The Early November + Have Mercy
By: Nicole Juliette Hetlyn
Last night was an intimate, yet lively show at the Basement East in Nashville. OWEL, Have Mercy, and the Early November were on their fourth night of their tour. As the vocalists of OWEL and Have Mercy expressed, everyone on tour is already sick. However, that didn’t stop them from putting on an amazing show! New Jersey’s alternative rockers, OWEL, started off the show. Their songs had more of an ambient-indie vibe, and I loved hearing the violin featured on their songs. It was a fun set with such a unique vibe, highly recommend checking them out!
Hailing from Baltimore, Have Mercy was up next and ready to rock. Just like OWEL, vocalist Brian Swindle was hit with sickness. “I have tea on stage instead of alcohol. My throat is hurting, but we aren’t going to let that stop us, because we are in NASHVILLE!” Have Mercy continued to put on a stellar set. We were able to hear some songs off of Have Mercy’s latest release, The Love Life. This album is so vulnerable, and I definitely cried during “Dressed Down.” Swindle is an incredible writer and performer; always sharing his most personal songs with an intense amount of emotion. Swindle also made light during the set - joking about how he cut his hair while he was high and now he “looks like an asshole like his father.” I always love seeing Have Mercy, and can’t wait for their next show.
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This was my first time seeing the Early November, and I am so upset with myself for missing out all these years. I was completely blown away by their set, and I have been listening to them all day - still buzzing from last night. the Early November was so charismatic; jumping all over the stage, Sergio [bassist] doing kick splits and spins, and Sergio and Ace [vocals] bumping into each other playfully. I was also stunned at Ace’s stellar vocals, specifically on my favorite tEN song, “Call off the Bells,” giving me goosebumps. The crowd clearly new every song, and they were not hesitant to sing along. The setlist included many other favorites, such as “Decoration”, “Ave Maria”, and “I Want to Hear You Sad.” The Early November played a few songs from their highly anticipated release. Lilac, available September 27th.
Upcoming tour dates:
9/18-St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
9/20-Houston, TX @ Secret Group
9/21-Austin, TX @ Barracuda
9/22-Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
9/24-Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
9/25-Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
9/26-San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues Voodoo Room
9/27-Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
9/28-San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
9/30-Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
10/01-Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
10/02-Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
10/04-Salt Lake City, UT-Kilby Court
10/05-Denver, CO @ Globe
10/07-Kansas City, MO @ The Rino
10/08-Burnsville, MN @ The Garage
10/09-Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
10/11-Cleveland, OH @ Mahall's
10/12-Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
10/13-Toronto, ON @ Hardluck Bar
10/14-Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
10/16-Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/17-Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
10/18-Asbury Park, NJ @ House Of Independents