Songbyrd Hosts Mellow And Emotional, mehro And King Isis Captivate

Say what you want about indie music; it rules

mehro was an artist I recently stumbled upon ironically enough, during a photo editing session as I let my Spotify wander. “perfume” is the first song I heard and in an instant, I was a fan. Calming and soft-spoken vocals paired with a romantic acoustic guitar tune? I’m in. So naturally, when I was made aware that mehro would be at Songbyrd Music House in DC, I was there. 

I hang out under the charming little patio as I wait for doors to open, the string lights omitting a warm and welcoming glow on a somewhat dreary evening. I’m surrounded primarily by teenage girls who are getting their hands Sharpied with the classic black X as they excitedly chatter. 

Doors open right on time (go Songbyrd!) and the staff gets us into the venue swiftly. I plant my feet and camera bag a bit off-center, but still right against the stage. I request a polite gal to hold my spot so I can grab a bottle of water and get myself together before showtime. She agrees, and I do the same for her. Songbyrd is a super intimate venue on the outskirts of Washington DC that gives off a perfect indie vibe. There’s no photo pit here, but I prefer it that way for this venue. 

Just as things were punctual with doors, the same goes for showtime. At 8 pm King Isis, a slender girl with caramel skin and a fuzzy bucket hat atop her waist-length braids, peeks out of the curtain before gracing the stage. She seems a bit shy and it’s adorable. Sometimes I’ll listen to supporting acts before shows, sometimes I don’t. I like to mix it up and keep openers a surprise every once in a while, but King Isis had been on repeat for at least two weeks leading up to this evening. Her vocals are clean and beautiful, with gentle delivery of her sometimes punky and emotionally charged lyrics. I was a fan of the music I had heard on streaming services, and I’m even more charmed by her live performance. 

King Isis gives us a few covers, including “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, which I think she nailed. The crowd seemed pleased too. I’m a bit disappointed with the silence of the crowd during her set, I hoped to see a few die-hards singing along with Isis but perhaps I missed them. I was very taken by her performance. She plays her original song “4leaf clover”, my favorite of hers. Soon after, a snippet of her rendition of “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish. Ah, there it is. That’s who her voice reminded me of, I wish she had sung the whole song. Isis thanks the crowd for listening to her and coming out, puts down her guitar, and helps her stagehand breakdown and clear out for mehro. 

The audience begins to talk amongst themselves, I can hear the girls behind me bubbling with excitement over mehro being on stage shortly. The thirty-minute intermission flew by and before I knew it, the lights went down, and then appears mehro with his bandmates. They get right into it, starting with “dopamine”, an upbeat bouncy tune that has the room grooving. mehro is wearing some gemmed pants that reflect the stage lights beautifully, paired with a baby blue shirt donning the words “Cherry boy” in a Coca-Cola-like font. His chestnut curls match his dark eyes and his charisma is evident in the way he carries himself. 

His set rolls right along, and his stage mates Callen (bass) and Jack (drums) are both grinning ear to ear as they perform. There’s an acoustic portion of mehro’s set, which at this point I believe will be my favorite. We’ll get back to that. After I watch one acoustic song from my spot at the front of the stage, I make my way to the back of the venue to give myself a little more elbow room and see the show from a different perspective. Seconds after I find my spot, mehro gets emotional with us. He tells us that this next song makes him sad when he sings it, it’s written about someone he didn’t express his love in quite the way he wished he had. 

A song that I associated with sweetness suddenly had a more somber meaning, and I felt sad too. Honestly, I almost shed a tear. “perfume” is a short song, to me it’s comforting and lovely, but it feels a little bittersweet now. It feels like a goodbye kiss. 

I move to the center of the room but still behind the crowd during a cover of “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. The lighting is beaming and swirling slowly behind mehro, creating a dark silhouette that matches the vibe of “Hurt” perfectly. mehro takes a moment to thank everyone who came to the show, the staff of Songbyrd, and tells us that a special guest is among the crowd tonight. He’s hush-hush about his identity, but the creator of NPR’s Tiny Desk is present. (I knew the gentleman I stood beside at the door looked familiar!) Wow, how neat. Being a big fan of Tiny Desk, I was thrilled for mehro. 

We’re down to the last few songs, and the rhythm of the night changes. We go from chill acoustic to loud and fast, I’m pleasantly surprised by the shift in energy but wow do I love it. mehro plays one of his fast-paced originals, “chance with you”. This song sounds like it was made for an indie romance flick. It’s stunning and the performance is almost cinematic. This sets the stage for a new song he plays, titled “lady parts and mannequins”, which he prefaces with a disclaimer that he doesn’t want to be put in a box when it comes to genre. “Fuck that, I want to play what I feel”, and kicks off into my favorite part of the whole evening. mehro’s energy is electric during this song, it’s almost a punky jam. I’m dancing, along with the entire room. mehro is so into it that he falls to his knees for an animated guitar solo. He gathers himself at the end of the song, panting, and tells us he accidentally unplugged everything when he played his solo. 

His band plays a silly SpongeBob SquarePants plucky tune as stagehands help figure out what cords plug in where. mehro closes out with “exploding”, and it’s the perfect end to what I feel was a superbly assembled set. Even though I’m sure it’s been a long day, there are a TON of people in this small venue and that set was packed with energy, mehro invites his fans to come chat with him at merch before they head out. My feet are aching but I take him up on this, and I’m glad I did. He’s so kind and takes the time to listen to each person without rushing them away to get to the next. After what seems like forever, it’s my turn. He immediately reaches out for a hug and thanks me for coming. I shared that he was a blast to photograph and that I enjoyed my first time seeing him live, assuring him I would be back the next time he was in town. He thanks me and I make my way over to King Isis to express my gratitude to her as well, telling her how talented and fabulous she is. She says thank you somewhat bashfully, I shake her hand and head for the car. 

Wow. I knew I liked these artists coming into this show but I am genuinely impressed and leave Songbyrd feeling a real connection to mehro and King Iris. Here’s to hoping I see them both again sooner rather than later, I need more of their energy in my life. 

See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

If you captured any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see. 

Catch mehro on the “Reason To Live” Tour with King Isis (US only)

 Mar. 14 Salt Lake City

Kilby Court

Mar. 17 Seattle, WA

Madame Lou’s

Mar. 18 Portland, OR

Holocene

Mar. 20 San Francisco, CA

Cafe Du Nord

Mar. 21 Los Angeles, CA

The Roxy

Mar. 24 San Diego, CA

House of Blues

Voodoo Room

Mar. 25 Phoenix, AZ

The Rebel Lounge

Mar. 30 Monterrey, MX

Pal Norte Festival

Apr. 1 Guadalajara, MX

C3 Stage Rooftop

Apr. 3 Mexico City, MX

Lunario