Mac DeMarco brought Shakespeare’s salad boys to Civic Theatre

Olivia Poletti, Staff Reporter

Known for his eccentric performances, indie rock prince Mac DeMarco blew the socks  and more intimate items of clothing  off the crowd at his Oct. 17 show at The Civic Theatre. Canadian bands Walter TV and Alex Calder warmed up the crowds for DeMarco’s performance with their surprisingly good grungy rock sets.

Hailing from British Columbia, Canada, DeMarco gained popularity in the underground indie rock world with his debut EP “Rock and Roll Night Club.” Sophomore Griffin Marieb describes DeMarco’s sound as “laid-back, jangly rock”— an accurate description of the majority of the Canadian singer’s guitar-based compositions. Since releasing his first EP in 2012, the singer has released four more albums in addition to demos for each tape. Released in August 2015, his newest album, “Another One,” includes lead singles “Another One” and “No Other Heart.”

DeMarco got the crowd jumping and dancing with his rock ‘n’ roll rebel attitude and dynamic act that featured lots of crowd surfing. Taking the stage by dancing to Haddaway’s infamous “What Is Love,” DeMarco pumped up the crowd for the show in store.

The “Salad Days” singer kicked off the concert with upbeat, “The Way You’d Love Her,” off his most recent album.

“The show was a great mix of slow and fast songs,” Marieb said.

Alternating between old and new music, the singer performed upbeat songs such as “Stars Keep Calling My Name” followed by slower tracks like “Ode to Viceroy.” The audience buzzed with energy  jumping, swaying and singing along to every song.

Accepting gifts thrown to him on stage, including beads, bras and underwear, the singer took the time to interact with his fans. Known for his outlandish stunts, DeMarco jumped into the crowd and was passed around the theatre, puffing on his signature Viceroy cigarette. At one point, he even climbed up a balcony and jumped back into the fanatical crowd.

“He had one of the best finishes of any concert I have been to,” Marieb said.

Ending the concert with an encore and an impromptu dance party to “What Is Love,” fans rushed the stage and danced alongside shirtless DeMarco  a memory they will cherish forever.

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