Mac Demarco

We somehow found ourselves with free tickets to Phoenix last week.  It was kind of one of those "Free tickets.  Sure.  Why not?" kind of things.  Here's a tip.  Two tips.  Tip 1 - If you have absolutely no interest in seeing a popular band, don't go.  Even if the tickets are free.  Tip 2 (and totally unrelated) - If you've never heard a band but know of them and they sound vaguely interesting, go.

Shortly before the start of the show, we figured out that Mac Demarco was opening and got really excited. I generally have a rule (and an addendum to Tip 1) - never go to a show just to see the opening band.  You'll probably be disappointed.  But seeing as we were already going to see a band we didn't really care about, it seemed like a really great bonus to have an opener that had put out such a great album and that wasn't Phoenix.

We stumbled in to the Queen E a few songs in to Mac Demarco's set.  It all seemed a bit surreal.  This huge theater.  Rows of empty seats.  25 people standing up by the stage.  And Mac Demarco.

As a guy that tries to see the humour in everything and that has probably never been accused of taking something too seriously, it blows my mind that I'm going to say what I'm going to say.  But Mac Demarco needs to stop dickin' around and take his music a bit more seriously.

The set skittered about from faster and heavier versions of songs we knew, to instrumental jazz covers, to...shit...I can't even remember half of what was done.  And then at one moment he starts singing...like really fucking singing...and all you can think is "Where did that come from and why isn't there more of that?"

Honestly, if this guy would take his music/existence the tiniest bit seriously, I can imagine great things.  I just don't get it.