The fact that we were a small privileged group who knew about this young, diverse and controversial artist before anyone else did tied us together in a way that I definitely haven’t experienced since.

Macklemore and Lewis themselves were an overall joy to see. Their lyrics had dark and light stories behind them that painted an oddly true picture of humanity all the while Macklemore crowd surfed over us. Before they were cliché, before “Thrift Shop” was more known for its parodies than the original, these artists represented a small group of talented individuals who were incredibly passionate and excited about their future. They performed for the love of the music, for the excitement of having a crowd respond to their lyrics. They were interactive. Simply watching them made us all excited.

Though Macklemore and Lewis aren’t viewed as the most valuable artists on the scene today, it always puts a smile on my face when I remember that ecstatic, intimate experience with them when they had been but fresh new artists, full of hope for the future of their careers.