Archives For mercy lounge

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This past weekend we caught up with the Mockingbird Sun guys in advance of their album release show Friday night at Mercy Lounge (Tickets HERE) to chat about favorite songs and artists and influences on their new record, “This Is Real Life”. Here are the songs that have stuck with the guys. Steam the playlist via Spotify after the jump.
“If I Could Change Your Mind” – Haim – Their album was one of the best last year, and this track in particular is amazing
“Every Little Kiss” – Bruce Hornsby – Nostalgia City on this one, a great driving song.
“Most People” – Dawes – these guys write some of the most kick ass songs around.
“Burning” – Nightbox – we had a day off in South Padre Island, found this song and it stayed in repeat for two days.
“Lawyers, Guns and Money” – Warren Zevon – can’t get away from how groovy and smart this song is. Warren Zevon was able to be funny and profound at the same time.
“Wild Ones” – Flo Rida – Oh ya, party time. Don’t think too hard about this…
“Love to get used” Matt Pond – Absolutely love the way this song feels. It’s just so cool. Even the guitar riff sounds like it doesn’t really give a shit.
“I’m Alive” – Jackson Browne – When this album came out in the 90’s, my dad had it on repeat in his Datsun. The whole record is full of great memories for me. Ironically, I’m pretty sure Jackson Browne wrote it about his divorce from Daryl Hannah. Music turns pain into beauty.
“Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac – This song is like a time machine for me. It’s such a twisted kind of love song. Stevie Nicks is haunting and Mick Fleetwood’s groove feels like the back seat of a Cadillac. I taught myself to sing harmony to this song.
“Call me Al” – Paul Simon – I used to ask my mom to put this song on after she picked me up from kindergarten. Paul Simon’s delivery is so bold and then so neurotic sounding at the same time. I hope pop music can get back to being this smart at some point…..Roly poly little bat-faced girl…..haha
“Take It Easy” – The Eagles – our favorite band. 3 guys singing together. nothing feels more ‘Mockingbird Sun’ to us than this band and this song.
“Wild & Young” – Amercan Bang – Jaren Johnston, who wrote this tune, produced our last record. we’re big fans of what he does. this song is just fun, crazyhearted & unapologetic, while feeling vintage. and loud.
“The City” – The 1975 – this band is wild. young & kinda couldn’t care less about what they say or do. and the drums are massive.
“‘Til I Hear It From You” – Gin Blossoms – we love bands that roll & jangle. these vocals are layered and work together so well. the whole song is just so melodic. it feels good. a story about a girl that helps the guy move towards redemption, he needs her. we relate.
I Ain’t Ever Satisfied – Steve Earle – Steve exudes rebellion. he’s really a tragic figure who just wants to find out how to love a woman. one our most influential artists. musically, it drives, a big chorus with ‘woahs’ and one repeated line. pure & simple. and it has ‘longing’, something we like to write about.

(I (Larry) am proud to introduce our latest contributor to Cause A Scene, Brad Hughes. As one of the very few people I know who attends as many or more concerts than I do, it’s no wonder that Brad will be handling show reviews for the blog. You can pretty much guarantee that if there isn’t an Atlanta Braves or Vanderbilt Commodores game on TV, Brad will be out seeing live music. Welcome to the team, Brad. We’re glad to have you on board!)

About halfway through Joe Purdy’s set at the Mercy Lounge on June 25th he declared that he’d “like to play a song I haven’t been able to play, like, ever. I found the right band for it.” He’d follow that statement up with an impressive rendition of “Death of a Maiden,” from his ‘Last Clock on the Wall’ release backed by an impressive 7-piece outfit, The Giving Tree Band, that can more than handle their own on stage. The group, spilling off to either side of the large posts of Mercy Lounge’s small stage, backed Joe’s gritty vocals on the elegy with energy, depth, and to the delight of the sparse – yet loyal to Purdy – crowd, a ton of talent.

Purdy’s lyrics and voice paired perfectly with The Giving Tree Band’s country bluefolk roots rock, a genre I can only hope catches on so that someone can give it a better name. The Giving Tree Band opened the show themselves shortly after 8pm playing songs from their library for about an hour. With banjos, fiddles, slide guitars, organs, and drum rhythms that sounded right off of the fields of the Battle of Nashville, the band developed quite a relationship with the crowd, pulling more and more of the attendees to the stagefront as the show progressed. Each member had standout moments throughout their set, including approximately 57% of the band taking lead vocal responsibilities on various songs, but it was lead guitarist and fiddler Phil Roach’s passionate solos that swelled within the venue and prepared us what the headlining act would deliver.

The crowd reacted with delight as The Giving Tree Band returned to the stage for Purdy’s set, lasting nearly 2 hours, covering hits and deep tracks, and once again allowing each of the band’s 7 members to strut their stuff on their respective instruments. None of this is to say that Purdy himself took a back seat to his band on this night. Instead, his vocals seemed even more energized. You could feel the passion in the lyrics that he wrote, especially apparent as the group shouted “I got you now!! Down, down down!!” during a raucous version of ‘Walking Down’ to close the set.

Purdy found ways to satisfy both his longtime fans and win over the newcomers on this night as he slowed down and played a sing-along of ‘Outlaws’ by himself on the keys during the encore after shocking some in attendance with the darkness of songs like ‘Angelina’ during his primary set. As the band would join him for a final two pieces of the encore, Joe and The Giving Tree Band had everyone rocking back and forth on ‘San Jose’ and sent the crowd out into the cool night delighted.

I can only recommend to anyone in St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and New York who might be reading find a way to catch Purdy and The Giving Tree Band as they ride through town in the coming weeks. Leading into ‘Brooklyn, I Called,’ Joe proclaimed to the crowd “I hope you don’t hate it,” but there was nothing to fear for Purdy on this night. Cause a Scene and the several other hundred in attendance at The Mercy Lounge loved it.