Mac DeMarco lives by his own regard, whether he’s dropping albums with no announcement, or sporadically putting on shows just because he feels like it. On July 17th, Mac kicked off his sold-out, three-night run at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA, the first night of the only three shows he’ll be playing this year.

It felt like Groundhog Day in an elementary school classroom, if elementary schoolers smoked cigarettes and accessorized with second-hand flat-top snapbacks. We waited in idle anticipation as the Greek began to fill, excited to finally catch a glimpse of Mac’s wonder in action. He’s become as ever elusive as that groundhog these days, so we all felt lucky to be present for his yearly appearance. It felt especially surreal when, with no cut of the music or dimming of the lights, Mac and his band just strolled onto the stage, said a quick hello and jumped right in.

In every setting, Mac’s music creates an atmosphere. Whether you’re listening alone on the floor of your bedroom, or joined by thousands at the Greek Theater, like all good music should, he transports you to a world of his own creation. As the familiar tones of “On The Level” hummed through the moonlit amphitheater, a stillness set into the crowd, as we all became acutely aware that we were right there with him, existing at the same time, in the same place, for the next two hours.

Acknowledging the rarity of the occasion, Mac’s goal was to play as many songs as possible. The show was inertial, rolling from one song into the next, in constant motion from the moment he set foot onstage. With familiar tune after familiar tune, Mac would play at least one song from each of his six major LPs. He paid particular attention to early crowd-pleasing favorites like 2 and Salad Days, sure to toss in recent releases like 2019’s Here Comes the Cowboy and selections from the 199-song long One Wayne G.

There were moments of pure elation, as the crowd swayed to the beat of “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” and “Cooking Up Something Good.” Then there were songs like “Another One” and “Moonlight on the River,” moments when the music would envelop the audience, with melodies that just washed right over them.

Even with the aching sincerity of tracks like “Nobody” and “One More Love Song,” the night was defined by this pure sense of joy. It had been years since of some of these songs had seen the light of day, and in dusting them off, Mac said it felt like playing in a cover band.

Mac’s spanning discography is like a library of simultaneous wisdom and whimsy. There’s a song for every situation, ranging from sandwiches, to love, Toyotas and death. The 28-song setlist covered quite a bit of territory, embellished by the kind inter-song dialogue you can only find at a Mac DeMarco show. He would bob about the stage, flipping between character-like voices, high-pitched moans, improvised soliloquies, existentialist musings and even old-Hollywood stage romance.

“Kiss me you fool!”

It was phrase he’d bellow repeatedly throughout the night, as romantic tension built between Mac and bassist Daryl Johns. Their lips fatefully locked just before their final song.

Overall, the night was special because it was Mac. All the mischievous merriment, goblin-like giggles, and open-hearted sincerity that fans love him for. He’s so authentically himself, confident not in an in-your-face way, but comfortable with who he is and what he puts out into the world. It’s comforting, and one of the many reasons people gravitate towards him and his work.

By far the best moment in the show was among its very last, when Mac and the band returned for an encore after “Chamber of Reflection.” While dishing out a jazzy, upbeat, extended rendition of the originally acoustic “Still Together,” Mac performed a rock n’ roll trick. Lowering everyone to the floor, he said:

“When I count to four, we’re gonna do one more chorus, you guys are gonna jump up, it’s gonna go crazy, and then…and then that’ll be it. That will be the end. Ready?"

The theater erupted with electrified energy as thousands surrendered to Mac's melody, jumping about the aisles as if nothing else mattered. The perfect rock n’ roll wrap to an unforgettable evening with Mac DeMarco.