insiderseattle
Macklemore shares his loyalty to Seattle, Bigger Turnout
Ben Haggerty, or his stage name Macklemore delivered a powerful keynote yesterday about his rise from an independent artist to a worldwide sensation with producer Ryan Lewis. His mid-20’s was spent fighting through drug-addiction and his unexpected deal with Warner to put his song “Thrift Shop” to radio which become the No. 1 song in the world.
Getting discovered in today’s music scene has changed drastically. Days of passing out mixtapes and playing on the streets are of the past. With the rise and popularity of social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram Facebook, and Spotify, Artists can gain massive traction before investing large sums of money. Even Thrift Shop amounted over 1 billion views on YouTube before it was picked up on radio. But keep in mind, as Amaechi Uzoigwe said during Thursday’s keynote, “put your music first.” He suggests too many artists these day and age focus on social media and not enough focus on their craft.
After the Keynotes, attendees flocked over to the “Fest” portion of Upstream to enjoy Day Two’s acts. The main stage shows kicked off with Deep Sea Diver followed by Beat Connection, AlunaGeorge and Flying Lotus.
The Upstream art activation, Liminal Passage was a hit with consistent lines of people waiting to engage with the piece. Something to check out on Saturday.
Main Stage artists to catch today include: Snarky Puppy, Jay Park, Dinosaur Jr., and Shabazz Palaces.
Tickets are still for sale today.
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Courtesy of Upstream Music Fest + Summit