Inside Mac Miller's Benefit Concert: Moving Tributes, Surprise Guests, And A Tearful Ending

On September 6, the day before Mac Miller's untimely death, he tweeted out a link to purchase tickets for his Swimming Tour, promising, "This show is going to be special every night." The 26-date trek was slated to kick off on October 27 in San Francisco before touching down at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre on October 31. And while we'll don't get to be able to see what Mac had in store for that live show, a formidable lineup of his hip-hop family member assembled at the Greek on Halloween to fill the date with a benefit concert that honored Miller's life in stunning, spirited, and definitely special fashion.


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"Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah! / Lala how the life goes on." As fans filed into the Greek on Wednesday evening for "Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life," The Beatles' classic White Album blasted from the outside venue's speakers. There were plenty of Halloween costumes in the crowd — a skeleton, a Pikachu, an angel, a devil — although even more Miller-emblazoned tees and Pittsburgh gear. The merch tables sold black hoodies with the phrase "'92 til infinity" printed on the front, commemorating Miller's birth year. In line at the concessions stand, a couple from Phoenix and two women from Hawaii chatted about their long-but-"worth it" trips there.


When the lights finally dimmed around 7 p.M., A montage of house videos appeared on the big screen, showing a young, smiley Mac dancing and blowing out birthday candles. Miller's childhood best friend, Dylan Reynolds, took the stage several minutes later to perform an acoustic cover of "Come Back to Earth," the cathartic initial track from the rapper's fifth and final album, Swimming. His sweet, simple efficiency kicked off three hours of musical tributes from Miller's companions and collaborators — from J.I.D., who was supposed to open on the Swimming Tour, to NJOMZA, who debuted a new song with the heartbreaking hook, "I miss you / I do / It's true."


But as inherently grim because the evening's agenda was, it ended up being a largely celebratory occasion that only got more adrenalized with each efficiency. Action Bronson lit up a joint while rapping, "I'm just out here livin' my best life." Ty Dolla $ign smashed a guitar and bounded by way of the crowd while in "Blasé," which he mentioned was one of Mac's preference songs. Anderson .Paak got beyond the drum kit for a funk-fueled set that included his Mac collab, "Dang!", While Thundercat's groovy contribution featured cameos from Vince Staples and John Mayer, the latter of whom later returned to cover Mac's "Small Pools."


By the time Rae Sremmurd made a surprise appearance for "No Type" and "Powerglide" — with a shirtless Swae Lee proclaiming, "let's turn up, we on a good vibe" — the crowd was in full-on hype mode. Schoolboy Q kept the energy up with "That Part," revealing that Mac was in the studio with him the night he wrote the track's first verse. SZA reminded us that we'll be all right "long as we got love," while Chance the Rapper's set ran the gamut from sentimental ("Blessings") to swaggering ("No Problem"). It helped that any lag time between performers was filled with something, whether it was a variety of video tributes from the likes of Lil Wayne and Donald Glover, to a moment of silence for the victims of last weekend's Pittsburgh shooting.


Travis Scott was tasked with delivering the finale, and he ended his two-song distributing ("Goosebumps" and also a truncated yet fiery "Sicko Mode") by delivering one of the evening's most moving speeches.


"We all know Mac is watching over us. I just want everybody to just stay strong," he mentioned, pacing the stage as a photo of a young, toothless Miller appeared in back of him. "If you have a friend with you, routinely tell them you love them. Habitually give your mom a kiss, habitually give your dad a hug. No matter if you're upset at somebody, the next day, just check on them. Everybody is somebody. We all one, no matter your skin color, your hair, if you are a rapper, a basketball player. The key word to this whole shit is motherfucking love."


Motherfucking love was, undeniably, the spirit of the evening. Proceeds from the event benefitted the newly launched Mac Miller Circles Fund, which his family member and the Pittsburgh Foundation posthumously long-established in his honor. It helps enrichment of youth arts education in underserved communities, and it's impossible not to think Miller would've loved his name being used to inspire new generations of budding artists.


Mac was actually the last person fans heard from at the end of the night. Soon considering that all the evening's performers gathered onstage for one final goodbye, Miller's voice blasted by way of the speakers, saying, "Thank you guys so much. Have a good night, everybody."


Damn... And just as soon as we thought we'd get by way of the night without crying.