Campus Program Board featured hip-hop act Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in the first on-campus concert since 2004
Macklemore performed some of his best hits with songs like “And We Danced” and “Irish Drinking Song.” Macklemore was interactive with the audience, and at one point even crowd surfed on a blowup swim mat. (Jackie Jeffers | The Beacon)
By Will Lyons, Staff Writer lyons14@up.edu
Saturday night, the Chiles Center pulsed and beat, full with 2,000-plus screaming fans. When the lights went down and the glow sticks went up, students lifted their voices in a chant: "Mack-le-more! Mack-le-more!"
Rock the Bluff did not disappoint.
After months of planning, the largest event ever put on by the Campus Program Board went off without a hitch. CPB brought Northwest duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis to the Chiles Center, with Grieves and Budo as the opening act.
Rock the Bluff was the first major musical event at the Chiles Center since Good Charlotte came in 2004. John Drinkwater, an agent who helped CPB director and junior Sean Ducey book Macklemore, thinks the venue is perfect for live music.
"Chiles Center is a diamond in the rough," Drinkwater said. "A lot of artists want to play universities."
According to Ducey, the event fulfilled a long hoped-for dream.
"Having a major musician come to campus is something that has been requested from students over and over again," Ducey said. "I couldn't have been happier to bring Macklemore to campus."
For Ducey, student happiness was the best reward.
"Through the hours you spend on a show it means everything to see students walk out the door with smiles on their faces," Ducey said.
There were some incidents on Saturday, including students vomiting in the bathroom and on the floor in the Chiles Center according to Director of Student Activities Jeromy Koffler.
Another issue involved students throwing the free glow sticks CPB distributed.
One student was sent to the hospital and received stitches after getting hit in the face with a glow stick.
"We're going to have to debrief to see what went well and where we can improve," Koffler said.
Overall, Koffler saw the event as a huge achievement.
"When CPB can provide something like this, they are really succeeding," Koffler said.
Post-concert, students' couldn't contain their excitement for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
"That concert was dope, Macklemore's got the flow and energy," senior Alistair Rokstad said. "I was super excited for Grieves as well."
Freshman Jennifer Cacho agrees.
"It was amazing. I touched Macklemore's butt," Cacho said.
Sophomore Mary Fennimore enjoyed the community spirit of the show.
"It was a much better experience than some other concerts because you were with all people you knew," Fennimore said. "You were bumping into friends instead of random strangers."
For some students, seeing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis was a dream come true.
Four UP students, freshmen Connor Snashall and Josh Beagle, and sophomores Dalton Kuhn and Nick Mancinelli, camped out since 11 p.m. Friday night to be first in line to see Macklemore.
According to Mancinelli, they slept in sleeping bags on the sidewalk after P-Safe told them to take down their tents, and were awakened by P-Safe again at 6:30 a.m.
After finally seeing his favorite artist for the first time, words still could not adequately express Mancinelli's joy.
"This was literally the greatest show," Mancinelli said. "Camping out was so worth it."
(The Beacon)
(The Beacon)
(The Beacon)
Hip-hop artist Macklemore said faith is a key part of how he stays centered while working in the music industry. (Monica McAllister | The Beacon)
(Monica McAllister | The Beacon)
(The Beacon)
