05 May My Oh My: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Well, folks. After 15 years of journalism and creating writing, I’m done. I’m packing up my pens. I’m throwing away these notebooks. I’ve found my true calling: A backup dancer for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

No, no. I can’t dance. I have zero coordination or rhythm. But after the duo’s performance, I am so jealous of the joy pouring off that Ford Stage that I’m re-evaluating all of my life choices. Last night, I bore witness to one of the most outstanding SunFest sets I have seen in recent years– and I’m going to tell you why in excruciating detail.  

I have never had an opportunity to see Seattle’s Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, better known as Macklemore, or his other half, Ryan Lewis, until yesterday. In all the festivals I’ve attended, they’ve never even been on the docket. I’d like to think that the concert gods had this waiting up their sleeves. I can’t fathom a better place to see these masterful artists than my hometown of West Palm Beach.

After a very brief weather delay, the headliners were ready to perform. Starting with “Ten Thousand Hands,” off of their 2012 release The Heist, Macklemore and Lewis exploded on stage.

“A little rain?” Macklemore cried out to the crowd. “A little rain just makes us go that much harder. We’re from Seattle, Washington. We get a little rain, and we’re like, okay, it’s time to perform. We’re ready to turn up, right? We’ve been waiting for this one, man. We’ve been waiting for SunFest, Florida!”

The crowd’s screams were deafening. I soon realized I was also screaming. A gigantic version of that little GAP girl. My own excitement could not be contained.

Macklemore shared that he had family in Florida, and the night’s set was dedicated to his nephew for his birthday. Cracking a joke that Brad Pitt is also family, Macklemore put the Ford Stage catwalk to good use by edging out into his sea of fans, performing the track named after the heartthrob actor. 

One thing we quickly learned is Macklemore is just as skilled at stage banter as he is at rapping. His conversations with the crowd were hilarious, candid, and endearing. In fact, if I had one word, to embody everything the singer is: it’s endearing. 

We were treated to “Thrift Shop” as the third song, and out from the sides of the stage poured a whole crew of dancers, in costumes. Oh, there were costumes, folks. I’ll share more on that below, but even Macklemore’s main attire was festive– a beachy, Hawaiian-style shirt paired with his cool black jeans. Lewis also felt the Florida flair and showed a little leg.  

“He’s brave this evening, bringing his legs out,” Macklemore teased. “They haven’t seen sunlight in 2.5 years.” Lewis, in response, flashed a little more thigh.

Later in the set, while performing “Let’s Eat,” Macklemore pulled out a plate of [presumably delicious] cookies and began handing them out to the crowd. (Friends, I do apologize, I was not able to confirm the flavor.)

“Make some noise for some food!” someone screamed from the stage. Everyone cheered, but soon there was just one lonely treat left.

“I wanna throw this thing,” Macklemore said. “I need someone on shoulders. I need a target!”

A girl in The Stand section was quickly hoisted on a pair of tall shoulders. The fan and Macklemore had a brief exchange, before the entire crowd to encouraged to chant, “Throw it!”

So he winds up, leverages the catwalk, and throw this damn cookie way the heck over her head– causing the cookie to land somewhere back by the soundstage. A home run!

“This is the first festival of the year for us,” Macklemore said. “The beginning of many. This is the first one. When we look back at the greatest fest, of all the fests, you know what I wanna say? Europe was cool, Europe was cool. But those people in South Florida? At SunFest? They were the best.”

The crowd, and the screaming child inside of me, went ballistic.

After singing “Can’t Hold Us,” the backup dancers, Macklemore and Lewis all left the stage. The lights dimmed, and the crowd grew anxious. Was it over? Were they coming back? 

We didn’t fret for long. A hilarious video featuring British flags, cats, and Samuel L. Jackson began to play, leading us into “And We Danced.” Macklemore bounded back on the stage, wearing a platinum blonde wig, a tight white tank, and a shimmery, mermaid cape. He wore the ensemble for the entire song, much to the delight of the crowd. He’s leaping into the air. He’s wiggling on the ground. The bliss in the air was almost tangible. 

The energy being wielded before us was infectious. It was refreshing! I felt myself falling in love with live music, and specifically Macklemore and Lewis’ craft, all over again. The duo’s hits were perfectly balanced by conversations, costume changes, and flickering images of cats on the jumbotron.

I do want to take a moment to say that sometimes all of these funny, flashy things can be a distraction– a need to compensate for actual talent. But not here. The talent possessed equally by Macklemore and Lewis can not be suppressed, outshined, or even ignored. If you tore everything else away, you would still have two remarkable, determined artists who command attention all on their own.

After a darling “Dance Off,” the stage cleared again, but the crowd couldn’t be fooled. We knew what was ahead. One last, brilliant song. And we wanted it so badly. We chanted, panting, for more.

And suddenly, the stage was alive with outrageous outfits, break dancing, sparklers raining down, and splits. We were gifted “Downtown.” The crowd sang every word out loud. We did dance. We smiled until our mouths hurt and our cheeks burned. 

“Florida, my name is Macklemore,” he said. “We love you guys. We can’t wait to come back.”