LEWISTON — Fresh from their national touring debut as headliners, Seattle rapper Macklemore and his producer/DJ, Ryan Lewis, will give an an open-air performance at Bates College on Friday, Sept. 16.

Open to the public at no cost, the 8 p.m. concert will be on the Library Quad, accessed from Campus Avenue between Chase Hall and the Edmund S. Muskie Archives.

Macklemore, the stage name for hip-hop recording artist Benjamin Haggerty, is known for passionate, high-energy shows. During their spring 2011 U.S. tour, Macklemore and Lewis sold out most of their shows, including those in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and a three-night run at the Showbox at the Market, in Macklemore’s home town of Seattle.

Fans find Macklemore refreshingly honest”Wings,” an ode to the perfect pair of basketball shoes, confronts consumerism and the childhood pressure to be “cool.” “My Oh My,” a tribute to Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, received extensive airplay after the local announcer’s death.

Macklemore’s well-received freshman release, 2005’s “Language of My World,” features production by Rhymesayer’s Budo and won praise for its fresh perspective. After a period of artistic stagnation and frustration due to substance abuse, Macklemore committed himself to sobriety and a new dedication to his music.

The catalyst to this change was establishing the partnership with Lewis, an accomplished artist in design, photography and production who also acts as Macklemore’s touring DJ. The two self-released the EPs “Vs.” in 2009 and “Vs. Redux” in 2010, the latter reaching No. 7 on the iTunes Hip Hop charts.

For more information about the concert, call 795-7496 after Sept. 5.

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