When Mac DeMarco threw the greatest DIY charity concert of all time
Mac DeMarco is a polymath of labels. Indie rocker, psychedelic pop act, ‘jizz jazz’ pioneer – except that last one was by his own creation.
The point is that he’s nothing if not creative, and always in search of the next big idea, which is exactly where his biggest stroke of genius ever hit him. What if he could make new music, connect with his fans, all while donating to a worthy cause and put some good out into the world? It sounded like a strong plan.
So, that’s precisely what he did. The year was 2015, and in many ways, DeMarco needed somewhere to channel his energies into as he returned to a slower pace of life after touring extensively for his album from the previous year, Salad Days. From his home in a beachside town on the outskirts of New York, he conceived of Another One – not quite an EP, but not quite a full album, and instead landing somewhere in between, as what he classified as a ‘mini LP’.
As the North Star of this project and era, the singer had a goal of bridging a sense of connectivity between himself and his fans. He did this via stating his actual address at the end of Another One’s final song, ‘My House by the Water’ – not that this is in any way recommended, by the way – but also throwing a one-off event where he could meet his fans, eat with them, chat with them, and just overall have a good time together.
This seems like a nice idea in theory, but the logistics would have sent anyone into a tailspin if they had thought about it too much. Subsequently, in DeMarco’s classic style, he threw caution to the wind, and set up his own ramshackle charity concert in Brooklyn, cooking a barbecue for the over 700 fans who flocked to show up.
But, of course, what’s a summer event without music? Naturally, DeMarco hadn’t forgotten about that either, but instead of chucking on any old playlist, he had composed an entirely new bespoke record, titled Some Other Ones, made up of instrumental tunes. Yet despite this, the man wasn’t just doing it for the fun – he wanted something in return, and encouraged fans to indulge into their charitable spirits by donating to a food bank.
Given the sheer volume of people that showed up, there were enough donations to fill an entire car, and the event was classified as an absolute success. But within this, it also marked a changing of the tide in DeMarco’s own journey. His sound was no longer so carefree, so fun, so superfluous, and instead had a real meaning and heart carrying through its weight, perhaps for the very first time.
While donating to a food bank might not be seen as the catalyst for an entirely different musical pursuit, it’s easy to see how this era, as a whole, had a profound effect on DeMarco. It was all about true connectivity, and really understanding what it means to provide music for your fans – even if he slightly risked his own safety by giving out his address. He undeniably an indie rocker, a psychedelic pop act, and a ‘jizz jazz’ pioneer, but we can also add being a charitable champion to that list.
