Hip-hop artist Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis will perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. The concert sold out within days of sale openings.
Up-and-coming hip-hop artist Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis recently have stirred up quite the frenzy among students in East Lansing.
Jerome White, the managing partner of The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing, said the musical interests of MSU students are expansive, but generally, college students tend to favor hip-hop concerts.
“(New-school hip-hop) is probably the most popular genre amongst college-aged people,” he said. “(Macklemore and Ryan Lewis) happen to do it very well.”
Doors open at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at The Loft as part of The Heist: World Tour.
Although organizers expected the show to be popular, White said he did not expect tickets to sell out weeks beforehand.
No-preference freshman John “JP” MacRitchie said he was planning on attending the show on Tuesday, but was forced to sell his tickets after an unforeseen scheduling conflict arose.
By the time he got around to selling his tickets, MacRitchie said their value had skyrocketed.
“I already regret not being able to go to the show,” MacRitchie said. “(My tickets) sold in two days after receiving multiple offers. I was offered upwards of $90 when they were originally only $20.”
Recently, The Loft hosted reggae musician Matisyahu — another sold-out show. White said he originally predicted the Matisyahu show would sell out faster than Macklemore, but sales proved otherwise.
“We were surprised,” he said. “The show we were expecting to sell out faster was Matisyahu, but tickets remained for a few days before that show. Tickets (for Macklemore) went a lot faster than we anticipated.”
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have gained many college-aged followers through a strong social media presence, according to White. Environmental geosciences freshman Paige Lackey agreed that online exposure has contributed to Macklemore’s success.
“People hear about (him) from the media and other people,” she said. “Nonetheless, it’s just great music.”
Psychology sophomore Claire Jung discovered the hip-hop artist while surfing YouTube. After watching the music video for his song “And We Danced,” she found herself hooked.
“I was instantly drawn to his uniqueness and dedication to his music,” Jung said. “I like that (Macklemore) has kept his music and wardrobe — thrift-shop clothes — all about him and his style.”
Tuesday’s concert is just one of multiple sold-out shows The Loft recently has hosted. Lackey said she’s happy to see performers locally rather than in neighboring big cities.
White said if shows continue to sell out at this rate, The Loft will be able to attract the attention of other popular musicians across the country.
“The cool thing about these sellouts is the more support (The Loft) gets, the more flexibility it gets us to take chances and bring in more big-name artists,” he said.
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