Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco recently embarked on his Guitar tour, with Philadelphia, PA being stop number two along the way. A sold-out crowd flooded Franklin Music Hall, wrapping the building with anticipation as DeMarco had not performed in the city since 2019, six years earlier. The patient crowd now buzzing with excitement like an old dog with food dangling in front of them, the energy of the converted tire warehouse bouncing back in a positive feedback loop of suspenseful butterflies. They’d have to wait just a bit longer as our opener would be taking the stage first.
Coming down from our neighbors to the north to accompany him would be Mock Media, a four-piece alt-rock post-punk group that pleasantly surprised me. With a sound reminiscent of The Clash, strewn with electronic experimentation, the band left an impression. Drummer Ben Smith, was impactful with powerful hits and excellent timing; the baseline of music also laid by bassist Garnet Aronyk, whose plucking heartline pushed along their sound. Touch the Ground was a highlight, beginning with an energizing drum line keying in a chanting from the band members melding together to sound like another language. Austin Boylan has a strong growl in his voice that lies well on the heavy-handed movement of the track’s sounds. Evan Aasen was also great to watch on his guitar, not only for his skill, but for how apparent it is that he loves to play. They were a great choice of music that’d flow well on any playlist DeMarco’s music resides in.
Creeping out on stage next would be DeMarco, accompanied by his four-member band. The singer would circle the stage, groaning into the mic a looping repetition of, “brotherly love, just how I remember.” Beginning his show with the introduction of each of his talented members, he’d then grasp the mic, and begin a sheepish call for his love into the crowd with Shining off of the recently released album, guitar. A lovely, delicately-sung track with easy guitar and a groovy bass and drum line that would be a perfect ‘hello again’ between the crowd and artist. Following would be a jump back to his 2017 album, This Old Dog, with “For the First Time,” a track that features a spine-tuning electric synth from Alec Meen that electrifies the track and makes the crowd scream a mixture of emotion and lyrics. DeMarco has always played with his sounds in a beautiful flourish of noise, teasing electric synth loops with expertly written snappy guitar runs and catchy reflective lyrics. His music is deeply personal to his fans and because of it, the crowd is loud, chanting back lyrics to most of his songs as the singer would frequently invite their voices to be heard, tailoring his dance moves to the rhythm they’d sing to him with.
Bouncing back and forth between the two albums again, Sweeter would lead into On the Level as the crowd’s voice held out long enough to continue their cheers. DeMarco looks extremely comfortable on stage, dancing in ways I only do when nobody else is in the room, floating and rocking back and forth across the stage as he and his movements fully embody the music, it makes the crowd want to feel as free and move as unabashedly. He’s also got a great sense of humor that takes over the silence usually held between songs, telling the crowd his six year absence from the city, ‘could be a small child walking ‘round at six years old, it's not right, but here you are six years later and you didn’t forget me.” Also, as a piece of good news, DeMarco was happy to promise that the wait for more shows would not again be so long.
After a run of highly anticipated tracks like “Phantom,” “Salad Days,” and “20191009 I Like Her,” DeMarco would start a very subdued and stripped version of “Still Beating.” A stunning rendition of the beloved song, it harboured a comfortable, stifled electric piano with an almost marimba tone that felt very nostalgic. His honest vocals atop of it felt much more vulnerable than the original recording, and Meen then comes in with a quick piano solo that just really drove in the emotive punching of the song home.
Playing music from eight of his albums over the course of the night, DeMarco balanced the night exceedingly well. Before playing “She’s Really All I Need,” off of his 2012 debut album Rock and Roll Night Club, he teased the crowd of his suspicion that, "some of you weren’t born when this next one came out, but maybe you googled it…let us see.” The track had one of the bigger responses of the night and enjoyed a ripping guitar solo that seemed to pick the crowd up and drop them at the same rhythm of JD Beck’s drum sticks. Shortly after, DeMarco would pick up his guitar once again and drag through the chord that draws in Ode to Viceroy. Pedro Martins shines on the guitar, especially in this track with the chimey plucky guitar solo that loops around its conclusion. The band was churning through music playing a total of 25 songs over the course of the night, an accepted apology for the missed years of music between Mac and Philly.
DeMarco ended the concert with a celebration of some of his most well-known songs. With a stellar run through of “Freaking Out The Neighborhood,” “Heart to Heart,” “Holy,” “Moonlight on the River,” “My Kind of Woman,” and finally, “Chamber of Reflection.” Starting with insane energy, that quick triple drum hit and pinging guitar off of “Freaking Out The Neighborhood” was like releasing a flood gate of energy into the crowd. Immediate screams ran through the crowd and a wave of dancing began at the front speakers and quickly ripped through to the front doors like a jump rope pulled under everyone's feel. A thumping bassline from Daryl Jones crunched faces on shaking heads as they couldn’t bear to stand still during its run.
Immediately slowing it down afterwards with “Heart to Heart,” DeMarco would tell the crowd before beginning that it was, “very dear to [his] heart, it’s hard for [them] to play so bear with [them].” The slow ballad, originally written as a tribute to his dear friend Mac Miller after his passing, was as honest as he could be on stage. An emotional ride of reminiscing our own memories and times gone by while zoning out mouthing the words, most of us in the crowd had someone else we’d all missed in mind during its performance. “Holy” would continue the more indie ballad sound with a punching guitar that lay over easier strumming in a lovely formation of noise. “Moonlight on the River” into “My Kind of Woman” would continue the emotional rollercoaster of this final act of the night. During the latter, a security guard nearby who was enjoying the music would lean into my ear and tell me, “Man, that’s that slow groove that makes you wanna grab your girl and spin her around,” a sentiment echoed by the growing number of goers who would turn their backs to the stage to lay their arms on the shoulders of their partners they brought with them, gently swaying to the rhythm.
Closing with “Chamber of Reflection,” the house lights would turn completely off by the chorus, allowing for the only light to emanate from the hundreds of phone flashlights that raised above the crowd and illuminated the stage. The synthline that kicks off this track is one of those noises that you’ll hear in a song and suddenly you’re covered in goosebumps and all your hair is standing straight up, your body forced to react to your captivation with the angelic noise that just slid through your brain. Hearing that in person was magnificent. After a short retreat backstage, DeMarco and his band would sneak back out for one last song, his hand against his ear listening for louder cheers to pull them out. He joked, “It’s tradition, baby! It’s tradition! Uno más, one more and then we’ll actually go away,” before closing the night with a soft and sweet performance of “Nobody.” Feeling like a credits roll on the night, it was a perfect note to end on, feeling appreciative of time well spent with people who appreciated it together. For a couple of minutes, the world went quiet, and we all just got to escape into the music.
Mac DeMarco looked fantastic on stage, and his yearning to perform and be in front of his fans giving them what they had waited so long for was apparent. His band was locked in the entire time, and not for one second did he appear to want to be anywhere else but with us. It felt welcoming, peaceful, and needed. The Guitar tour continues throughout September, and from what it sounds like, future tours may be in the works down the road. Reflecting on shows after sitting with the emotion, there’s a general gratitude to have been a witness to the night of music, and a reassurance that everything will work out. If you’re in need of the same reminder, check him out. Once I did, he found a home in all my rotations.
