Mac Miller returns to Richmond
Photo by Travis Ellison
Rapper Mac Miller’s GO:OD AM Tour stopped in Richmond Thursday night.
Along with openers Earth Gang, Michael Christmas and Choo Jackson, Mac Miller performed at The National before a sold out crowd of more than 2,000 fans. Lines began as early as 10 a.m.
The tour is an effort to promote the rapper’s latest album, “GO:OD AM” released in September under his new label Warner Bros. records.
The album, which features guest appearances from rapper Ab Soul and singer Miguel, debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 chart and also sold nearly 100,000 copies.
The show began at 8 p.m. with rapper Choo Jackson, who was followed by budding rapper Michael Christmas, who has been featured in The Source magazine and mentioned in Complex’s “25 New Rappers to Watch Out For in 2014” list.
The last opener was rap duo EarthGang. Former students at Hampton University, the Atlanta-based group felt right at home in nearby Richmond.
“Richmond, I love y’all! This might be favorite show on the tour thus far,” member Johnny Venus said.
After EarthGang’s energetic performance, the crowd began chanting loudly, “We want Mac!”
At 9:45, Miller ran onto stage and performed a fan favorite, “Loud,” from his debut album. Miller’s set spanned more than an hour and thirty minutes, and the artist performed several songs from his catalogue including “Watching Movies,” “100 Grandkids,” “Weekend” and the Platinum certified single “Donald Trump” from his debut album.
Throughout his set, which featured plenty of crowd interaction, Miller thanked his fans for the support over the years. Despite being independent for most of his career, Miller has been able to foster one of the strongest and dedicated fan bases in music.
Anne Gallo, a sophomore at VCU, said she was one of Mac’s biggest fans who attended his concert at The National.
“The show was pretty great,” Gallo said. “I’m a fan of Mac because he just makes me feel empowered in a way. I can do anything I set my mind to and I feel that way from listening to his music,” Gallo said.
Gallo said she sat and waited for Miller nearly 12 hours before the show in hopes of gaining front row access and maybe even meeting the artist himself. To Gallo’s surprise, she said she had the chance to meet him before the show.
“He was really cool. He took a picture with me and signed a CD,” Gallo said. “He’s such a down to earth guy who never let fame destroy the type of person he was.”
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mac Miller is one of hip-hop’s most popular and succesful young rappers in the game. First coming onto the scene in 2007, Mac Miller has released many mixtapes and three critically acclaimed albums.
His debut album “Blue Side Park,” released in 2011, debuted at number 1, sold over 300,00 albums and has been certified Gold (500,000 albums shipped). His follow up, “Watching Movies with the Sound Off” was also commercially successful, selling more than 250,00 copies.
Throughout his career, Miller has worked with fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, artists Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell Williams and singer Ariana Grande.
In addition to this musical career, Mac Miller has also began a career in television and acting, which has resulted in his own reality-series on MTV2 called “Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family.”
Miller’s GO:OD AM Tour stops in Toronto, ON on Dec. 20.
Online News Editor, Muktaru Jalloh
Muktaru is a senior double majoring in English and political science with a minor in media studies. Topic areas Muktaru enjoys covering include music, sports, pop culture and politics. // Twitter | Facebook
