Lucky to be late
When attending concerts, my general rule is to only go to small venues, wait in line before doors open, and get a spot up front as close to the stage as possible. When it's over, I try to get a setlist.
My plan fell apart on 29 April when I ventured to Seattle to catch half•alive. The ferries were running behind schedule and I arrived later than planned. I adore seeing half•alive live because their music is always paired with hypnotic, coordinated, on stage dancing. If you aren't familiar with them, watch their video for still feel and you'll know exactly what I mean. I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to watch their moves up close.
Although I arrived too late to get to the front of the stage, I did make it in time to catch both opening acts. I didn't know who they were or anything about them.
mehro
The first opener was mehro (pronounced marrow, i.e. ˈmerō). I had zero expectations.
When mehro started, I immediately liked his music. That made me pay closer attention. As I listened, each song drew me in deeper. They are all really good. I mean really good. I was flabbergasted. His songs were melodic, rhythmic, intimate; they had fun refrains, hooks, and showcased his sweet voice and vocal range without being showy in the least. I became a fan on the spot.
mehro engaged in some back-and-forth with the audience and instantly built a rapport that I have seen much more established artists fail to do – especially as quickly and easily as mehro did.
As the music continued, I was transfixed. I couldn't believe how good he was. I really liked every song he played. They varied from acoustic ballads to full-on rock and roll numbers. When recounting the concert, I referred to two of the songs he played as 'screamers' because they included refrains with at least one line that was screamed (or very close to it). Surprisingly, the refrains came across as merely emphatic, which is to say they weren't jarring in any way. They were a statement. They worked exceedingly well. I thought they were great.
mehro said he would be at the merch table after his set and that if we signed up for his mailing list, we could get an autographed card and also buy a custom shirt. I signed up for his mailing list on the spot (from the crowd). Shortly before his set ended, I moved to the merch table and waited. It was an opportunity that I could not miss. I was happily willing to have a lesser view for half•alive in order to get a signed card and shirt. mehro arrived shortly after his set and chatted with fans while splitting his time between signing cards and posing for selfies. He was patient, kind, and modest.
The next day, I ordered his CD from bandcamp and downloaded the rest of his catalog from Apple Music. On a flight to Las Vegas, I shuffled his catalog. Then I shuffled it again. Then I shuffled it on repeat. I kept rating songs I liked ★★★★s. I have been listening on shuffle ever since.
Yesterday I was able to purchase all of his music and add it to my music library. In between shuffles, I listened to the few songs that I hadn't rated. By the time I was done, only a single song out of the 34 song catalog got three stars; the rest were four stars.
mehro 101
I created a playlist to introduce everyone to this incredible artist. It includes some of my favorites tracks. Keep in mind that my selection is necessarily based on my personal taste. That said, there are no songs in merhro's catalog that aren't strong. Try these songs and if you like more than one then you'll enjoy the rest of his catalog. Sample here, then go deep in Apple Music, Spotify, or whatever your favorite music service is.
The playlist
Listen to my playlist, mehro - 101, using the links below:
Song-by-song
Here's a a walk-through of each song on my playlist with a short description of what I like about it. My personal favorites are marked with ★.
★ pirate song - The opener at the show. The sound and echo at the beginning initially made me think I might not care about the opening act. When the song quickly transitioned to a delicate melody, I became intrigued. When the hummed refrain started thirty seconds on, I was paying full attention. When the full refrain came a minute in, with its ascending then falling pitch, I was hooked.
exploding - Fast & fun. A great quick beat. This song has a terrific bouncy, changing rhythm the builds perfectly. I love it's extended lyrical delivery:
Just keep on .. doing your thing
'Cause I'm on the brink .. of ex .. plo .. ding
Break me down, .. make me innocent
'Cause I'm on the brink .. of ex .. plo .. ding
★ coastline - Perfect indie rock. Snappy, catchy, bright, with great flow. I enjoy this song on every listen; it makes me smile very time.
Lady Parts and Mannequins - One of the two 'screamers' I heard – and instantly loved. This song has an almost retro-70s feel. It reminds me of other songs and artists in a complimentary way. Personally, I find the scream of the syllable quins in the title line, Lady parts and manne .. quins delicious. (I will have more to say about this song in a future post.)
★ pretty kids - To me, this is an instant classic. Another perfect indie rock song with an infectious beat and a refrain made for singing. It may just be this summer's anthem. I know this song will appear on many of my playlists in the future.
not alone - This song begins with bah bah bah background vocals that evoke a retro-feel. A bit of a revenge song delivered with honey in support of others who have been through the same thing. Well played.
★ chance with you - A song about the regret of a missed opportunity and a unanswered wish for the opportunity to do it all over again. It has a gorgeous refrain highlighting mehro's vocal range. His delivery of the line Just so I could have a change with you is delicate and communicates his feelings perfectly.
perfume - Another song with killer humming, a great hook, and a very nice refrain. Lovely sentiment, beautifully expressed.
★ like you're god - I love the feel (& the groove) of this song. I especially like the background vocal flourishes, which perfectly enhance the mood. This is a textbook example of mehro's intentional, stressed, elongated, emphasized, and unstressed vocal delivery make the song more effective and, for me, more infectious.
who are you - A delicate melody, floating above a simple acoustic guitar, that merely inquires about the meaning of life through contemplative questions.
★ howling - An amazing indie rock song that highlights mehro's voice beautifully, especially via the refrain:
Ooh
I'm Alone, I'm Home
Howlin', howlin'
Ooh
lightning - Another pretty song with a refrain that is delivered, well, like lightening:
Chainsaw couldn't split us up
Nothing's gonna wake me up
I'm falling asleep
With you lying next to me
Chainsaw couldn't split us up
Nothing's gonna wake me up
Not even the thunder
Not even the lightning
This song uses another nice mix of rhythm changes.
★ You're So Pretty - The second 'screamer', and mehro's most recent single. It's fast. It's sweet. It's great indie rock with a killer hook. It's a wonderful mix of styles and genres: part indie rock, straight-up rock and roll, with a whisper of grunge. It's fun, snappy, and powerful all at once.
I will never hear anyone able to sing/half-scream ... that does it for me with the same understated emotion that mehro communicates in this song. It's the perfect expression of a dizzy emotional state.
Return engagement
What instantly grabbed my attention during mehro's set was his range. What truly impresses me about his entire catalog is his combination of catchy, memorable songs; the delicacy of some of his melodies, vocal treatments, and vocal delivery; the range of emotional content; his memorable rhythmic and vocal hooks; and his breadth of coverage from sweet acoustic melodies to biting rock and roll numbers. mehro isn't one thing. He doesn't deliver one kind of song. He embraces his full vocal range, varies his delivery, and covers a huge spectrum of emotional energy.
Not only did mehro win over a new fan last Tuesday, he literally rocked my world. He delivered such an unexpected, emotionally charged, and thoroughly enjoyable set; I was just blown away.
I look forward to tracking his future work. Mark my words: Everyone will know mehro before long.
mehro said he would be back to Seattle soon. I'm on the list. I'm ready. Can't wait!