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Macklemore keeps it light during State Fair show shortened by storm

REVIEW: The Seattle-area performer did more surfing than delving, squeezing in one hit twice despite a show shortened by bad weather.

September 1, 2013 at 10:20PM
Macklemore danced with a stuff tiger as he and Ryan Lewis performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights Min., Saturday, August 30, 2013. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com
Macklemore danced with a stuffed tiger as he performed at the Minnesota State Fair grandstand on Saturday night. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Just like it says in his second of two chart-topping singles, a ceiling couldn't hold the number of fans who turned out to see suddenly ubiquitous rapper Macklemore at the State Fair Saturday.

Especially when all 16,259 of them were told to seek shelter when lightning lit up the sky over the grandstand.

The Seattle-area rapper and his DJ/producer partner, Ryan Lewis, were left with an hour to perform after an hourlong delay in the concert, which forced fans to evacuate into the bowels of the grandstand. Never have so many teenagers seemed so interested in Sleep Number beds and Birdee Golf games, among other vendors housed inside.

Despite the crunched time, the headlining hip-hop duo still managed to squeeze in their feel-good hit "Can't Hold Us" twice. That's right: twice. Seemingly a sign of how eager Macklemore was to please his newly attained, fun-seeking young fans, he dropped in his most recent hit four songs into the show, then delivered it again for a finale.

It was even more fun the second time, but come on.

In the new Rolling Stone cover story on him, the 30-year-old Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) sounded leery about being a one-hit novelty act. And yet he took a discernibly novel, light approach to Saturday's concert. He made for suitably grand entertainment amid all the fair's other amusements, yes, but he did very little to sell the more substantive side of his music.

Of course, there's an unabashed ridiculousness in his other big hit, "Thrift Shop." He delivered the shopper's-delight anthem right away as the show's second song, perhaps out of pity for fans who came dressed in gaudy, uncomfortable vintage clothing (they had no reason to keep it on after that).

Things got even sillier from there. The Cadillac-invoking "White Walls" came off like a cartoony, pointless rap song that a Disney act might record. For "And We Danced," Macklemore inexplicably wore a mullet wig and cape and donned a fake, buffoonish accent. I'd compare it to "Weird Al" Yankovic if only his fans knew who that is.

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Macklemore goofed around a lot between songs, too, hosting a Fruit by the Foot eating contest on stage (comic Chelsea Handler sent him a box of the stuff after he appeared on her E! talk show). He also turned one poor fan's giant, stuffed, midway-won tiger into a crowd surfer. This was all in good fun, and Macklemore certainly proved a charming personality and lively ringleader, as he stage-dived (twice) and danced around his three backup dancers and two-piece horn section.

Musically, though, Saturday's set was a far cry from the powerful one he delivered locally at the Soundset hip-hop festival in 2012. There, he talked openly about his addiction problems and served far meatier songs.

The one glaring exception to Saturday's fluff was "Same Love," his much-discussed single that denounces homophobia and preaches equality for same-sex couples — which flies in the face of a lot of other rap songs and fit the Minnesota State Fair circa 2013 in a whole other kind of way.

"I was excited to hear that here in Minnesota, equality prevailed," he said before the song, referring to the state's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. Advocates of the law would have cheered the sight of 16,000 young fans singing and clapping proudly to the song.

It certainly was a heavy moment. Maybe Macklemore could use his newfound weight with mainstream fans to get behind more than just that one serious matter, though.

Read the set list and more on the show at startribune.com/artcetera.

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Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658


The crowd was still excited as they kept dry waiting for Taliib Kweliand Macklemore and Ryan Lewis to perform at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights Min., Saturday, August 30, 2013. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com ORG XMIT: MIN1308312302500630
The sold-out crowd was still excited as they kept dry waiting for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to perform after an hourlong delay due to lightning. Many fans dressed for the occasion in gaudy, uncomfortable clothing as an ode to the pair’s hit “Thrift Shop.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights Min., Saturday, August 30, 2013. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com
The crowd loved Macklemore’s much-discussed single “Same Love.” “I was excited to hear that here in Minnesota, equality prevailed,” he told 16,000 proudly cheering fans. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Ryan Lewis performed at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights Min., Saturday, August 30, 2013. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com
Ryan Lewis, Macklemore’s DJ/producer partner, played during Saturday’s set. Between songs, the pair goofed around, hosting a Fruit by the Foot eating contest on stage. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

about the writer

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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