KOPECKY + TYSSON PLAY MERCURY LOUNGE

Heading down to Mercury Lounge for the early show on Monday evening, I was treated to two bands that were new to my ears, Tysson and Kopecky. Starting the night off with their alternative pop-rock influenced tunes, Tysson, who hails from New Orleans, won a lot of new fans that night. Playing their tunes “Lost” and “Bigger,” lead singer John Michael Rouchell noted that he was struggling with his voice due to illness, but was able to nail soaring choruses with relative ease. Drummer Alvin Ford Jr. was an absolute beast on the drum-kit and Max Moran rounded out the group on guitar. Taking their name from the rugged Mike Tyson and model Tyson Beckford, figures that have both rough and soft qualities about them, their music embodied the juxtaposition of both those figures splendidly.

Tysson

Up next was the Nashville based six-piece Kopecky. Everyone moved about 2 feet closer to the stage and I wondered what I was in for. Having dropped the “Family Band” from their name ahead of their sophomore album, I envisioned a group of brothers and sisters singing fairly tame music. I was completely wrong and pleasantly surprised. Kopecky played folk rock music: expansive, hard-hitting and relentless in the best way. Their melodies were endlessly interesting, and their instrumentation was also impressive. Amidst the usual players – guitar, drums, keyboard, there were also trombones thrown in for good measure, and quite literally thrown on the ground a number of times as the music intensified. Band founders Gabe Simon and Kelsey Kopecky took care of the majority of the vocals, while the rest of the band filled in on background and percussion. I found myself so wrapped up in their performance, I stopped taking photos and just enjoyed the show.

Kopecky

One lucky audience member even got to take home a copy of their new album Drug For The Modern Age, scheduled for release on the 19th of May.

Kopecky

From the first to the last note, even when Gabe jumped off the stage and sang his way out through the crowd to end the show, Kopecky’s energy and stage presence was completely enduring and captivating. While this was my first exposure to them and their music, this certainly won’t be my last.