NXNE Thursday in pics (Mac Demarco, Bleached, Grass Widow, The Black Belles and more)

photos by David Andrako

Mac DeMarco

DeMarco and his two accompanying guitarists often literally drop a knee to the floor and continue to play on during their live set, which on a couple of occasions resulted in not really being able to play at all if they lost their balance. If there's one thing these guys have mastered though, it's how to keep an audience intrigued. DeMarco's recorded music is good, but his live performance is another experience entirely...

...Irony and parody are alive and well at NXNE, particularly in the form of an ironically bad (but in a way, hilariously good) guitar solo by the above-mentioned guitarist in Mac DeMarco's set. To make an Ironic Guitar Solo work, you just have to furiously play the same out-of-tune note for a few 10-second intervals, pluck a couple of atonal chords, and then grin at the confused concertgoers gathered before you. Gets a laugh every time (from me, anyway). [National Post]