THE SPONTANEOUS CAREER

OF MARC REBILLET

Written by: Ellaina Powers

Photographed by: Dakota Pendleton

THE MEME YOU MISSED,
THE STAR YOU SHOULD KNOW

Nearly 15 years ago, a young man made headlines when he traded $800 for his spot in line for the new iPhone. A short clip from Fox News showcases a bright-eyed Marc Rebillet eagerly handing over his seat at the front door for a wad of cold-hard cash, assumingly bought-out by a woman ready to buy the store’s entire stock and resell the phones online. Unfortunately, the store only allowed one phone per customer, but fortunately for Marc, he had just been handed the dough he needed for his own.

Rebillet has climbed his way through the internet since his debut as the iPhone kid and has found himself across millions of screens for the last decade. He gained his true fame through live-streaming his improvisational way of music-making while in his best boxers and robes. His funky electronic beats and freeform dancing weren’t the only aspects capturing the attention of viewers–it was his inclusion of them that drew them to his live-streams in droves. Rebillet would actively ask for input from the viewers, and even had a phone number fans could use to give him suggestions, making it a truly interactive experience for everyone involved.

CROWD SOURCED BEATS AND BEDROOM ROBES

Rebillet uses anything and everything as inspiration for his impromptu beats. The foundation of his craft derives from house EDM music, but the lyrics are pulled from every corner Rebillet can reach. Past sets have featured songs about cake pops, Brazil, sweat, flamingos, wanting to die, soccer, bounce houses, being lonely, barking dogs stuck in tiny apartments, and much, much more. Each piece hyper-focuses on a random object or idea that he gets from the crowd around him, and even the base noises he uses for each song comes from real-time recordings. Rebillet shows up ready and capable to use the resources he is given by each crowd–there is no show too large or too small for him, as everything has its own unique potential.

Marc Rebillet Venice Beach, Los Angeles CA

DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND INFAMOUS STAGES

Eventually, Rebillet went from performing to oblivious diners in Texas to firing up the crowds at Coachella and Lollapalooza, still donning his signature just-rolled-out-of-bed look. Nowadays, if fans are in the right place at the right time, they can find Rebillet out on the street performing at one of his free pop-up shows. In 2024, Rebillet was spotted in cities all over the United States, such as Los Angeles, Denver, and New York City. This specific pop-up tour differed from the status quo–these shows were completely free, and totally unannounced. Rebillet would tease fans with clues as to his next location, but would never confirm it, making it somewhat of a treasure hunt for listeners.