Mac DeMarco w. Naomi Punk, Calvin Love | The Mill | $10 | 9:00 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujnwmGGxEI
Although events in Iowa City have slowed considerably in light of student spring break, The Mill is looking out for our entertainment needs with an excellent lineup tonight. Montreal-based artist Mac DeMarco will be playing alongside Calvin Love and Naomi Punk.
In our most recent On the Beat column, A.C. Hawley wrote the following:
Mac DeMarco certainly is not an old thrasher. Originally releasing tapes under the name Makeout Videotape, the 22-year-old, Montreal-based, multi-instrumentalist has risen quickly. He was discovered and released by Captured Tracks, one of the best indie labels operating right now. His first album Rock and Roll Nightclub was a weird mix between soft rock and glam-style crooning. The sounds are surreal and somewhat unsettling, but the overall album showed that he has considerable talent as a songwriter.
His talent is delivered upon on 2, a pop album that is more cohesive than Rock and Roll Nightclub and exhibits the relaxed style of Steely Dan. The bass gallops while the cheaply chorused guitar coolly cruises over top. DeMarco’s more mature vocals guide the whole vessel through its various tempo changes, providing the anchor for the album. 2 is a standout of pop music in an indie landscape that is currently littered with excellent pop bands.
This should be a dynamic show as DeMarco is known for his stage performances. To provide an example of what could happen, let me quote DeMarco himself: “One show, I was hanging from the rafters in Vancouver and stuck my thumb up my ass, then put it in my mouth. That was pretty gross.” I should note that this is the tamer of the two stories that I could have used here. Hopefully, DeMarco will give everyone a story to tell when he plays The Mill on March 19.
Photo by Laura-Lynn Petrick
