Life Lessons from Macklemore

This week-end I had the most fun seeing Macklemore perform during his Gemini tour. I had seen him perform a few times before and knew he would put on a good show. He performed at the Xbox One launch in NYC several years ago, at the height of popularity, for about 800 people. At the time I was helping lead PR for the launch and had the pleasure of hosting him and his crew, including his manager and girlfriend (now wife), Tricia. Not only did he put on a great show, but he was really nice and grounded. I was struck by how loving he was to Tricia, how down-to-earth their entire group was, and how hard they performed for a corporate show that they could have largely phoned in. I next saw him perform on the Microsoft campus for the Windows 10 launch. Also a great show, which I enjoyed with several thousand teammates.

But this was the best Macklemore concert EVER. Because – I got to go with my big kids. It was the first concert I have been to with them and I couldn’t wait. They are of an age where many of their friends went with friends vs. parents, so I was honored they joined us happily. We had a fantastic time. And as expected, Macklemore put on an incredible show. He is from Seattle and really delivered for his hometown crowd.

There is a lot I love about Macklemore. Great tunes, clever lyrics, catchy hip hop beat, and how he intermixes different musicians amidst his rap hooks. I love that he is goofy and silly and wears ridiculous costumes. I love that his first hit song was about hitting up Thrift Shops, making fun of people who pay $50 for a T-shirt. I love that he is anti-substance and a lover of people – preaching inclusion and the beauty of same love for all.

One of my favorite things about this year is that I have embraced a “growth mindset” – embracing learning more so than I can remember in recent memory. I wasn’t planning on bringing a growth mindset to a Macklemore concert, but I was struck by a few life lessons, courtesy of Macklemore himself.

1. Embrace your community. It was fascinating how many local musicians, dancers, and artists joined him on stage. He had several warm-up acts and was joined onstage by each of them. What an incredible gift to the up-and-comers to get to perform in front of their hometown. He frequently referenced Seattle and seems to sincerely love and appreciate the community that supported him first. He also thanked the audience for leaving their homes, joining the community, and coming together to celebrate music. He was referencing the violence we have seen this year, including at other concerts, and I loved that he acknowledged everyone’s presence – and choice to enjoy the music live – vs. YouTube or otherwise. I remember shortly after the Arianna Grande concert shooting and Las Vegas festival shootings wondering if we should still take our kids to Macklemore. Was it an unnecessary risk? And I’ll admit, I carefully looked for the fastest escape route should we need it. That’s just smart planning. Thankfully we did not. And we had a great, live experience that will create a lifelong memory – in a world that can be confined to 2D screens.
2. Be present. Another awesome lesson to this crowd of phone lovers. We all took lots of photos and videos of course. The kids were Snapchatting. I posted to Instagram. We were just like most people at the show. At one point, I found it hilarious that one of the openers asked the crowd to raise their phones in the air (with lights on) – similar to in the olden days when people would raise their lighters. Everyone had a phone. But toward the end of Macklemore’s show, he paused and acknowledged the pictures and videos. Reinforced he would do the same. And how we all document memories. But then. He asked everyone to put away their phones and simply be present. Enjoy the music. Enjoy the show. Stop documenting and just enjoy. Such great advice – not just for his show, but for life.
3. Love what you do. This was less what he said, and more what he did. He put on a great, great show. Performed many songs over the course of two hours. Danced, used the stage, at one point flew through the air, changed multiple costumes, and poured his heart into singing. He must have been exhausted given his level of high energy through-out the show. He did several encore songs including an extra special song, just for the Seattle audience. And then the lights went out. The show was officially over. James Brown’s “I Feel Good” played as the crowd started to file out. We had great seats close to the stage, so needed to wait for many to file out before us. Which was great, because it was a birds-eye view of true passion. Rather than disappear off stage, Macklemore kept dancing to James Brown. Playing to the crowd around the stage. And generally enjoying the moment. He was in no hurry to leave. Just loving the stage. I’m reading this book called “Drive” by Daniel Pink (a great book, I’ll write about it) and he describes how true masters of their craft lose themselves in the flow or magic of the experience. I think Macklemore was in perfect flow. Loving every minute. Something for us all to aspire for.

So there you have it! Life lessons from Macklemore. I couldn’t be a bigger fan.