mehro with half•alive and The Walters

The Persona tour had a purely accidental extended stay in Nashville at the start of April. As a line of concertgoers outside Marathon Music Works grew and grew, people became antsy until they practically expected the announcement: the show was delayed due to a flood in the venue. Thankfully, the employees at Marathon Music Works worked tirelessly to save the show, and the concert was only put off by one day. Though this might cause a steep decline in attendance for other acts, half•alive (and their openers mehro and The Walters) drew in a large crowd that packed the venue. For dedicated fans in the crowd, the (albeit short) wait was worth it. Indie/alternative musician mehro opened the Persona tour with a commanding stage presence and impressive confidence. The energy in the crowd piqued for mehro’s song “Lady Parts and Mannequins,” a standout from the set. One can easily imagine a promising future for mehro, who boasts catchy songs and charm. Next, indie pop band The Walters took the stage to perform songs from their new album Good Company as well as songs from 2014; this included their viral song Love You So, which has garnered nearly two billion streams on Spotify. Together, the band exhibited a playful chemistry onstage, and lead singer Luke Olson took the expression “dance like no one is watching” and ran with it. 

This approach to their performance encouraged the audience to let loose and forego self-consciousness, which made the energy altogether more fun. When half•alive’s set began, the audience went wild. It was clear that most of the crowd consisted of truly dedicated fans; many concertgoers wore half•alive merch, and I chatted with a new friend who had been to several half•alive concerts himself. He told me to be prepared for a high-energy show with dancing and showmanship involved. This was a correct assessment indeed. As their set started, both creatures (?) from their Persona album cover took the stage and wandered, observing the crowd before mirroring each other and exiting the stage. The half•alive band members performed in cohesive red outfits, with lead singer Josh Taylor in a tracksuit adorned with various patches. While the musical performance from each band member was excellent, the two dancers elevated the show, and even had Taylor join in some moves with them. Despite the one day delay, the Persona tour brought fervent dedication to Marathon Music Works and kept up high energy all night. All three acts performed with a presence that captured the crowd’s attention. Nashville will be eagerly awaiting each act’s next visit with open arms.

- Jules Krueger

Photos Courtesy of GC Moorman (For Bell Music Magazine)