Macklemore, the Grammy-winning rapper and Seattle native, made waves on March 3rd with the release of his third studio album, BEN, and the announcement of his upcoming tour, THE BEN TOUR, produced by Live Nation. The 19-date tour, which is set to begin on September 17th in Nashville, will make stops across the coasts and mid-west of North America. However, local fans noticed the absence of a Seattle tour date on the itinerary, leaving many somewhat confused.
In the early hours of Monday, under cover of darkness, Macklemore and crew made their way to the very wet roof of Neumos on Capitol Hill to hang a banner off the side of the building. The sign read, “MACKLEMORE BEN” to which Macklemore added with spray paint, “MONDAY 3/6 FREE SHOW”. He also took to social media that morning to announce that he would be performing a free all-ages show at Neumos that night. The news caused a frenzy, and fans began lining up outside the venue immediately. By early evening the line stretched for many, many blocks. Macklemore, who sported blue/green hair, took the time to chat with some of the fans in line upon his arrival at the venue. By showtime, Neumos had reached its capacity of approximately 700.
Prior to the show, Macklemore was asked by KING 5 News about the absence of a Seattle tour date, to which he responded, “No Seattle show… yet,” hinting at the possibility of something special being planned. However, during the show, Macklemore put fans’ concerns to rest, assuring them that “We would never, ever skip a Seattle show on tour,” and promising that “More will be revealed.” The performance left fans excited and eager for the announcement of the Seattle tour date.
Macklemore brought his infectious energy and positivity to the crowd with a nine-song set, opening with three songs from BEN starting with “Chant” and “No Bad Days”, followed by “1984”. Mary Lambert then joined him on stage for a performance of the critically acclaimed song, “Same Love”. The set continued with more songs from BEN and ended with a fan favorite, “Glorious”, off his second studio album.
The show wasn’t over, though. Macklemore returned to the stage for an encore with “Good Old Days”, “Tail Lights” and closed the show with his smash hit, “Can’t Hold Us”, which really brought down the house.
Macklemore’s love of his band, collaborators, and family was on full display throughout the night as he expressed his appreciation and thankfulness for each. His wife, Tricia, even joined him on stage at one point. He also reminisced about growing up in the Seattle area and what it means to perform for his local fans.
Macklemore has been busy promoting his latest album, BEN. He made an appearance on NBC’s The Today Show on the day prior to the release, where he spoke and performed “No Bad Days”. Later that night, he was a guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he talked about his album. On Tuesday, Macklemore followed up with a performance of “Tail Lights”, featuring Morray, on The Tonight Show.
For this upcoming tour, Macklemore has partnered with PLUS1 and will be donating $1 per ticket to Bridges – Seattle Alternative Peer Group to support their work in mentoring youth in recovery. The rapper’s commitment to supporting the organization shows his dedication to giving back to the community that helped shape his career.
Fans can expect more exciting announcements from Macklemore as his tour approaches.
