With a sold out crowd filling the Vogue Theatre on Granville Street, Pittsburgh native Mac Miller took to the stage for the first of his two nights of sold out performances in Vancouver. It should be noted that the second night was at the 19+ Commodore Ballroom and this one was an all ages show. Say what you want about “all ages shows” but this one had all the energy of a 19+ hip hop show you’d see at The Commodore or even Fortune Sound Club.
Mac is currently embarking on his Blue Slide Park Tour across North America and just like Vancouver the shows are mainly sold out. His album, of the same title as the tour accomplished something no other artist has done in 16 years, it was the first release from an independent artist that went to #1 on the sales charts. To give you my honest opinion I feel that the BSP album is not as strong as some of Mac Miller’s earlier mixtapes, but it is still a solid debut for the young rapper. With the hit record and mixtapes to pull from Mac Miller had a high energy arsenal of tracks to choose from for his set.
With DJ Money blasting the beats all night Mac had the crowd bouncing their hands in the air, almost all night. The orchestra section at the front of the stage looked more like a mosh pit than a hip hop crowd and Miller seemed to enjoy this energy. Once the first few beats from the hit ‘Knock Knock’ dropped I was almost sure the roof was going to blow off of the 70 year old Vogue Theatre. Of course it didn’t but as Mac’s set blasted along it kept getting close.
On this night I had the chance to talk to one of Vancouver’s very own up and coming (white) rappers; SonReal. SonReal was at the show and we enjoyed it together near the back. As the night rolled on SonReal was just as into it as the rest of us. He said after the show that “It was sick. Mac really motivates me, to see him sell out a venue this big in Vancouver.” Whatever pre-conceived notions you have of white rappers, you have to admit that Mac Miller is doing his own thing and going it well. With the tour selling out venues across North America it is clear that people agree with SonReal and myself.