The best concert Mac DeMarco ever witnessed
During a Mac DeMarco show, fans can expect the unexpected. Not one for providing the same scripted performance on a nightly basis, DeMarco takes pride in mixing up his concerts and giving each town a different performance from the one he delivered the previous evening.
Over the years, a typically topless DeMarco has created a series of “viral” moments from the stage. Whether this is inviting a fan from the audience to join his band on guitar or busting out a cover of Vanessa Carlton’s ‘Thousand Miles’, nothing is off limits. For this reason, along with his musical output, DeMarco has earned an immense reputation for his hell-raising shows, and there’s one specific artist he takes inspiration from.
For most music lovers, there is one concert that stands out as a pivotal moment. As a teenager, DeMarco was privileged to witness one performance at a music festival in Canada that changed his perspective forever.
At the time, DeMarco had just turned 18 and had yet to release any music under his name. Although he’d played the guitar with many bands, he had not yet taken complete charge of a project. However, after seeing the former Modern Lovers frontman Jonathan Richman‘s wildly spectacular show at Sled Island Festival in 2008, DeMarco had a clear identity of who he wanted to be.
During an interview with Diffus in 2017, DeMarco named the best concert he’s ever seen and explained how it impacted him. “I think seeing Jonathan Richman for the first time was pretty up there for me. I saw him at a festival in Calgary which is three hours south of my hometown called Sled Island,” the singer-songwriter said.
DeMarco continued: “He played on this big outdoor stage, and it was kind of funny because I think a lot of the crowd were like, ‘What the hell is this?’ It was incredible, really great. I’ve seen Jonathan many times since then, but the first time was like, ‘That’s how you do a show, look at that guy go.'”
Meanwhile, in 2013, DeMarco told Pitchfork that Richman was his role model, partly due to his on-stage demeanour. “I just like his general attitude, and obviously, I really love his music,” he said. “He just gets out there. He’s a grown man, and he’s having a good time on stage. I mean, he’s getting old, but it seems like he’s just had a very enjoyable time his whole life. So hopefully, I’ll be able to grow up and remain relatively happy like him,” the Canadian remarked.
In 2020, DeMarco looked set to make his inner 18-year-old self proud when he announced a short joint headline tour of the west coast with Richman. However, unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic struck and those plans were cancelled. Hopefully, one day they will right those wrongs and make the shows happen.
