Nashville rock outfit Colony House returns to the city where it all began, delivering a high-energy set at Mohawk.
Colony House is the Nashville-based indie rock band made up of brothers Caleb and Will Chapman, alongside longtime guitarist Scott Mills and bassist Parke Cottrell. The band has been steadily building their catalog since their 2014 debut, and on Friday, February 27th, they made their way back to Austin’s Mohawk for a night that hit harder than expected.
There’s something special about Colony House’s relationship with Austin. The band’s very first show ever was in this city ahead of what was supposed to be their festival debut at a rained-out Austin City Limits music festival. But since then, they’ve played up and down Red River Street through several tours and SXSW shows. Coming back to Mohawk felt less like a tour stop and more like a reunion, and the crowd treated it that way from the jump.
Opening act Mercury set the tone early. The band came out swinging, going hard in with their unique blend of soft-spoken vocals and powerful distorted guitar. Lead singer Maddie Kerr was extremely touched by the crowd’s reaction to their set and nearly cried during an emotional song.
Colony House took the stage and the energy changed with flashing lights and explosive drums. What Colony House does better than most bands is sustain energy across longer songs without ever losing the room. Their setlist leaned into tracks from their new album 77 (Pt. 2), including a standout “Hummingbird” that had the crowd moving from start to finish. They’re not a band that relies on quick hits; they build, they breathe, and they bring you all the way through it with them.
The night closed with a cinematic climax. Chapman grabbed his guitar and a mic and walked into the crowd for the final song, surrounded by the people he was just singing to. The outro tracks “Looking for Some Light” and their biggest hit “You Know It” echoed through the venue as the band sustained extended versions of these songs for an audience hanging on their every word. It was the perfect send-off from a band that clearly has a deep love for this city and the people in it. Chapman declared the show his favorite Austin performance yet, and as their ending song says, they’ll “be back before you know.”
I am an Austin, TX-based photographer and filmmaker. I moved from Houston to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated in 2022. I'm a lifelong music lover and spend tons of time attending shows and making music. Some current favorites are Sophie May, Farmer’s Wife, and K. Flay.
