Artist Mac Miller raps at Auditorium

Excitement surrounded the IU Auditorium, and eager concertgoers waited for doors to open at 7 p.m.
 
The first concert of Little 500, featuring Mac Miller, the Cool Kids and the Come Up, premiered last night and kicked off with a bang as doors opened and people flooded through security checkpoints.

“Mac Miller is really tight,” junior Jordan Daniel said. “He’s an independent artist, and the fact that he’s doing it on his own is pretty awesome.”

Mac Miller, a 19-year-old hip-hop sensation from Pittsburgh, Pa., “couldn’t have chosen a better place for his concert,” Daniel said.

Doors opened at 7 p.m., but the actual concert didn’t begin until 8 p.m. Mac Miller appeared on stage at 9:30 p.m. with flashing lights and his lastest album, “Macadelic,” as background.

Heavy bass shook the auditorium floor, and fans wearing neon tank tops screamed in excitement.

“I’m here to have a good time,” freshman Maclaran Webb said. “Mac Miller has done a great job of reaching out to high-school and college students alike. I think that what he does, for the musician he is, inspires a lot of people. Granted it may not be the most socially acceptable music, but he gives his audience the music they want
to hear.”

Mac Miller’s fan base typically resides in the 15- to 23-year-old age bracket, according to the Boston Urban Music Festival, a festival he performed at last year. Mac Miller has built up his following through Internet-released albums and a variety of YouTube videos.

Before the concert, a meet and greet took place at Dope Couture, an apparel store on College Avenue. The Cool Kids signed posters and took pictures with excited fans.

“The Cool Kids have always had a lesser-known presence,” freshman Jacob Fehlhaber said. “I thought they would eventually break the mold, but it hasn’t happened yet. They pride themselves on their ability to maintain artistic integrity and have a very lax attitude about their music, for as much work as they put into it.”

The Cool Kids are a hip-hop rockabilly group from Illinois, who released their first album through their own label, C.A.K.E. Recordings. Rapper Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll said this was the group’s first appearance at IU.

“My DJ went and graduated from IU so I’ve heard a lot about it,” Ingersoll said. “I’m happy to be here and finally get to experience it. I’m excited about the show tonight and I hope that everybody enjoys it.”

Prime Social Group, the promotion company endorsing the Macadelic Tour, representative Sinclair Wheeler said this was its second show at IU.

“The first person we brought was Janelle Monáe in the fall,” Wheeler said. “I enjoy bringing concerts to IU because I went to school here and we have a really good relationship with everybody at the auditorium. It is a beautiful venue and a great place to throw concerts.”

Wheeler attended IU for nearly two years and then dropped out to pursue his music career.

More than a week before the concert, Union Board released a statement saying, “tickets are almost sold out” and that the 3,200 auditorium seats were almost full.

The first concert of Little 500 week was undoubtably popular with students and local residents alike.

“I’ve been listening to Mac Miller since before anybody knew him,” Bloomington resident Brandon Wilson said. “I went to the concert last year when he opened for Wiz Khalifa and he was amazing.

“Honestly seeing him grow from last year, opening for Wiz, to this year, having his own show, is incredible. He’s gotten so much better in just one year. This is gonna be one hell of a show.”

— Contributed by Raven Carpenter