22 year old Canadian Mac Demarco's solo career of fucked up rock n roll and off-kilter pop began when a case of tonsillitis led to a series of "elvis like songs", recorded as a joke.
However, Demarco's hazy but catchy tune
Baby's Wearing Blue Jeans blew up on the internet, and despite the "creepiness" of his EP "Rock n Roll Night Club", it was promising enough to be picked up by Brooklyn based record label "Capture Tracks". Only six months later, he released his first full length album "2", proving that despite his raunchy shows and bizarre music videos, he is serious about making coherent, honest art without losing the immediacy and irony of his first demonic yacht rock album.
With his slimy boulevard and groovy beach tunes, perfectly sealed with his organic guitar riffs and sleazy croon, Demarco has only been playing shows for a year, but has managed to create his own genre of what he calls "jizz jazz". Whatever that is, his fans are all for it and unable to find the same kind of groovy, greasy, sincereness anywhere other than within the messy mystique of his two diverse records.
bassist Pierce McGarry, drummer Joe McMurray, Demarco, and lead guitarist Peter Sugar
bassist Pierce McGarry, drummer Joe McMurray, Demarco, and lead guitarist Peter Sugar
On Friday April 5th Mac played a sold-out show at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, which I had the pleasure of attending. Demarco stood in the back selling cassette tapes & vinyls, "shooting the breeze" with his rather laid back fans. In my brief encounter with him, in which I desperately attempted to to keep my cool, he was down to earth & funny (in a none assuming way) as depicted in interviews. When he began his much anticipated set with "I'm a man", an overcrowded mosh of young Demarco enthusiasts went insane, contending that he indeed is the man. As the night continued, Demarco ceased to disappoint with his live renditions of tunes from his first album, and funky & heart wrenching depictions of his most recent album.
I took this picture during his final performance of "Still Together". Screaming his uniquely genuine and sentimental lyrics, the crowd basked in the joy of being in such close proximity to the source of the evening's epic exhibition. Echoes of "encore" filled the room as the band made their exit, followed by Mac who left the stage bare ass cheeks front & center.
Everyone then gathered outside, dripping of sweat; loosely falling onto each other, overcome by after-show-pains and speechlessness. Amongst the chaos, I couldn't help but contemplate the sentiment of the evening. The honesty, modesty, and overall potency of the show proved that his ever growing fan base and I have much to expect from him in the next few years.
Though many find themselves immersed in confusion, curiosity, and no idea whatsoever as to what Demarco is all about- it's evident that he is the real deal & is about to shit all over every hoax musician and authorial music journalist's face with his newfangled music.
Everyone then gathered outside, dripping of sweat; loosely falling onto each other, overcome by after-show-pains and speechlessness. Amongst the chaos, I couldn't help but contemplate the sentiment of the evening. The honesty, modesty, and overall potency of the show proved that his ever growing fan base and I have much to expect from him in the next few years.
Though many find themselves immersed in confusion, curiosity, and no idea whatsoever as to what Demarco is all about- it's evident that he is the real deal & is about to shit all over every hoax musician and authorial music journalist's face with his newfangled music.
© Sakaye 2013. All rights reserved.
