25 Years of MC Chris with Mega Ran
MC Chris has been a part of the entertainment industry for 25 years, releasing music, touring, and making animated shows. He’s been around the block and, this year, he’s going on tour with Mega Ran to celebrate. Over two decades have passed, but the music, showmanship, and talent of MC Chris are still as fresh and beloved as ever.
On July 12th, MC Chris performed in Buffalo with Grammy-nominated artist Mega Ran at a packed Milkies Elmwood Lounge. Fans were lined up out the door for the show, buzzing with excitement. The show opened with a set from Mega Ran, whose music has been in all sorts of films across the entertainment industry. With all-original music, Mega Ran’s set was well put together and well thought out, and it flowed in a natural way that the audience loved.
Mega Ran’s crowd work was phenomenal as he made personal connections with patrons, giving the show personal touches that could not be replicated anywhere else. Of his original music, he also sang “That’s Okay”, a song he wrote about his identity, including his name. He got the crowd to circle up, and genuinely tried his best to learn and properly pronounce the names of the people and fans that surrounded him. It allowed him to build relationships with the fans, and also allowed the people in the room to get to know each other, creating a sense of community only achieved through the appreciation of humanity, music, and art.
The energy in the room was all-encompassing, and it was an amazing experience to be around that many fans who were happily singing along to their favorite songs. Even as Mega Ran finished his Set and MC Chris took the stage, the fans were not shy to let their hair down and show him all of the love.
“Let’s just pretend it’s 2005 again,” he called at the top of the show, and they did just that. He brought them back in time, playing songs from his entire catalog, giving the crowd exactly the type of show they were hoping for.
There was something so magnetic about watching everyone in the room reminiscing about good times and happy memories while making new ones at the same time.
The entire crowd knew every single word to the songs he sang, and were fully immersed in the music they have loved for decades. The volume of the place just kept rising, and when I thought they had reached as loud as they were willing to go, they got louder. Every time that MC Chris pointed to the audience, they always understood what he was looking for.
“This is my first audience [on tour] I haven’t had to teach,” MC Chris complimented. “Buffalo’s bringing the flavor!”
He then moved to the nerdy t-shirt contest, which he does at every show, as members of the audience volunteer themselves to be judged by their peers to determine who had the nerdiest t-shirt. The winner of the night will be posted to compete against every show winner to determine an ultimate winner for the tour. Each winner gets to choose a prize, which again creates another personal aspect to the show. No two shows will ever be alike, highlighted by the fact that MC Chris played songs in Buffalo he had never played before. The way he’s able to play off the vibes of the room to cultivate a new experience for each show not only works very well for him, but is also appreciated and enjoyed by the fans.
MC Chris has also been raising money for Cystic Fibrosis for years. The artist has experienced the disease firsthand as his nephew was diagnosed with it at a young age. Throughout his career, MC Chris has raised $150,000 for the cause, and roughly $6,000 so far on his current tour. He has a few different ways fans and supporters can donate, including options online and in person at each show.
If MC Chris (@_mcchris on Instagram) and Mega Ran (@mega_ran on Instagram) are coming to a city near you this year, be sure to check them out. They both have very exciting projects coming up, and many new things on the horizon. If you catch them on tour or at any live show, you’ll get an experience that no other city has had before.
