Performatist
    Rock/Pop

    The Upswing

    Illustration for The Upswing

    Wednesday, July 1, 2026

    6:00 PM

    Mercury Lounge

    New York, NY

    Scheduled

    About This Event

    Retro Grade and The Lefty Lucys appear at Mercury Lounge in a lineup drawn from New York’s small club circuit; both acts have previously shared bills at the venue. Retro Grade’s rock/pop leans toward modern blues with a focus on groove and clear melodies, while The Lefty Lucys trade on a rock/pop–country blues hybrid that favors plainspoken vocals and direct grooves suited to small-room sets.

    About The Upswing

    The Upswing arrives at Mercury Lounge with a rock/pop set built for a room that rewards volume, hooks, and close attention. The performance sits in New York’s long tradition of small-stage testing grounds, where bands measure new material against a talkative crowd and a live mix that can’t hide weak ideas. Their songs lean on direct melodies and rhythmic drive, with just enough restraint to keep the writing in focus. One clear strength is how they treat the venue as an instrument, not a backdrop.

    About the Artists

    The Lefty Lucys

    The Lefty Lucys

    country bluesoutlaw countrycountry rock

    The Lefty Lucys are a group working the seam between rock/pop and the earthier edges of country blues and outlaw country. In New York City, they’ve brought that hybrid sound to the Mercury Lounge, including on bills tied to events like *The Upswing*.

    Retro Grade

    Retro Grade

    modern blues

    Retro Grade is a New York City–based rock/pop artist with roots that lean toward modern blues, an approach reflected in their emerging presence on Spotify. They have performed at the Mercury Lounge and shared bills with The Lefty Lucys, situating their work in the city’s club circuit.