In anticipation of his North American tour, Coachella performances, and a new album release, (the first on his own record label) - Mac DeMarco decided to pregame by performing an intimate gig at the Echo in Los Angeles, California.
The sold out show packed in Mac-hungry fans and friends (including his BFF John C. Reilly) in the tiny 350 capacity venue. After Molly Lewis warmed up the crowd with her opening whistling set, Mac and the boys came out at 10pm sharp. DeMarco wasted no time saying hello to the crowd, goofing around, and revealing that they would be performing his upcoming forth studio album Here Comes the Cowboy.
The crowd went wild - so far there's only been two released singles, and now, we would get the very first taste of his latest album before anyone else. The song started off with album opener / theme "Here Comes the Cowboy." Mac led the tune with his acoustic guitar and sang those words over and over, soon the whole crowd was singing along.
The album's second track is the lead single off the album, "Nobody," which his cult following already knew word-for-word. DeMarco and his band eased into each song and their brotherly dynamic fell right into place, even after five months of not having performed together. (In the fall, Mac completed a solo tour sans his band.)
As they got deeper into the album, it became evident that the themes and elements in each tune was on par with the two singles we've already heard ("Nobody" and "All of Our Yesterdays.") The lyrics are simple, by the end of the song you've already got them down. The songwriting is more stripped back, there's less chorus-pedal effects on the guitar and more acoustic riffs. Mac mentioned in the beginning of the set that the album is more of soundtrack for a lazy day of chilling in your house, but to "bare with them" as they tested out the cuts for the first time.
Listen and watch the first three songs below:
Interlaced in the songs were plenty of jams. You got everything from silly sing-a-long folk rock numbers like "Choo Choo," easy-listening ballads like "Skyless Moon," and a theatrical ending to the record with a literal goodbye track titled "Baby Bye Bye."
"This song is called 'Baby Bye Bye' but it's not bye-bye for the night" Mac remarked, slightly more buzzed now than an hour prior. With fans buying them shots, what else do you expect?
DeMarco and the band didn't just come back for an encore, they came back for an entire second set. This time they performed a setlist of older cuts with plenty of fan favorites and Mac classics. They started with generational anthem "Ode to Viceroy" and performed other beloved bops like "Freaking Out the Neighborhood," "Chamber of Reflection," and "Cooking Up Something Good."
The night ended on a 20-minute long rendition of "Still Together" that came equipped with a shirtless drunken banter by DeMarco mid-set, during which he: danced around with his girlfriend on the stage, managed to invite up a fan who was at his 42nd Mac show before pushing him off into a crowd surf, and commanding the fans to get all the way down on their knees before hoping back up for one last grand "STIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLL TOGETHER." Nearing three-hours, the band stumbled off stage and fans were left with a memory to never forget.
The complete second part of the setlist isn't in yet, but if you were there and remember, we urge you to fill it out!
DeMarco plays Coachella this Saturday, followed by an extensive North American tour. His new album drops May 10th. You can catch him in Los Angeles again on September 13th at the Greek Theater!
