MERCURY/ARCY DRIVE
Mercury/Arcy Drive, Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia, PA 11/6/2025
Arcy Drive and Mercury hit the perfect strike on November 6 at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia.
From Nashville, Tennessee, indie artist Maddie Kerr, AKA Mercury, joined Arcy Drive for the second leg of “The Pit Tour.” Gaining large amounts of attention since 2023 with the release of her singles, “Trying” and “Woolgathering”, Mercury released her first EP, “Swarm the Hive Mind,” in 2024 and a few more singles like “Faster” and “Justin’s Heading Out” in early 2025. Mercury frequently blends indie and alternative rock in her music while conveying themes of self-love, anxiety, and the world around us.
Mercury explained that this set was a little different than usual. Instead of a 5-piece electric set, she performed a 3-piece acoustic set, making for a welcoming and calm change of pace. Listening to her acoustic versions of her songs makes for an ethereal experience, with the harmonies and chemistry between the band resonating very well with the audience. Some songs we got to hear were “Heading Out”, “Swarm the Hive Mind”, and more, and it was extremely well received by fans.
From Long Island, New York, Arcy Drive consists of four childhood friends: Nick on vocals and guitar, Patrick on bass, Brooke on drums, and Austin on guitar. After gaining popularity from their single, “Roll my Stone” (2022), the band would go on to release their first EP, “Beach Plum” (2023), and their first studio album, “The Pit” (2025).
Now it was time for Arcy Drive, who put on a jam-packed show. Starting the set with “Under the Rug”, “Smoke and Fire”, and “The Itch,” the crowd lost their minds. All the members of the band had constant smiles on their faces, and you can tell they loved to perform the second they walked on. Nick especially kept fans entertained him always encouraging them to sing along, and utilising the stage to his fullest, going from one side to another, interacting with fans.
After a couple more songs, the band took a brief break to talk to the crowd a little bit, and then, “GO BIRDS” was yelled out from an audience member, acknowledging Austin, the guitarist's Philadelphia Eagles jersey. Which then led to what I call “the Philadelphia show special,” because a Philadelphia show isn't really a Philadelphia show if the Eagles aren't mentioned at least once. Patrick, the bassist, showed off his incredible bird-calling skills, and Patrick started playing the Eagles' theme song, “Fly Eagles Fly,” and nearly everyone in the crowd sang every word perfectly. It was beautiful.
When it was time for the next song, the drummer, Brooke, and Nick came to the front of the stage and performed an acoustic version of “Time Shrinks”, and fans watched in awe. It was a welcoming, calm, and exciting change of pace for a song. The harmonized vocals mixed with the sound of the acoustic guitar and Cajon drum were amazing to listen to.
Once the acoustic segment was over, Arcy Drive got right back into the energy, and the audience loved it. Patrick hopped into the crowd and started a mosh pit, and crowd surfers began to come left and right. Closing with “What’s in my Head,” fans wanted more, cheering for an encore. Arcy Drive came out and played one more song, “Louie”, and it was safe to say that fans were absolutely pleased. More crowd surfers, the pit was going wild, and the band was once again smiling ear to ear, truly enjoying their time performing.
Overall, Mercury and Arcy Drive had everything you would want in a concert. Blending indie rock/folk both acoustically and electrically, it made for a concert you will remember for a very long time and be happy about. The energy from both bands was like none that I have ever seen before.
Although the tour is coming to a close with Boston and New York being the last dates of the tour, Arcy Drive and Mercury are bands you definitely want to keep a close eye on. Their energy and music were phenomenal, and I cannot recommend these bands enough.
Shot and Written by Christopher McIntyre
