Mac Miller : The Div
Roughly a month after the release of The Divine Feminine , his most critically acclaimed album to date , Mac Miller set off on a nation-wide tour named after the album . I was lucky enough to attend the Atlanta stop on October 17 , 2016 , which was the official first stop of the tour outside of the festivals that he had been performing , so it was a great night with really high energy .
The show started off with a kooky and fun DJ set form DJ Clockwork , Mac ’ s long-term DJ , and it was enough to get everybody ready for Mac . Instead , the stage was graced with another DJ from the West Coast by the name of LAKIM . His set was definitely ambitious , but it didn ’ t resonate with the crowd as well as Clockwork ’ s set did . While DJ Clockwork intermingled some of his own goofy records into his mix , LAKIM tried his best- and at times viciously nailed it- blending neo-soul , trap , funk , and EDM . In both cases , the music was unpredictable and undeniably fun . It can be argued whether it was a good idea to put two DJ sets back to back at this show , but I ’ m sure that no other DJs would have set the tone so accurately for Mac Miller ’ s incredible set . Regardless , after LAKIM exited the stage , everyone in attendance was ready for Mac to make his appearance .
While the wait felt like forever , the MC did not leave the crowd waiting long . About 10 minutes post-LAKIM ’ s exit , the lights dimmed and “ Cinderella ” started blasting from every possible angle . The screams of all the girls in attendance combined with the yelled approval from the guys was deafening , rivaling the level of the track . Then the light show began as Mac Miller ran out right as his verse began , standing front and center reciting one of the standout cuts from The Divine Feminine until the chorus came back around . And that is when the crowd went crazy . The floor was jumping while the seats upstairs were swaying , but the entire Tabernacle was full of genuine love , joining the absent Ty Dolla $ ign with almost drunken enthusiasm .
“ I BEEN WAITING ALL NIGHT FOR THIS MO- MENT ! I BEEN WAITING ALL YEAR FOR THIS MOMENT !”
And no other song could have accurately portrayed how the crowd was feeling at that very moment . We had all endured the DJ ’ s to make it to the main attraction , and we were finally being rewarded after 80 minutes or so . This was also pre-election of Trump , so while the year had not turned so cynical yet , everyone in attendance had been waiting for a show like this . This was a show that your dad could have a beer to while simultaneously being a show that teenagers could mosh to . It was a chance to chill out and have some fun without worrying about the election next month or the midterms next week ; it was lovely .
After the standing ovation that concluded his performance of “ Cinderella ,” Mac took the time to introduce himself to the crowd ( which I think is extremely underrated , regardless of one ’ s stature ), thank everyone in attendance , and to remind everyone at The Tabernacle to keep buying music . It was quick and concise , giving us a breather because the next string of his songs would be nonstop . Without further ado , he streamlined straight into some cuts from GO : OD AM , Watching Movies With The Sound Off , and Faces , and the energy was a lot more visceral than the song that he opened to . The experience was fun to say the least ; it was like taking a journey throughout the past 3 years and realizing how much Mac had grown as an artist . Even Alexa , who wasn ’ t familiar with his pre-GO : OD AM cuts , was feeling the ambiance ; the whole venue was electrified . What he was doing was priming the audience because he was about to delve into three more tracks from The Divine Feminine , and he wanted that same energy to carry through to the more mellow and slower tracks coming up .
And dammit , he pulled it off . “ Congratulations ” which is a song that should never be allowed on the aux when you ’ re with the homies . He swayed through “ Stay ” and “ Dang !” with ease and kept the venue moving the entire time . Mac worked the crowd , and it was impressive . If he wanted us to keep dancing , he knew exactly what needed to be done . So as he went back to one of the standouts from GO : OD AM , “ Weekend .” I was secretly hoping that Miguel would just pop out at any moment , but the performance was outstanding nonetheless . If Miguel could have seen how the crowd handled his chorus , he would have been proud of us .
Then our host decided to take us down memory lane . This year , he rereleased his true breakout mixtape , Best Day Ever , for its fifth year anniversary , so it was only right that he dedicated a song or two to this continued