Concert Review: Mere Mortals at The Troubadour 1/11/08

Mere Mortals began its set with a trippy, psychedelic, Indian-influenced version of “Reverberation” before moving into a heavy rendition of “Dr. South.” “13th Floor,” sparked a rare occasion of audience members dancing to the music, and the set ended with “Jesus Trip” and some very strong applause.

Mimi continuously swayed on stage, visibly feeling the music; while Todd kept a strong and solid beat to round out the rhythm section. Derek let his musicianship speak for itself in his epic solos, while physically staying in the side-stage shadows. Axel handles the role of frontman well; he carried a clear and prominent vocal over the music and spoke just enough between songs to make a personal connection with the audience.

Furthermore, Mere Mortals was the best band of the night and should have headlined. Despite an opening slot, its fans had a marked presence and even newbies responded enthusiastically. Overall, the band sounded like it was made for a much bigger venue than The Troub, which maybe foreshadows its future.