Lilly Hiatt, Coley Hinson and Friends Close a Chapter for Mercy Lounge

Over the past two decades, I’ve done and seen a mind-boggling array of things at Mercy Lounge and its sister venues Cannery Ballroom and The High Watt. Some of it’s been for work: My very first concert review was covering a Dirty Projectors show at Cannery for the Scene. Plenty of it has been just for fun: Remember that time The Revolution’s guitarist Dez Dickerson showed up to play during tribute group Mayhem’s Prince show? 

Many, many others could share similar stories about The White Stripes’ sorta-surprise show, the crowd for Girl Talk dancing so hard they broke a water line, Lizzo flying in right after the Met Gala to dazzle a packed house, a wild-ass “4-D NYE” party with local bands simulating a time-travel experience, or any of dozens of 8 off 8th showcases or benefit shows. That willingness to host such a range of stuff — weird, goofy creative happenings as well as pro-grade shows from legends and up-and-comers alike — is a big part of why the complex has meant so much to the collection of music scenes around town since Mercy opened in 2003. That’s also why it’s disheartening that the new owners of the property and the longtime owners of the business couldn’t come to an agreement on a new lease. Mercy’s Todd Olhauser & Co. are on the lookout for a new spot to open up shop, and property owner DZL is set to reopen the rooms as venues sometime this summer with TPAC veteran Brent Hyams as general manager. 

Following a lengthy run of farewell concerts, Thursday’s show at Mercy was the very last one in the current iteration of the complex. Despite the sadness in the air, the crowd still got to see something cool, new and beautiful. The gig doubled as a wedding celebration for top-notch songsmith and rocker Lilly Hiatt and grade-A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Coley Hinson. Hiatt shared the happy news with the audience midway through her set. What better way for two musical lifers to celebrate their union?

Let’s rewind a little bit. As eye-watering pollen wafted through the twilight over the deck outside, Hinson and his compatriots warmed up the crowd. Sporting a Larry Bird jersey in support of the Celtics in their battle that night with the Miami Heat, Hinson played guitar and sang, with Alex Munoz on lead guitar, Evan P. Donohue on bass and Josh Minyard on drums. Among other projects over the past 10 years, versions of this group have played as Donohue’s band, and they’ve been songsmith Jeremy Ivey’s band under the name The Extraterrestrials. 

Ivey and his musical and life partner, someone you might have heard of named Margo Price, came up midset to sing Ivey’s “The Dream and the Dreamer,” about how greed and other harmful impulses derail our best instincts. The rest of the set included Hinson’s groovy originals, a couple of which featured Hinson’s father, pro steel player Steve Hinson, plus a Donohue song called “Tenure,” and covers of  “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” in the style of The Monkees (Hinson’s “first favorite band”) and Ween’s “Roses Are Free.”

Hiatt doesn’t change up her band rapidly, but new members tend to enter the rotation every year or so. They’re always outstanding players, and that was certainly true Thursday, when she was joined by drummer Luke Fedorko (who you’ve also seen with bands like Bleary and Twen), bassist Nick Harley and “Sweetbaby” Josh Halper on guitar. Hiatt led the ensemble through emotionally and musically nuanced tunes, mostly from her most recent albums: her 2017 breakout Trinity Lane, its 2020 follow-up Walking Proof and last year’s Lately. Everyone contributed to knocking the performance out of the park; extra kudos to Halper for demonstrating his immense versatility, shifting on the proverbial dime from molten-gold leads to gently shimmering textural accompaniment. 

One of the emotional peaks of the set was the Walking Proof song “Some Kind of Drug,” a contender for the best love song to Music City in the uncertain time we’re still living through. As Hiatt sang: “Veins of this city, so small and pretty / You couldn't pump her up with some kind of drug / Her arms are open, wild-eyed and hoping / Somebody could give her that kind of love.” Another highlight was when Hiatt announced the marriage and brought Hinson out to sing with her on a gentle tune called “Bail,” with lyrics about the vulnerability of being someone’s partner. 

Yet another high point: Hiatt called up her father, songwriter’s songwriter John Hiatt. After he bumped his head on her guitar while trying to retrieve a pick from the stage — “Now, if that isn’t fate,” he said with a laugh — he explained that until the family saw Lilly perform the next song at her high school talent show, no one had any idea she could play or sing. What followed was a poignant trading of verses on John Prine’s empathetic masterwork “Angel From Montgomery.”

The set drew to a close with “Big Bad Wolf,” a barn-burner from Hiatt’s 2013 solo debut Let Down, and a cover of “Hey Hey, My My,” Neil Young’s anthem for those who make art in spite of whether its cultural value is recognized. Hiatt and the band disappeared into the green room for about a minute and returned to encore with the Walking Proof song “Brightest Star.” Her dedication — “It’s for you, it’s for the underdogs, and underdogs kick ass” — was about as fitting a sentiment as you could ask for to end the final show at a place that’s been so loved by so many for so long. 

While the skyrocketing real estate prices that led to this closure — and that have kept Ohlhauser and the Mercy crew from finding a suitable new spot thus far — are frustrating and dispiriting, there’s still a ton of creative energy sparking around town. As I weaved around a construction crew (because, of course) to get to my parking spot, I thought about some shows that were also happening right then: the Vibes at the Dive hip-hop show featuring Quez Cantrell, Intro and others at The Dive Motel, the metal show with Primitive Man at Drkmttr and rock band The Dreaded Laramie’s EP release party at The Basement. The spirit is alive and well — right now, anyway. But it’s something that anyone takes for granted at their peril. If we as a city allow everyone putting in the work to develop their talent and build their fan base to get pushed far enough away, they’ll eventually become part of some other city’s music scene.

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