The world of independent rock manifested itself in my mind as I got cozy in Chop Suey. With a growing attraction to the stage, I became fond of the draped, m-shaped curtain, rendering the headliner, Mercy Parker. Since forming in June of 2017, the band dropped their debut album, Broken Road, with the record label Junk House Records, in February of this year. This night was special, as they collaborated with two dominant indie bands from Seattle: Cloud Person and King Mammoth.

To open the night, Cloud Person hovered the crowd with their cumulus sound. Full of rasp and intention, lead vocalist Pete Jordan captured the crowd with his strength. Compounded with the rest of the band, the performance provided the lightning we needed to spark our night. Merging the complexity of keys and drums, the melodic crash between the vocalist and the live instruments augmented a perfect storm. While folding in neat layers of electric bass and bass guitar, the exposure of thunder from this set mesmerized the crowd. The conversation of each carefully crafted solo added character and presented the copacetic mesh for what it was. Cloud Person’s power possessed and controlled my malleable limbs to their sounds.  

All that seized, the presence of King Mammoth came alive. King Mammoth held our attention with — as a neighbor next to me stated, “its like Tame Impala meets The Cure” — tone and persona. The soft, ominous, hypnotic but rough edginess to their melodies stood alone. Almost resurrecting the mammoth itself,  the members of King Mammoth bared it all as we fell in bliss from the cohesiveness of each instrument. Not only was this group easy on the eyes; they also had raw lyricism that made you question, “is it a nightmare or is it a dream?” Spiritually trekking through each song of the set, I found myself enmeshed with thoughts of love, black, and longing.

I longed no more once the band everyone was waiting for finally took form. Mercy Parker began with a greeting to the audience. They kept us connected with transitions with jokes and backstory. This allowed the crowd to feel more intimate and empathic. That was needed as we began to gather goosebumps on our arms from the desperate growl of lead vocalist Chris Sloan. You can hone his confidence and vulnerable harmonies in a cup — drinking sips and falling to your knees for mercy from the passion and drive he conveyed. To match this drive, the subtle weight of his band members complimented the harmony.

Every moment was enrapturing, and the interactions imbued throughout the show. The vocals were solid, but one of the best moments was when we got to admire the technique of Philip Sudore on the guitar. Matched with drummer Jase Ihler and bassist Matt Mckay, the four made for a band that not only channeled the broken parts of me but also provided the treatment.