Mercury Rev played Sinclair – 10/12

Long-running psychedelic pop experimentalists Mercury Rev headlined The Sinclair on Columbus Day, with support from a stripped-down incarnation of Boston’s Thick Wild.

Mercury Rev are an enduring institution, with founding members Jonathan Donahue and Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak having stuck together since 1989, still gleefully writing and performing music two and a half decades on. Donahue, lead vocalist since the early 90s departure of David Baker, conducts the group like a less sinister Willy Wonka. Outfitted in dominantly purple attire, he was the group’s whimsical and theatrical heart. Grasshopper, meanwhile, took to his lead guitar duties as if they were the end-all be-all of his existence on this planet. Such exuberance is rare, particularly within this genre of music, and rather refreshing. The band put on a dynamically-lit (and I offer “dynamic” generously, as the ever-shifting illumination was a photography nightmare) set that most often reached for their 1998 career highlight Deserter’s Songs,  but also pulled in a number of tracks from their latest, September’s The Light In You, and a few other discography-spanning picks.

Openers Thick Wild, headed by singer/songwriter Amelia Bradley, played a strong and evocative set despite an early conclusion. Bradley’s banjo-driven compositions, augmented by a guitarist, brought to mind early Joanna Newsom. Photos from both sets below.