Macklemore wowed the crowd but not before reminding them how different things have been over the past two years. Photo / Getty Images
Macklemore wowed the crowd but not before reminding them how different things have been over the past two years. Photo / Getty Images
COMMENT:
Covid feels like a lifetime ago, but this time last year, 30,000 people packing Western Springs would have sounded like a fairytale and no one knew that more than Macklemore.
But before the American-born rapper could reunite with his Kiwi fans for the first time in five years, they were treated to an array of other throwback performances.
The irony of it all was that TLC was unable to make the show because of, yes, you guessed it, Covid.
While the crowd missed the chance to hear a 2022 rendition of Waterfalls and No Scrubs, the gap was quickly filled. Not only by MC’s Fatman Scoop and Clint Roberts but also by the atmosphere of millennials and Gen Z’s, who were after one thing and one thing only.
Jay Sean took the stage early in the night and wanted everyone there to know one thing: “You paid your hard-earned money to be here, and I’m not going to let you down!” he yelled before launching into his 2009 hit Down.
The tune was an immediate hit with the masses and before long they were ready for the next.
Shaggy performs during Friday Jams Live. Photo / Dave Simpson/WireImage
In between each set a ZM DJ played, hyping up the crowd in ways that resembled a Saturday night at the club. Were we on the viaduct or at Western Springs? We’re still not sure.
What we did know is Shaggy was not impressed with the crowd. He asked them to get low, and they were not having it. Get low? Us? We are millennials! Our knees are weak.
“Tomorrow is leg day,” Shaggy joked. It immediately ignited the Kiwi mentality in the crowd. You tell us we can’t do something, well we are going to do it better than you’ve ever seen. And just as the Black Ferns impressed the world on Saturday, the crowd finally impressed Shaggy.
Satisfied with their sudden enthusiasm, the Jamaican-American singer launched into his hit tune It Wasn’t Me. If you ever needed to confess your infidelities, that would have been the time.
So she caught you in the portaloo lines talking to another girl? Say it wasn’t you.
Havana Brown performs during Friday Jams Live at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Dave Simpson/WireImage
Ashanti took the stage before the big performers of the night and while everyone wanted to jam to her songs, there was only one that stood out, Foolish.
The song recently went viral on TikTok, but without the help of social media, it felt like a majority of the crowd wasn’t familiar with her newer music.
Akon took the floor next and the crowd was ready, nearly 30,000 people chanting his name but not before a call out from Fatman Scoop, “Aotearoa women are some of the finest women in the world,” he shouted into the mic, “and I do want to give a shout out to the Black Ferns!”
The crowd immediately went wild. The only thing that would have made the moment better is if the Black Ferns themselves arrived on stage.
Akon performs during Friday Jams Live at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Dave Simpson/WireImage
Instead, the crowd was met with Akon, and there was zero disappointment.
From I Wanna Love You to Dangerous and even Sexy B***h, Akon crowd surfed his way through the performance. “New Zealand,” he said, addressing the masses, “on a global level, it was you who made me who I am.” he touchingly told the crowd.
Akon led us to a killer DJ set by Havana Brown. Given the choice, the crowd likely would have skipped to the headliner, but Brown pumped the crowd up in anticipation. She played nothing but iconic tunes and had every single person in the crowd dancing.
With the humid air, the thousands of people and the sense of nostalgia it felt like we really had said goodbye to the big bad pandemic and finally entered the roaring 20s.
And while she accidentally called us Aussies during the middle of her set, her tunes were so good, we forgave her.
Finally, Macklemore took the stage.
Macklemore and Tones and I perform during Friday Jams Live at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Dave Simpson/WireImage
Wearing a matching green suit with diamond detailing and a sassy beret, the 39-year-old rapper may have looked small on stage but his presence was larger than Pete Davidson’s BDE.
“Welcome to the show, you beautiful people,” he grinned, “my beautiful New Zealand.”
It’s no secret the star is a fan of the country, as much as the country is a fan of him, but he always makes us feel like the favourite child and we love it.
Alongside Aussie singer - and surprise performer, Tones & I, the two covered Same Love, Glorious, Can’t Hold Us, Dance Off and White Walls among other hits.
Things took a slightly vulnerable turn during his set.
“I thought my career was over. I thought this was over,” he told the crowd, referencing the pandemic. “Covid kicked everyone in the d**k.”
“But there are 30,000 people here tonight to prove that Covid is over, and we are back!”
The crowd roared, and Macklemore stopped to take it all in. “There’s something special about this place,” he said.
Before it could get too emotional he pulled up two members of the crowd for a proper dance off, “I need two people who can dance, not just the two drunkest people,” he laughed.
They took part in a battle that had the crowd screaming so hard it’s likely they won’t have voices today. Did it matter? Not in the slightest. Everyone felt glorious.
He ended the night with Can’t Hold Us and a piece of wisdom, “Fruit bursts,” he paused, “don’t take that s**t for granted.”
