Photos by Katelyn Villon
On May 23rd, Mac DeMarco completely entranced me. I ditched all the forbidden brainrot I know and adopted Mac’s quirky reputation as he made that stage HIS. His bizarre influence (in a good way) seeps into his surroundings, with hippy stage props and signature beat-up baseball cap, as if he just walked out of a thrift store after becoming top dog in the bin wars. If you haven’t visually seen his art, then you’ve definitely heard of his indie rock work that makes you want garage bands to come back.
Covering the very last show of his tour, Mac turned Humphrey’s into a revolving canvas with diverse colors that visually stuck with you, highlighting lovey moments such as “Heart To Heart,” and “My Kind Of Woman.” He shuffled through his newest songs from the album Guitar to his classics like “Chamber of Reflection,” where I’m sure he hit every musical spot the crowd and I have been craving for.
At the start of the show, Mac DeMarco runs out, reminding me of Slinky from Toy Story, as he opens with the song “Shining.” He bounces everywhere as he fully commits to his silly antics in turning his intimate songs into more woozy, youthful vibes. I felt like I got put on an involuntary rollercoaster as he plunged into high-energy songs and back into slow melodies. A favorite stand-alone moment was when he played “Freaking Out The Neighborhood.” An electric cheer roared just off the first chord struck, instantly convincing me to join the Mac DeMarco following.
Don’t even get me started on his erratic personas. He’s quite the performer, musically and comedically. He inserts snippets between every song where he’s firing himself up to shouting out to the crowd how he’ll skin them alive…I’m sure he won’t, right? My brain turned to static every time he switched personalities, and there was a moment when he lay fully on the floor, and I think that was my most relatable moment with him, because I love floor time too. Then, turning into a full daredevil, he twirled his plugged microphone everywhere on stage. I was honestly impressed with how he didn’t break anything more than his guitar shredding.
The crowd’s reactions were to die for, as they enjoyed every quirky moment just as much as I did. He remixed a range of songs during his set, such as “Ode to Viceroy” and “Moonlight on the River,” with solo instrumentals and flowy crowd work, with lights shining as if I were right by the sea, since the docks were right next to the concert stage. I felt like I was getting pulled in by a siren, and I had no complaints.
Genuinely a one-of-a-kind experience with Mac DeMarco that makes you laugh, cry, sing your heart out, and throws you into a chamber that makes you reflect on life. If you haven’t seen him live yet, this is your sign; his quirkiness will rub off on you.
