Live Review: Mac DeMarco

2025 was Mac DeMarco’s come home year, being his first time the hometown hero played in Edmonton in 10 years. And it was amazing. But, it would have been better if he never played at the Jubilee Auditorium, and played at a more competent venue instead. 

DeMarco’s opener, Vicky Farewell, who’s signed to Mac’s Record Label, had a great set. As a three-piece act, the sound filled the room and was a great precursor to the main act. She’s absolutely worth checking out. 

Before DeMarco hit the stage, a sound tech roamed around the stage checking everything over and over again. Who knew this would be some pretty rough foreshadowing. 

Once DeMarco was on, he started off the set with “Shining,” off his most recent record Guitar. The new record, aligning with its name, is mostly DeMarco and his guitar. Hearing these songs with a live band was such a great switch up. Knowing I’m stuck hearing them only in memory was the worst, and best part of hearing them live. 

The band, and DeMarco, played around with the songs too, distinguishing them from the record. To hear a musician re-work their music is one of the absolute best parts of a live show. 

The most consistent thing throughout the show was the fact that it was his first time playing in Edmonton in a decade. And he noted this, and joked about it a lot. Some songs were devoted to his family. “Home,” also off his most recent release, he said was for us. And while it seemed directed to the audience, I personally think it was directed to Edmonton. 

Every artist from this city is aware of the love and hate relationship every other artist has with this city. Edmonton is known to be a city you have to leave if you want to be successful in art. And DeMarco did so, and returned. This was the only song off the new record to hold the same melancholy feel as the recorded version. Neither he, nor the band played around with it. It was performed to the recording in full. 

The second most consistent thing was the insane difficulties DeMarco and the whole band had with the sound techs during the show, and at one point, the frustration even extended to those in charge of the lighting. Throughout the entire show the band signaled to the sound techs to fix their sound, even physically jumping up and down pointing towards them multiple times. At the beginning of the show, DeMarco verbally asked for it to be fixed, but played anyway, wrongly assuming they would actually fix it.  

For the most part, this had no effect on the show. The band played amazingly and each song sounded great. All except for “Rooster,” which at no fault of the band, had some pretty strong feedback. The only other time the venue really affected the show in a way visible to the audience was the encore. 

After riding out on his bassist’s back, the band started playing their encore song, “Nobody.” The venue responded by turning the lights on for some reason. Once DeMarco got the audience swaying their phone flashlights, he asked twice for the house lights to be turned off. And anyone who’s ever gone to a show would know that shouldn’t have had to be asked for. The venue kept the lights on, even after DeMarco’s request. DeMarco ended up swearing away from the mic, giving a quick middle finger to what can only be assumed to be the lighting folks, or the venue as a whole, and finished up the song. 

To finish off an amazing return to Edmonton (aside from the venue issues), he threw the mic to those in the front row, and got out of there. And who wouldn’t? The show as a whole was great and if the venue had been operational, it would’ve been perfect. The bigger songs like “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” and “Chamber of Reflection” had the audience up and swaying or dancing, it was by far the most energy I’ve ever seen at a sit-down show. 

And the audience was just as great as the performers. The yells calling for DeMarco to once again take the drumstick and yells of love added to the show in the best way.

DeMarco is great and should absolutely be seen live. While the venue took away some of the magic of the show, the band and DeMarco made the most of it and were great anyway. And honestly, I would argue DeMarco’s return to Edmonton is a cultural landmark for the music scene here, and maybe the city as a whole, no matter how it went. But knowing how it went, they met the hype.