On a bleak, rain-lashed Thursday night in Bristol, you’d think enthusiasm might dip — but not for Mac DeMarco. Hours before doors opened, a patient line of fans stretched around The Prospect Building, huddled under umbrellas and fully committed. It set the tone for a sold-out show that felt equal parts warm, communal, and joyfully loose.
Before Mac’s arrival, Australian singer and pianist Tex Crick opened the evening with a gentle, understated set. His soft vocals and mellow piano-led arrangements were a contrast to the restless anticipation in the room, but he carried it with an easy charm. A pleasant, if low-key, start to the night without ever drawing attention away from the inevitable main event.
Mac DeMarco’s entrance shifted the energy instantly. Backed by a tight and quietly impressive band, he eased into the set with a run of newer material — reflective, spacious, and a little dreamier than his early hits — before gradually pulling the crowd into familiar territory. It made for an unhurried, unpretentious flow that suited both the venue and the audience.
Still, the biggest reactions arrived with the classics. “Still Beating” was an early emotional peak, delivered with that slightly scruffy sincerity only Mac can pull off. Later, the room lit up for “Freaking Out the Neighborhood”, a nostalgic burst of energy that had the whole floor moving. By the time he closed with “Nobody”, the venue was swaying in unison — a communal exhale after a set that balanced humour, looseness and musicianship with effortless ease.
For my first visit to The Prospect Building, it was an impressive introduction: a spacious, well-run venue that already feels built for nights like this. Even with the miserable weather outside, the atmosphere inside was warm, generous, and full of the easy charm that has made Mac DeMarco such a beloved figure. A sold-out Bristol show that fully earned the hype.
