Concerts Verizon Center

Macklemore @ Verizon Center

Posted on December 28, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Heist, his 2012 album with producer Ryan Lewis, contained the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

This was a fun shoot. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are very high energy and the crowd was ready to party. The Verizon Center was only half full though. Since it’s the group’s first time through town since they’ve become huge, I guess it was hard to gauge ticket sales.

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore (right) performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Heist, his 2012 album with producer Ryan Lewis, contained the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Heist, his 2012 album with producer Ryan Lewis, contained the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Heist, his 2012 album with producer Ryan Lewis, contained the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The duo is still riding high off of their 2012 album, The Heist, which contains the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

SHOOTING NOTES: Photogs for this gig were given a choice: first three songs from the soundboard or songs two and three from the pit. I had heard the stage was much higher than normal for this show so I chose to shoot from the soundboard with a rented 400/2.8. I think shooting from the pit would have been fine, but ultimately I wanted as many songs as I could get. Lights were good and Macklemore moved around quite a bit. Ryan Lewis mostly hung by the back of the stage but did come forward in the third song when Macklemore started jumping around.

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The duo is still riding high off of their 2012 album, The Heist, which contains the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The duo is still riding high off of their 2012 album, The Heist, which contains the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The duo is still riding high off of their 2012 album, The Heist, which contains the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2013 - Macklemore performs at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Heist, his 2012 album with producer Ryan Lewis, contained the #1 singles "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us." (Photo by Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post) (Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post)

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Kyle Gustafson is a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C. His work appears weekly in The Washington Post. Complex Magazine named him one of the 50 Greatest Concert Photographers Right Now.

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