The End of an Era – Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies Announce the First of Their Last Shows

Having first formed way back in 2015, Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies have become one of the biggest local bands in Beijing. Over the past seven years they’ve played a variety of shows from Modernista to the British Ball, charity events, and of course they've played at the Beijinger’s own Burger and Pizza Festivals. For myself, I have a soft spot in my heart for the band as they were the first live band I saw in Beijing. I went to watch them play at Modernista just after moving here in March 2017. 

Despite inevitable band member changes over the years, the group has managed to keep going, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Yes, unfortunately for music fans here in Beijing, Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies have made the hard decision to disband. 

We here at the Beijinger we were saddened to hear this news as we have followed the band’s progress closely over the years, first interviewing front man Steve McKinney back in 2016, and then keeping up-to-date with the Mac Daddies as they debuted original tunes at now-closed Temple in May 2017 and again with the release of their EP in November 2017.  Now, with the news out that this will be their last few months performing in the capital, we talked to McKinney about his and the Mac Daddies' journey here in Beijing.

We’re so sad to hear about the decision to disband Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies. Can you tell us a bit about why it's happening?
Well unfortunately real life has a way of catching up to you when you least expect it, such is the case with the Mac Daddies. These past few years have been difficult for everyone in the Beijing music scene – venues have been closed for months and are only just reopening now.

During this last stint of closures, the Mac Daddies lost several of its key band members. Some of us have either left China or had to focus on important real life stuff. Personally, I’ve entered into a new stage of life and am very focused on my new career, which takes up a lot of my free time. It has become quite difficult to sustain the Mac Daddies with its loss of members and other priorities taking front and center. Ultimately, I decided it was time to bring Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies to a close and to do it in such a way that was best for everyone.

The Mac Daddies will be performing about five or six more shows leading up to a finale show which will take place just before Chinese New Year 2023. This last round of shows will allow us to bring closure to the band, and to say goodbye to all our fans and also the venues that supported us all these years.

It’s truly an end of an era. How do you feel about this chapter of your life coming to a close?
It is definitely bittersweet. I’m sad that it’s ending but happy that we get it end it on our terms. I would hate for the Mac Daddies to simply fall apart with no chance of saying goodbye. We’ve been a part of the Beijing community for over seven years now and we’ve garnered a lot of love and support. We really want to perform these last few shows for our peeps in Beijing!

You’ve announced the first of the last shows for the band will be on Nov 5. Do you have a rough date for when your last show will be?
I have the exact date for our last show: The final Mac Daddies show will be at Modernista, Saturday, Jan 12.  Modernista is home for us, so it’s only fitting that our last show be with them. My only hope is that we manage to keep the noise down that night, I don’t want to draw any unwanted attention. I suspect there will be quite the crowd and I’d hate for our last show to be shut down unexpectedly, haha!

Without giving any spoilers, do you have anything special in store for your final show?
All I can say is be sure to bring a light source and lots of tissues. I suspect there will be a lot of tears on stage and in the crowd. So best be prepared! 

Looking back at your time performing with the band, what have been some of your favorite moments (aside from playing Beijinger festivals, of course)?
Well of course performing for Beijinger festivals is definitely high up on our list. The largest crowd we ever performed for was at the Burger Cup. There is still a Mac Daddies video circling about with the band performing “Footloose” to a sea of happy fans! Real cool stuff!

Honestly though, I can’t think of any one show that really stands out as a favorite moment, but I will say that when we performed for Yao Ming and his charity foundation, that was certainly a big moment for us. It was such an honor to be chosen for such an event. Generally, my favorite Mac Daddies moment is usually the one I’m actively participating in at the time, haha!

Over the years you’ve become one of the biggest local bands here in Beijing. Why do you think you’ve been so successful?
Chemistry and a fair amount of luck. We don’t consider ourselves professional musicians in the sense that music is not our full time job. All of us are a mix of business owners, teachers, and embassy employees. Music is a hobby that we’re obviously passionate about, but we all have day jobs.

The Mac Daddies all agree that there are better musicians in Beijing and that there are bands who are more technically sound. But the one thing that we do have, perhaps better than most, is our chemistry. We care about one another and have a lot of fun on stage. This affection and fun really shows and is absorbed by the people in the crowd. It’s quite infectious, I get the same complement time and time again: People love our “energy.”

We’re a fun band and we connect with the crowd. That’s not something you can fake. Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies came onto the scene at just the right time when there were only a few notable party bands. Then, by word of mouth, our reputation of being a fun, energetic band caught on like wildfire in the Beijing expat community, and the rest, as they say, is history!

What are some of your proudest achievements with the band?
No contest – performing our own music. It’s one thing to perform a Bruno Mars or Taylor Swift cover and get a great crowd reaction, but it’s a whole other story to perform your own music and get a great crowd reaction. Some of our hottest tracks are our originals. “Loves Warp Speed” was our first original song and it gets the same crowd reaction as, say, “Uptown Funk.” That’s what we’re most proud of – writing and performing original music that people truly enjoy!

Looking to the future, do you have any more musical endeavors planned?
Planned? No, can’t say that I do. I think a nice break from music is warranted, but I’m sure that after that break I will dabble in music in some capacity. It won’t be anything as grand as the Mac Daddies though, maybe a cappella or musical theater. I do think I’ll be a part of another band one day, but I don’t know when that will be or what kind of music it’ll be. I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it, haha.

The past few years have been a tough time for musicians in Beijing. Do you have any advice for fellow musicians out there?
Keep at it. Beijing needs new bands, it needs people to step up. I do suggest that they focus more on the friendships and less on the music. You want the music you perform to be great, of course, but always remember the people standing next to you on stage – that’s where it really counts. Being part of a band is a choice, you choose the people you want to make music with, so cultivate those relationships and hold onto them tightly. Remember to check your ego at the door and support one another, then the success will come. The hardest part of bringing the Mac Daddies to a close is that I will no longer be performing with people I care truly about, which is hard to let go of. But it’s my hope to keep the Mac Daddies in my life regardless if we play music together.  

Finally, if the time was right do you think there could ever be a Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies 2.0?
Whew, this is a hard question to answer! Officially, Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies will be done with no plans for a 2.0. It’s definitely time to move on, to explore new adventures, but … never say never. If the pieces are in place and the right show came along, who knows? You might see us on stage again. Regardless, I strongly suggest that Beijingers catch us one last time before the Chinese New Year! We’ve got some new music coupled with the hits we’re known for! It’s going to be an absolute blast bringing the Mac Daddies ship into port! Hope to see you there!

Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies will be playing the first of their last shows at Modernista Nov 5 from 9.30pm. Entry is free.

Modernista
44 Baochao Hutong, Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同44号

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Images: couresty of Steve McKinney