TribeLive and the Edge of Williamsburg’s Music Revival

TribeLive, a student-run concert series led by Mac Mueller ’26, aims to fill the live music gap in Williamsburg. Grace Ki Rivera ’26 sits down with Mueller and TribeLive volunteers Sawyer Cohen ’26 and Emmett McLaughlin ’25 to find out more about the project.

When Mac Mueller ’26 stepped back into Williamsburg after attending a North Carolina music festival, he felt the absence of something vital. Williamsburg has music, sure. But where was the energy? The pulse? The kinds of moments that make you text your friends, “You’re missing this”? 

Determined to fill that gap, Mueller developed his idea into TribeLive, a grassroots concert series that brings national touring acts to Williamsburg. The goal: to support artists while building a live music scene that extends beyond the College of William and Mary and Williamsburg’s local bars.

When I reached out to Mueller to talk about TribeLive, I expected a one-on-one conversation. Instead, when he walked into the Column 15 branch in Swem, he wasn’t alone. 

With him were Sawyer Cohen ’26 and Emmett McLaughlin ’25. Both are volunteers helping to shape TribeLive behind-the-scenes. Once they slid into their respective seats, it was one continuous conversation about upcoming shows and half-finished ideas spilling over each other. It was clear that TribeLive isn’t just Mueller’s project — everyone at the table was part of making it happen.

“We're just guys who like live music and who wanted it to come to Williamsburg,” said Mueller. But booking that first band wasn’t easy. “Our first concert was in January, but we were reaching out to bands back in September.” It took five months of emails, cold calls, and dead ends before things finally clicked. Now, with access to Atlas Touring’s 30-band roster, TribeLive is building a scene, one show at a time.

Even though  the first concert was a success, TribeLive was already focused on the future. Throughout our conversation, plans unfolded in real-time. Ideas for future concerts, ways to improve production, and dreams of bigger lineups were shared between them. They were already figuring out how to make each show bigger, better, and more immersive. 

As word spread, other students started getting involved. They brought on a “freshman ambassador” to spread the word about upcoming shows and a student designed the concert poster for the Holy Roller concert. With Mueller running lights and others stepping in wherever needed, the work is shared by those who want to see live music thrive in Williamsburg.

The first concert was held on Jan. 24, 2025, with Illiterate Light as the headliner. Known for its energetic performances, the band has taken the stage at festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, and Newport Folk Festival. They have also toured with acts like Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Shakey Graves, Mt. Joy, and The Head and the Heart. 

TribeLive is a hands-on situation, sometimes literally. Their first show with Illiterate Light was held in fraternity housing, where fans packed into the space, shoulder to shoulder, for an intimate performance. 

“We built a stage, which was expensive. We bought light fixtures for a lighting show,” said Muller. The investment paid off. 

Usually, artists only get a small cut of the ticket sales from their performances, with the rest going to ticket sellers, promoters, and the venue. With TribeLive giving 100% of ticket sales to the artists, Illiterate Light earned a payout that rivaled what some bands make across multiple sold-out shows.

Despite this, some people assume TribeLive is profiting from ticket sales, a misconception they’re eager to correct. They dipped into their own dining dollars, paid out-of-pocket to cover snacks and drinks for the artists, and bought their own tickets to see the concert. 

“There are people out there that think we’re making money off this. We are actually losing money,” said Mueller. 

That leaves one key part of the lineup: the opener. Each concert kicks off with a student band, and there’s no formal application process. Interested bands simply reach out, and the TribeLive team considers fit and availability, keeping the process informal and accessible.

After speaking with Jack Rizzo ’25, a member of student bands Halcyon Lane and County Property, it was clear how much Williamsburg’s student music scene means to those involved. The Meridian has long been a go-to venue for student bands, offering an intimate space for house shows. Its DIY atmosphere fosters a strong sense of community, but as an older house, it has limitations. 

“You can't let loose in there. You can't jump up and down in the building because it's gonna collapse on itself,” said Rizzo. 

When speaking about TribeLive’s concert, Rizzo raved about the production and equipment provided saying that they offer a different kind of energy, one that feels “so picturesque, like the epitome of what that college live music scene should be.”