Mac DeMarco at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre

As the lights dimmed in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, applause erupted as indie-rock artist Mac DeMarco and his band took to the stage. No grand entrance, no intro video — without hesitation, they grabbed their instruments and dove straight into “Shining.” There was nothing flashy about the setup, only instruments, amps, and mic stands, with DeMarco standing at the centre, a music stand to his left. What resulted was an authentic, intimate atmosphere for everyone packed into the venue.

Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Mac DeMarco has been a fixture in the indie world since breaking through in 2012. Born in Duncan, British Columbia, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, he’s cultivated a passionate fanbase that stretches far beyond Canada’s borders. Over the years, he’s built a catalogue of six albums, from his breakout 2 and fan-favourite Salad Days to Five Easy Hot Dogs and his newest release, Guitar. DeMarco’s current backing bandmates consist of Pedro Martins on guitar, Alec Meen on keys, Daryl Johns on bass, and Phil Melanson on drums.

Guitar sees DeMarco’s first non-instrumental album since 2019. The 35-year-old songwriter strips things down, with songs reflecting on past scars while holding out hope for a brighter future. The setlist treated fans to nine of the tracks, such as “Shining,” “Sweeter,” “Phantom,” “Rock and Roll,” “Home,” “Punishment,” “Knockin,” “Holy,” and “Rooser.” He also treated them to fan favourites such as “Heart To Heart”, “My Kind of Woman”, “Chamber Of Reflection” and “Freaking Out the Neighbourhood”.

Between songs, DeMarco entertained with offbeat humour: goofy dance moves, nonsense chatter, a handstand, and a left-field mention of Roberto Luongo, the Canucks’ former goaltender. The crowd was clearly enjoying themselves, laughing, cheering, and responding to DeMarco’s quips. At times, though, they became a bit disruptive—shouting random comments over his remarks. During the slower numbers, a few audience members belted out lyrics loudly, seemingly to make themselves noticed.

The band was tight, with dreamy keyboard textures, lush vocal harmonies, and the signature warm guitar tones of DeMarco’s music enveloping the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. He mostly stuck to vocals, but the crowd erupted whenever he picked up the guitar for select songs, and the addition of a second guitar helped fill out the sound beautifully.

A standout moment came during “Another One,” when the stage went completely dark and the band was bathed only in the glow of fans’ cellphone lights. For this memorable song, fans across the venue sang along in perfect unison, returning the love song to DeMarco.

Mac DeMarco’s sold-out show in Vancouver was both authentic and intimate, a reminder that even in 2025, entertaining an audience doesn’t need to depend on extravagant stage design.