Photos by Omar Kasrawi
There are some artists who demand complete silence at their shows. Some ask for it, and some just command it by the sheer power of their voice. Australia’s Meg Mac is the latter. And the sold out show at Rockwood Hall of Music’s second stage were a testament to that soulful siren quality she exudes. It was the kind of night where the crowd was more than happy to let her take over. Cell phones seemingly out of sight, and no one taking over the music. Hell, you almost felt guilty for letting ice cubes in your drink clink together.
Mac (the stage name of Megan Sullivan McInerney) who’s made a splash with her recent empowerment anthem, “Give My Name Back,” has a voice that evokes longing and desire, all the while dripping with strength and range. Her music echoes the great r&b singers of the past and infuses a warm dollop of pop vibes.
She played a mix of songs from her latest album, Low Blows, and her eponymous debut EP. Her set was stripped down and featured accompanying vocals from her sister, Hannah, a musician you want her featured in her own right. Mac also brought a touch of the personal, waxing poetic about her old tiny Brooklyn apartment in the song of the same name, and delighted with her cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “If You Want to Stay.” Mac could go completely instrument free and the sounds would be just as entrancing and ethereal. From here she’s finishing up her U.S. tour before heading over to Europe and then New Zealand and her home country. But one thing you can count on in everyone of her upcoming stops, rapted audiences eager to be washed over by her vocals.
Find a full gallery of photos posted below along with her setlist.
Meg Mac setlist:
1.
Grace Gold
2.
Maybe It’s My First
3.
Never Be
4. Brooklyn Apartment
5.
Hope
6. Every Lie
7. Cages
8.
If You Want To Stay
9.
Give Me My Name Back
10. Ride It
11. Where Ya Gonna Go
12. Something Tells Me
13.
Roll Up Your Sleeves
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