mehro Steals the Spotlight at half alive’s Music Factory Show

Fans of half alive may be upset to read this, and they have every right to argue the point, but mehro stole the show at The Fillmore Charlotte on Tuesday night.

Sure, half alive offered a solid performance that had the crowd moving and singing along — thoroughly entertained by occasional choreographed dance moves and plenty of songs both old and new. When I left the show, however, it was mehro I remembered the most.

I’d heard mehro’s thunderous rock song, “Lady Parts and Mannequins,” on SiriusXM a handful of times and went into the show a bit wary as other songs I’d listened to didn’t have nearly the same upbeat tempo or raucous energy. When the lights dimmed before the band’s 25-minute set, I was fully prepared to be disappointed. The trio, fronted by titular singer-songwriter mehro, kicked things off with “Pirate Song,” an acoustic rambler that slowly builds up steam.

The next couple of songs were also acoustic, showcasing mehro’s vocals and stage presence while backed by drums and bass. Even when there wasn’t much happening on stage, the charismatic frontman oddly still warrants attention.

Thanks to his bandmates, the band’s songs had more depth and feeling than anything I’d streamed previously. By the time he swapped out for an electric guitar for the aforementioned “Lady Parts…” his wool hat had come off and his chin-length hair was ready to whip around.

Sure enough, as the song revved up into high gear around the chorus, mehro began some head-banging and I noticed more phones out in the crowd, more people moving along to the music and a much louder round of applause at the song’s end.

He was clearly winning over the Charlotte crowd; there’s no doubt that when mehro mentioned he’s planning a return to the Queen City later this year, some of those in attendance on Tuesday will be there with flying colors.

That said, half alive was solid. They played the hits, they had the crowd behind them and every song sounded basically like it does on the album. It was good, but I can’t say it stood out for me.

The Walters played middle men, conjuring up a bit more of a yacht-rock vibe, though I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a band whose best audience is a fraternity party. From silly dancing and witless banter about the length of toenails, I wondered who exactly the target audience is.

I will say that telling everyone how their recent reunion was spurred by one of their songs going viral on TikTok was almost more interesting than the performance of the song that went viral.

Having seen more concerts than I can count at this point in my life, perhaps I’ve grown a bit jaded. When I see artists I haven’t seen before, I’m looking for something that stands out from the pack.

Having gone into the show with low expectations and seeing mehro bring new life to their music and create a curiosity for me to go back and listen — that’s the kind of thing that will have mehro headlining bigger venues in no time.

You’re welcome to check out the band’s music in a streaming format to see if you like it, but you might want to wait to catch them live before making a final decision.

half alive setlist
Persona
Sophie’s House
Summerland
The Fall
Automatic
People
Bleed It Out
arrow
The Point
Long Drive
Beige/Creature/Hot Tea/Lost/Thank You
Lie, Lie
Tears in the Rain
What’s Wrong
Did I Make You Up?
All My Love
RIP
still feel
Runaway

The Walters setlist
Tell Me
Goodbye Baby
Sunset Beagle
City Blues
Sweet Marie
Life on the Line
Life
TV
Good Company
Fancy Shoes
I Love You So
Hunk Beach

mehro Setlist
Pirate Song
Ketamine
Chance With You
Pretty Kids
Lady Parts and Mannequins
You’re So Pretty

Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.