In our free Summer Festival Guide, the Mixtape team selected our favourite festivals from coast to coast. We then made our Mix Picks – the bands you’ll kick yourself for missing. Think of it as the best of the best. Sled Island kicks off in Calgary, Alberta next week, taking place from June 19-22. The SXSW-style event with venues all over the city features an amazing mix of bizarreness.
One of our Mix Picks for Sled Island in the guide (page 10) is Mac DeMarco. We recently caught Mac DeMarco and his band in Halifax last weekend during OBEY Convention. When you watch him and his three bandmates perform live, it’s impossible to not bob your head along with the breezy and energetic guitar licks. Audiences are simultaneously being entertained and trolled when the band do things such as play a snippet of Eric Clapton’s version of “Cocaine” or make jokes like introducing their own songs with a completely different and offensive name. Sometimes the music is like a DeMarco album being performed live. Other times it’s like sitting in on a loud jam session taking place in a band members basement.
You never know exactly what type of hijinks to expect from DeMarco. The unpredictability of antics along with music that is enormously enjoyable make catching Mac DeMarco at Sled Island a necessary endeavour. You’ll want to buy his album and you’ll have a great story after the show. You’ll also want to follow DeMarco on Twitter if you like pictures of cigarettes and ridiculous jokes.
DeMarco plays three times during Sled Island.
Thursday, June 20 – Golden Age Club, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 22 – Olympic Plaza, 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 22 – Flames Central, 11 p.m.
