Mac DeMarco At Brooklyn Night Bazaar

Brooklyn – With its indoor arcades, independent food and art vendors, multiple bars and live music, Brooklyn Night Bazaar is not unlike an adult playground. A festival of glittery indulgence that doesn’t feel so polished after an introduction to the restroom situation, this venue is a simple celebration of what makes life so pretty. The dichotomy of the Bazaar floats somewhere between the opulent and the gritty, and was the ideal environment for the often racy but much adored Mac DeMarco.

DeMarco headlined the evening on Friday, wrapping up the first night of a weekend full of music curated by the lovely folks at Panache. The Bazaar Bonanza weekend saw performances from some of Panache’s star acts, including Hunters, Delicate Steve, Juan Wauters, ARP, Dot Wiggin Band and Imperial Teen. DeMarco’s was a solo set, but as to be expected, the man played with enough personality to compensate for the lack of backup.

DeMarco took the stage a little before midnight, and to call it a full house would be euphemistic. Every inch of floor space in that Bazaar was occupied, with many in attendance scaling stairs, tables and chairs to get a better view. There was a soul-crushing, slow-moving line that stretched out the door and far down the block. Evidently, this kind of crowd is not the norm for the Bazaar. Typically a 21+ space, the weekend was an exception and welcomed audiences 18+ as well. When asked to comment on the crowds, one doorman described the scene as “annoyingly atypical. And I’m getting too old for this.”

In spite of the crowd, or because of it, DeMarco was in fine form. This is a man beloved for his sassy, unapologetic attitude, and for the brutal honesty inherent in his work. It takes bravery to be so open, and a ton of guts to laugh at the darkest parts of life. DeMarco had us all laughing, dancing, and smirking at any and all indiscreet quips.

The set was a rare opportunity for a sneak peak at material from DeMarco’s forthcoming album Salad Days, scheduled for release in April via Captured Tracks. Of the 15-song set list, 5 were yet unreleased tracks. DeMarco even snuck in several jams from his earlier days, when he played under the moniker Makeout Video. Some of the best tracks from his latest release made the cut, such as “Cooking Up Something Good,” “My Kind of Woman,” “The Stars Keep On Calling My Name,” and “Still Together.” A highlight of the show was certainly “Ode To Viceroy,” which got every single one of us baking DeMarco on vocals.

The night ended in an entirely bizarre, karaoke version of “Rock N Roll Nightclub,” as DeMarco crowd surfed his way off the stage. Like an awesome neon circus freak show, the whole closing scene can only be described as a “this place is weird” moment. However, the vibe was completely appropriate for the venue, the performer and the audience, and a beautiful metaphor for DeMarco’s persona at its core. It’s anyone’s guess what we can expect from DeMarco’s forthcoming, but considering what he delivered on Friday, it promises to be as brilliantly odd and amazing as everything he has entertained us with to date.

Photo By Liz Rowley – Thumbnail Photo By Aaron Velez

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Liz Rowley

Born in Mexico and raised in Toronto, Jerusalem and Chicago by a pair of journalists, Liz comes to BestNewBands.com with an inherited love of writing. After discovering a niche for herself in music journalism and radio while at Bates College in Maine, she always keeps a running playlist of new music to soundtrack her place in the world. Liz is passionate about helping dedicated, talented musicians gain the exposure they deserve. A recent transplant to Brooklyn from Hawaii, she is plagued by an incurable case of wanderlust and cursed with an affinity for old maps and old things like typewriters and vintage books. She adores photography and running and is very good with plants. Having come of age in Chicago, Wilco speaks to her soul. If she could be anything, she would be a cat in a Murakami novel.