April 16, 2025 – Mercury Rev brought the groove to Johnny Brenda’s on April 16, performing tracks from their latest album Born Horses — their first release in nearly a decade.
The Buffalo-native band first made waves in the early ’90s with their debut record Yerself Is Steam. Improvisation, abstract sounds, and unconventional songwriting influenced much of the indie rock and neo-psychedelic pop scene, laying the groundwork for an experimental approach to alt-rock. Yet it wasn’t until their 1998 breakthrough, Deserter’s Songs, that they achieved commercial success.
Article + Photographs by @kelligraceh
Over the years, Mercury Rev has gone through various iterations, and the current lineup includes Johnathan Donahue (vocals/frontman), Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak (lead guitar), Jess Chandler (keyboard, saxophone, flute), Marion Gesner (keyboard, synthesizer), and Joe Magistro (drums).
The dreamy performance hypnotized the crowd. The set showcased the band’s chemistry and musicality — masters of their craft — improvising five-minute guitar, saxophone, flute, and synth riffs.
Listening to Mercury Rev, I was reminded of the alt-rock band The Flaming Lips. It was only after the show that I discovered the bands have historical ties. Frontman Donahue spent two years as the lead guitarist in the Flaming Lips, and he brought psychedelic experimentation and theatricality to Mercury Rev.
Born Horses retains the heart of Mercury Rev’s psychedelic roots but also marks a bold shift — an artistic reinvention. The album experiments with layered synths, eerie spoken-word passages, and moody, almost theatrical vocals. It’s introspective, cinematic, and deeply textured — a fresh chapter for Mercury Rev.
