Mac Miller to perform tonight

Rapper Mac Miller will take the stage for his second Little 500 performance tonight.
The show will begin at 7 p.m. at the IU Auditorium as part of his Macadelic Tour.

The Pennsylvania-born performer will be flanked by up-and-coming rap groups the Cool Kids and the Come Up as opening acts.

This will not be the first visit to Bloomington for Miller, who performed last year with rapper Wiz Khalifa during Little 500 weekend.

PJ Tolentino, disc jockey for the Cool Kids, is also experiencing a return to the college town. An IU alumnus, Tolentino typically plays foam parties at Jake’s Nightclub during Little 500 season. The auditorium will be a new venue for him.

“There are some Cool Kids fans, but I’m expecting it to be really a Mac Miller audience,” he said. “A lot of people will be seeing us for the first time and, at first, may be not sure what to make of it.”

Tolentino, however, is convinced the indecision won’t last long. What he describes as the group’s “futuristic old-school” sound will win over the audience, he hopes.
“We take influences from the past and do new shit with it,” he said.

Though the IU Auditorium was unable to release exact numbers, an employee stated the show is selling well.

Senior Zack Montgomery will attend with about 15 residents of his all-male floor in Ashton Center. Though he was unfamiliar with Miller when he heard about the event, he searched Miller’s name on YouTube. Montgomery said he appreciated Miller’s refreshing sound.

“It didn’t sound like what’s popular right now,” Montgomery said. “It didn’t sound like Kanye West or Lil Wayne ... like spoken word with a beat behind it. It was more of a Beastie Boys meets old school.”

In addition to the concert, other events will also be taking place throughout the day.
Dope Couture, a boutique on North College Avenue, will host a meet-and-greet from 4:20 to 6 p.m. with the Cool Kids and special guest DJ Clockwork.

Directly following the concert, there will be an after-party at Jake’s Nightclub. A shuttle service is being offered from the venue to the club that will run until 3 a.m.

Ticketholders can email promo@danyolsonmusic.com to arrange for pick-ups. A $10 cover will be charged at the door.