A Haunting Close to Halloweekend: Mercury at Irving Plaza
Mercury, the planet, may be in retrograde, but the band Mercury is skyrocketing into New York City.
On Nov. 2 at Irving Plaza, Mercury played a short, hypnotic set that left fans enchanted by their heavy indie rock sound. Mercury is on tour supporting Holywatr, a hardcore rock band, and Mercury’s melancholy music was the calm before the storm.
Irving Plaza was packed from the front to the back, and the venue echoed with the sound of orchestral music, an unpopular yet perfectly curated pre-show music choice.
This tour is bringing Mercury a new demographic of fans. For a long time, their fan base consisted of indie music lovers, but as they lean more into their rock side, Mercury is blending genres and fan communities.
Mercury, fronted by Maddie Kerr, took the stage with a mysterious presence. Kerr’s long hair covered her face as she walked out with her head down, and the other live band members followed. If you weren't familiar with their music, you could not have predicted how hard you were about to be hit with bass and distorted guitars.
Mercury opened with “Born in Early May,” and the entire venue rattled. Your chest vibrated with the power of the instruments, then Kerr sang her first note and your soul became attached.
Kerr’s vocals border on the line between enchanting and haunting. They are soft, yet incredibly powerful when Kerr wants them to be. The ending notes of “Born in Early May” sound like a beautiful siren song luring you into their set.
As they continued, songs such as “Crick” and “Special” had people’s heads banging and bodies swaying. There was no moshing, but plenty of that was to come with Holywatr. Mercury’s set brought fans into the music and warmed their bodies up for what was to follow.
Everyone in the crowd wanted Mercury's set to be longer. After their 30-minute set, fans rushed to the merch table to buy a keepsake to remember the show. The table matched Mercury's aesthetic: a cloth over the table, a lit candle, pins, stickers, and photos on display, and merch hanging in the back.
The line was wrapped around the block for Holywatr, and soon that line will be for Mercury. As they continue working on new music and playing mesmerizing live shows, there is no doubt that Nashville-based band Mercury will soon sell out iconic New York venues such as Irving Plaza.
Review by Alyssa Bole