Weezer‰’s 1994 Blue Album contained enough inspiration for decades of slackers to mess around with shoddy tech, crude lyrics and the mundane themes of sober life. Mac DeMarco, then living somewhere in Canada, would listen to these same songs that united dungeon masters, sweater-wearing men and garage punks alike. Fast-forward to 2012, when Mac DeMarco entered most of our lives. After being pursued by Captured Tracks (Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, DIIV), he released Rock And Roll Night Club, a kinky journey through Mac‰’s very own surreal fantasy. Merely months later, Mac released the great 2 ‰ÛÒ his careless depiction of the Canadian suburbs. But remember, this is Canada – opposite of boring American values – and the contrived attempts of “giants‰” Arcade Fire, Real Estate – 2 is actually very fun. He‰’s both a starving artist and a perverse lover on 2; his “jizz jazz‰” is innovative and refreshing. Regardless, 2 is about Mac‰’s life, and this is far from the glam life of celebrities. Mac lives in normalcy – with attention on the smaller things (cigarettes, fish fillets, the “suburbs,‰” etc.) Mac lives an ordinary life with ordinary problems. But it is the aesthetic that captured us – 2 was, and still is, addicting.

And nowhere else can you see such a perverse display of 21st century independent rock. In 2, Mac immediately critiques the paternal father in “Cooking Up Something Good,‰” exposes his failed attempts at love in “Annie‰” (then melts our loving hearts, and ears, in “Robson Girl‰Û), and brings relevance to an obscure manufacture of cigarettes, that are probably the cultural equivalence of Marlboro Reds. There‰’s a lot of culture here, I know. But let‰’s be honest, Mac is a true bohemian. However, let‰’s not forget the creative elements of Rock and Roll Night Club. Mac‰’s strongest anthems here are “Baby‰’s Wearing Blue Jeans‰” and “European Vegas,‰” the latter perhaps his catalogue‰’s best (“nothing‰’s quite the same as European Vegas‰Û).

A very young Mac and a young Alex Calder, sharing their Canadian adventures, made up Makeout Videotape (Time, Captured Tracks 2013). With crucial lo-fi albums Ying Yang and Heat Wave, Makeout Videotape is an accurate predecessor to the refined work of both artists. Today, Alex Calder sounds eerily familiar to his comrade, but necessarily so. Mac is a weird, but captivating, model.

If 2012 was the coming out of Mac DeMarco, then 2013 was its inevitable hangover. The “My Kind of Woman‰” music video, off the set of Clockwork Orange, follows Mac as he breaks hetero-normativity through performativity. He wears a dress, lipstick and wig to construct his gender. But, this isn‰’t the first time Mac has arbitrarily donned lipstick (see: the cover of Rock and Roll Night Club). The performance is what constitutes Mac‰’s character. Unlike most contemporaries, Mac is a performer. His live sets are wild. Accompanying Mac is his backing band that matches Mac‰’s charisma with their own personalities. This environment provokes a savage response from his fans. In some cases, like his performance at DC9 earlier this year, multiple fans lit up on stage with Mac. His packed venues are a sketchy sensation and his cult status fandom within America has transcended into an international phenomenon.

So when Mac comes to AU this Saturday, expect the pre-game at the Kogod Ellipse where Mac will be subject to jeopardized liberties through spatial confinement. But as he smokes that Viceroy, remember how Mac looks now and how decades from now we‰’ll remember the spiritual sensation that is Mac DeMarco. His love songs will forever remind us of the SIS Founders‰’ Room. But while we individually share the collective effervescence of Mac DeMarco, remember that this is a universal trend. As a cultural icon, Mac takes his place with the great heroes of the past and encourages new trends of bizarre nerds. Tired of the same routine of buzz bands that come and go? Spin some 2, Rock and Roll Nightclub, etc. – Mac is just the hero we‰’ve been waiting for.

For more information on this weekend’s show, click here.