Mercury Lights Up Mohawk in Cathartic Opening Triumph
February 27, 2026 - Austin, Texas
Commanding a crowded room as a smaller artist is no easy task, but for indie-rock powerhouse Mercury, opening The 77 Tour for Colony House at Austin’s Mohawk on February 27, it was a walk in the park. From the first beat of the drums to the last glimmering guitar note, the Franklin, Tennessee project from vocalist Maddie Kerr owned the stage like their name was on top of the poster.
Photo via thebandmercury on Instagram
Right as the clock struck 8 p.m. and the lights dropped to bright green hues, Kerr, lead guitarist Chris Peranich, guitarist Justin Blanner, drummer Aaron Krak, bassist (and birthday boy!) Trey Stanley and their instrumental prowess launched into the set, transporting the audience into Mercury’s orbit. Throughout their discography, what starts as a whispering confession grows to explosive rock catharsis, a dynamic display of power and grit reaching all three of the venue’s tiers.
Jumping into heavy-hitting banger “Born in Early May,” Mercury throws the audience into their electric, grunge-soaked world, where crying guitars complement Kerr’s weeping vocals. The band’s intensity only sharpened as “Crick” rode Stanley’s steady-building basslines and Krak’s drums that swelled into a colossal release, Kerr’s voice leaping from a soft, angelic plea to a near-guttural scream resulting in thunderous applause and praise from the room.
“I see people singing along, I’m a small artist so seeing that feels really good,” Kerr told the crowd as the track faded.
She went on to recall that the group’s last time in Austin, where they played a fully acoustic set, was her favorite stop of the previous tour, a memory that only emphasized how much heavier and more vivacious Mercury sounded this time around. That contrast hit home on “The Fly,” pairing impressive guitar riffs with Kerr’s agile vocal flips.
The 30-minute set slowed into “Special,” confronting Kerr’s sense of not feeling like an equal to those around her and the defeat in never measuring up. Mercury’s Nashville roots shone through twangy, folk-like guitar chords that mirrored her aching vocals, begging to be seen a certain way until the crowd recited the chorus right back: “Cause I wanna be something to you / I, I wanna be special too.” Nearly choking up by the song’s end, Kerr caught her breath and told the room, “That was so sweet.”
Reaching the end of the set, Peranich and Blanner’s beautiful, blended harmonies atop Kerr’s heartfelt belting kept the momentum high in “Faster.” Krak anchored it all, grinning ear-to-ear through his own on-fire, dynamic drumming, driving the chorus as it shook the room. “Cool me off and knock me down / Useless spiral I go ‘round, useless spiral I go ‘round.” Closing track and most recent release “Heaven” reeled the crowd in one final time with its ethereal melodies and vulnerability surrounding the struggle of allowing what no longer remains to be left in the past.
From Franklin, Tennessee to Austin, Texas, Mercury shared a hometown spirit with headliner Colony House while carving out their own lane entirely, trading in something darker, heavier, and incredibly raw.
