Returning from being on the road, one of Nashville’s up-and-coming indie rock bands, Mercury, performs at the iconic Blue Room.
Doors opened at 7 PM, and for an hour fans slowly started pouring into the small, photo studio-turned-venue. Right at 7:59 PM, the four members of Sour Tooth appeared from the back room and walked on stage. The local rock band opened the night with “dead leaves,” with lead singer Cort Dingman performing from the left side of the stage.
Their album letting loose just came out on June 6th, and half of the band’s set was from this project. Between the distorted guitar chords, the warm and punchy drums, and the moving bass lines, you could hear Dingman singing in a low tone. Songs like “choked up” and “change” almost forced you to nod your head to the rhythm. Some fans even hopped around a little, enjoying the cohesive collage of sounds coming through the monitors.
Sour Tooth finished their set and began changing out their gear. As the crowd patiently waited for the main event, the room continued to fill up until there was barely any space to move. Again, right around 8:59 PM, mercury was met with screams filled with excitement as the band stepped onto the stage.As the room went quiet, mercury began their set with the single repeating guitar chord from “Woolgathering.” As the song progressed and started getting more intense, Maddie Kerr’s ethereal vocals brought it all together. From early in the performance, it was obvious that Kerr’s band enjoyed her music as much as she did. Guitarist Michael Scott and bassist Trey Stanley stood next to each other on the right of the stage and occasionally entered each other’s worlds as they played their parts with their entire bodies. Guitarist Billy Ayers stood on the left side of the stage, occasionally falling and jumping while he played like his life depended on it. Aaron Krak was on drums and glued everyone together with his hard-hitting rhythms and fills.
The next song was “Moment,” an earlier song from 2022. Kerr’s vocals felt even more piercing, and what can only be described as a perfect union of instrumentation made this such a mesmerizing performance. Also included in the set was “Trying,” another one of mercury’s introductory singles. Noticeable themes throughout the track are self-love but also the crushing weight of anxiety as we move through this world. This track was included in playlists from Vevo, Spotify, and Apple Music, and it’s no wonder why.
Midway through the set, screams from the audience filled the room after Kerr announced that they’d be playing three unreleased songs. The next several minutes were unbelievably breathtaking as the band continued their captivating performance. Ayers put his whole soul into his part and ended up breaking his guitar as he slammed it on stage several times.
Following their unreleased songs, the band continued their set with “Born In Early May,” from their latest EP Together We Are One, You And I. The lyrics feel emotional, and also like a groundbreaking discovery of self. Pounding guitar chords and Kerr’s enthralling vocals make this song unique. “Special” played next, followed by the band’s most popular song “I Don’t Know You Like I Used To.” It’s a bit more upbeat but still managed to keep the band’s newly reintroduced identity intact.
Mercury ended their set with “Crick,” the third track from their new EP. The song reflects on Kerr’s inability to vocalize her feelings when she needed to. The end of the track finds the band repeating a melody and gradually speeding up until finished.
Mercury has just released their new EP Together We Are One, You And I and it is a must listen! Stream it on all platforms.
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