The supremely divine talent that is Mac DeMarco (wearing a bucket hat like rest of the band) rolled into Brisbane for a mid-week set at The Fortitude Music Hall (15 January).
The eager crowd (which was massive for a Wednesday in Brisbane; I heard security mention 2,700 as I entered the venue as Pond were playing their final two songs), that was predominately made up of punters in their early 20s (and, who most likely, were enjoying the final days of their uni summer break – “do you guys have a holiday tomorrow,” quipped Mac at one point) were treated to a most wonderful performance from Mac and his backing band (Joe - drums; Andrew - guitar; Jon - bass guitar; and Alex - keyboard - who was celebrating his (18th) birthday on the night).He started with ‘This Old Dog’ track ‘On The Level’, the psych-laced beats overlaid by the crooning, bruised vocals of Mac that soon had everyone swaying in unison, the twin chandeliers overhead playing their part perfectly to create a kaleidoscopic atmosphere of lighting.
Then arrived the goofy, folky charm of 2014's 'Salad Days' and you just knew Mac had landed this crowd in the palm of his hand as the "La la la la la, la la la la, la la la la, ohs!" echoed around the Music Hall.
And just to showcase he can still write a crafty pop song that hooks itself to your brain like an ear worm, Mac wheeled out 2019's 'Here Comes The Cowboy' number 'Nobody' – and he's still only 29 world.
The pace of the show began to quicken with the '60s Californian reverb of 'The Stars Keep On Calling My Name'; another highlight of the first half of the set was 'My Old Man'.
Then came a brief interlude as the band soundcheck onstage, Mac humming Seal's 'Kiss From A Rose' that soon began to crescendo into a full-blown cover, Mac teasing: "Who sings the original, I don't know!" Of course he did, as he launched full throttle into "I've been kissed by a rose!!".
Mid set he performed a new track, 'I Like Her', that he said was a love song, but also kinda felt a little creepy; he let the audience decide which one it was; gauging by their reaction, he has another chart-topping ballad on his hands.
Another element to the Mac DeMarco live experience is his witty banter in-between (and sometimes during) songs.
Mac comes at it from a different angle than most musicians who enjoy engaging their audience, with a series of manic outbursts littered throughout the set that, at times, feels he’s been inhabited by a Tom Waits-styled character but with the giddy joy of SpongeBob (try wrapping your head around that visual).
It’s highly entertaining. But you also wonder whether Mac needs such diversions to keep the music fresh in his own head, so he doesn’t trail off in boredom while on stage in front of so many eager, attentive sets of eyes.
Given the amount of touring he does, it’s little wonder he needs such distractions. But I also suspect Mac is the centre of fun wherever he is.
Also, if anyone finds Mac's Florida driver's licence (that he lost in the CBD during the earlier hours earlier in the week – sounds like a story he should've shared with us, really) he said you can keep it; unless you look like him; then you can use it to drive around Florida – the definition of win-win!
Unlike the majority of the crowd who were looking to kick-on, this reviewer needed his bed stat, so after Mac performed a shuey onstage (from a punter's shoe no less - yuck!) and 'Chamber Of Reflection' came and went, I'll admit I did bolt.
That was a shame for me, as Setlist mentions they covered Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' during the encore; and judging by the YouTube clips of them performing the song, I walked away a loser. Next time Mac, next time.
