Grammy-winning artist Macklemore dropped his final label on Tuesday during a school night extravaganza in Australia that will forever remain in the hearts of hip-hop fans and their moms.
After a sell-out first show at HBF Stadium on Monday, the 40-year-old singer has played a second all-ages show to round out a string of shows across the east coast and New Zealand this month.
The dynamic performer, who burst onto the scene in 2012 with the hit “Thrift Shop” featuring Ryan Lewis, has been a hit with partygoers and radio stations alike for over a decade thanks to his catchy, always-resonant tunes s concern.
After a few Australian tours under his shiny and returning belt, a new generation of fans clearly inspired his rebirth in some way.
Fellow Seattleite Nick Beeba got the 4,500-strong crowd excited with club anthems, but like a steaming cup of tea that wasn’t finished, the 30-minute cool-down period before Mack stormed onto the stage fell a little flat.
Luckily, when the main event came around with his dance and support team, he showed up, every bit a world-class artist with 13 billion online streams and counting.
Bucking the trend of big-name performers eschewing Perth for the glamorous shores of the east coast, the crowd-pleaser artist claims to have saved his best work for the west coast.
In order to pay tribute to Australia, he kicked off his final performance in Perth by performing their jointly released song “CHANT” in 2022 with Australian artists Tones and Me.
Her wild blonde mane and blue tracksuit obscure his flailing arms and fast-moving feet, confirming that blondes are indeed having more fun. At least on stage.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, then welcomed locals to the final night of his Ben’s Australian tour, which coincides with the release of his 2023 album of the same name.
“The end of an era, the end of a chapter. I’m so grateful that we get to be here together,” he told fans.
His opening monologue quickly shifts from the emotional to the physical, giving the audience two instructions—albeit one they struggle to follow.
“We’re here to sweat, we’re here to dance… and to get the fuck high!” he cried.
The charismatic artist instructs fans to “take some photos, take some videos,” before quickly turning off their phones to fully immerse themselves in the experience.
Then he dropped his Triple J Hottest 100 winner thrift store like a ton of cheap basement bricks.
When the crowd reaches a fever pitch, don that famous fur coat and the roof of the arena might be blown off if it’s not welded properly.
Well-known classics “Downtown” and “Glory” received their expected releases and did not disappoint.
The rapper has proudly performed on and off stage from his 2024 pro-Palestinian album Hind’s Hall, which has become a regular fixture at recent shows.
“Same Love” is another song with a strong theme that has become a hit, spreading love and inclusivity to those marginalized by marital inequality or sexism.
The man who loves to bring people together re-engages the audience by finding two confident dancers in the audience for an old-fashioned dance competition that only increases engagement.
The energetic entertainer temporarily swapped the thrift store for a candy store, throwing lollipops into the standing area and then tricking fans into a false finish as he hurried off the stage.
Soon he was performing a poignant rendition of Good Old Days with Tones and me, wearing a Wallabies rugby shirt and embracing the Dance Monkey singer, who he claimed was willing to perform for free.
Mack ends with “shoey”, reinforcing an Australian trend that has quickly become a tradition for touring performers in all disciplines.
The final performance of “Can’t Hold Us” once again raised the ceiling and sent confetti raining down on the crowd.
In Macklemore’s own words: “That’s how you end a damn tour.”
score
4.5 stars out of 5
