Waves of excitement hit the U of O campus, when students were told that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis would be coming to Mat Knight Arena on May 4th to kick off Mallard Madness, an ASUO sponsored event. Pre-sale tickets were only available to Oregon students, so those of us who were lucky enough to be in the pit acknowledge that this was a one of a kind concert. With 8,000 tickets sold, Matt Knight Arena was filled with students dressed in fur coats, Sharkfacegang t-shirts, and eager smiles awaiting the arrival of one of their favorite artists. As the arena grew dark five men took the stage, a drummer, guitarist, DJ, bass player, and a front man named Sol. The energy from this group radiated through the arena and every student was on their feet jumping, and singing along-not caring if they knew the words or not.
In the middle of his set, Sol asked every audience member to put up their cellphone or a lighter in remembrance for those lives lost in the Boston Marathon Bombings, as well as all of those who have been taken from us too soon. Sol, a Seattle based hip hop artist began his set with new tracks, and ended with Yours Truly the title track from his newest album.
The 30 minutes between sets seemed to take hours. But once the stage fell to black, everyone was on his or her feet screaming, and pushing as much as they could to get closer to the security gate. The only light in the arena was from the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis projection on to a giant screen, falling behind the stage. When Ryan Lewis took the stage and began the intro for “Ten Thousand Hours,” roars of excitement traveled through the arena. But nothing compared to the screams of anticipation and happiness once Macklemore ran out on stage, stood in front of Ryan Lewis, and put his finger in the air to began his part.
Macklemore is known for his energy on stage, and this concert was no less. He was running, jumping, dancing, and laughing his way across the stage all night, even crowd surfing at one point. His five-minute speech about Eugene made us all feel connected, even if he was saying that Eugene was one of the weirdest places he had ever been. Macklemore performed his iconic song “Thrift Shop” while wearing a fur coat, compliments of an audience member. A man named “Wanz” joined him on stage but Macklemore refers to him as his uncle. He may be better known as the man who sings the chorus in “Thrift Shop.”
Before the show, Uncle Wanz came and spoke to those of us in the front row, telling us to “be kind to each other and you will enjoy the show.” Before Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed their much talked about single, “Same Love,” Macklemore spoke about equality and how important it is to love one another and leave the days of judgment behind you. Every student in the arena sang along, not missing a lyric and it felt as if this group of U of O students could accomplish what Macklemore spoke so fiercely about.
The show ended abruptly, with a thank you from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. But that was not enough for this audience. With a chant filling the room, and jumps rattling the floor, the duo returned to the stage in costume and began the infamous “And We Danced,” joined by Puddles the Duck. Macklemore transformed into his alter ego, not missing a beat while wearing a blonde wig, and a sparkling cape. They performed “Thrift Shop” once more, and ended the show with “Irish Celebration,” a tribute to Macklemore’s strong Irish roots. This is a contender for the concert of the year for U of O students, and the ache in every ones legs from standing for hours was absolutely worth it. Although the thought of buying presale tickets can be intimidating because they are non-refundable, paying $20 to be front row at the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis concert was worth the gamble. There is something unspoken and special about being at a concert surrounded by fellow Ducks, so take advantage of student prices, and don’t miss out on the next concert!