The Black Sheep Inn is a quaint cabin-like pub that's known to host guitar-and-stool acts like Christine Fellows, Fred Eaglesmith and Old Man Ludecke. But on this unreasonably snowy April night, the Black Sheep was a haven for stage diving, body surfing and Mac DeMarco.
As tables and chairs were removed to accommodate even more ticket holders into this 'completely sold out' show, the baseball hat-sporting twenty-somethings who arrived early piled in front of the tiny stage to watch Queens, NY anti-folkist Juan Wauters. After plunking through a few off-key parlour songs on the venue's stand-up piano, Wauters moved to guitar, joining Carmelle Safdie for a set that resembled the Moldy Peaches, sans personality.
Pulling into the parking lot moments before they were to hit the stage, New York psych-rock trio Amen Dunes, without time to set up their drums, were forced to perform as a duo. Moaning, mumbling and apologizing through a short set of reverb-soaked guitar drone, Amen Dunes came off remarkably sharp and engrossing.
Dressed in their typical thrift shop Jimmy Buffet attire, Mac DeMarco and his three piece band walked onstage to greet the already-fervent and packed crowd. Starting the show off with a handful of songs from the just-released Salad Days, DeMarco began to strum the opening chords to fan-favourite "Ode to Viceroy," prompting members of the crowd to surge forward and jump onstage to dance, stage dive and crowd surf.
Smiling and slinking through a 90 minute set, the band fed off of the crowd's unbridled energy before ending the show off with a cover of Neil Young's "Unknown Legend" that found DeMarco leaping from the three-foot stage into the arms of his admirers. Capping off a night that no one will soon forget, those in attendance weren't just treated to a terrific performance but possibly Mac DeMarco's (and definitely the Black Sheep's) first mosh pit.
As tables and chairs were removed to accommodate even more ticket holders into this 'completely sold out' show, the baseball hat-sporting twenty-somethings who arrived early piled in front of the tiny stage to watch Queens, NY anti-folkist Juan Wauters. After plunking through a few off-key parlour songs on the venue's stand-up piano, Wauters moved to guitar, joining Carmelle Safdie for a set that resembled the Moldy Peaches, sans personality.
Pulling into the parking lot moments before they were to hit the stage, New York psych-rock trio Amen Dunes, without time to set up their drums, were forced to perform as a duo. Moaning, mumbling and apologizing through a short set of reverb-soaked guitar drone, Amen Dunes came off remarkably sharp and engrossing.
Dressed in their typical thrift shop Jimmy Buffet attire, Mac DeMarco and his three piece band walked onstage to greet the already-fervent and packed crowd. Starting the show off with a handful of songs from the just-released Salad Days, DeMarco began to strum the opening chords to fan-favourite "Ode to Viceroy," prompting members of the crowd to surge forward and jump onstage to dance, stage dive and crowd surf.
Smiling and slinking through a 90 minute set, the band fed off of the crowd's unbridled energy before ending the show off with a cover of Neil Young's "Unknown Legend" that found DeMarco leaping from the three-foot stage into the arms of his admirers. Capping off a night that no one will soon forget, those in attendance weren't just treated to a terrific performance but possibly Mac DeMarco's (and definitely the Black Sheep's) first mosh pit.
