It’s rare that an alternative indie-rock band strays away from the formula that makes their radio hits so successful. Even during live performances many indie bands stay true to their recordings, taking few risks and remaining complacent in their original material. Of course, not all indie-rock bands fit into this category. The genre is far reaching and wonderfully diverse, as Mt. Joy proved with their show at Mission Ballroom last night. Their recorded material may not be very psychedelic, but their performance certainly was.
The Mission Ballroom was the perfect venue for Mt. Joy. It wasn’t too crowded or too empty, and the acoustics were perfect for a singing audience. Mt. Joy’s catchy tunes and playful lyrics represent a rare innocence that begs to be chanted aloud. Their music is made for twenty-somethings still trying to find their way in the world, amused by the unknown. It makes sense then that the crowd consisted mostly of twenty-somethings escaping the stresses of their work week by injecting some musical adventure into their Tuesday night. The collective voice of the audience rang out with each new song, creating a special connection between friends, strangers and musicians.
“Kids get high in the basement sometimes” were the opening lines of the performance as the band played through the fan-favorite “Sheep” and absorbed the energy of the crowd, who seemed to know every word. From the very beginning, it was obvious that Mt. Joy was excited to be back on stage sharing their music with a live audience. The feeling was mutual – the crowd didn’t hold back in participating by singing, dancing and cheering at every opportunity.
As the band transitioned into the second song of the night, “Strangers,” it became clear this performance was more than just a replica of recorded material. Connected by a psychedelic passage ringing with reverbed guitar and soft piano, the band seamlessly moved from one indie-anthem to the next. Throughout the night, each band member would have their moment to shine, and “Strangers” was definitely Jackie Miclau’s moment. The back half of the song showcased Miclau’s impressive piano skills with a daunting solo, never straying too far from the source material but still managing to inject a new and exciting energy into the track.
Songs like “Astrovan” and “Jenny Jenkins” proved to be more fun than ever, but the most exciting moments were crafted by Mt. Joy’s insanely talented guitarist Sam Cooper. Cooper has managed to create a truly unique style, unmatched by any guitarist in the alternative-indie scene. It’s often loud and distorted, but also quiet and melodic when necessary. Throughout the night, a whirlpool of effects drowned the audience in psychedelic ambiance reminiscent of classic rock’s iconic psychedelic era.
The highlight of the night – aside from their most popular song “Silver Linings,” which always gets the crowd going – was an impressive mashup of their song “Julia” and Rolling Stone’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Admittedly, these two songs don’t seem like a perfect match on paper, but the band managed to combine the best parts of each song with perfectly crafted transitions that created a seamless listening experience.
Throughout all of this, Lead singer Matt Quinn proved his singing abilities are worth more than the records he puts out. That’s not to say his singing is bad on records – far from it. The vocal performance on “Julia” is equally as impressive on the radio as it is on stage. However, Quinn’s willingness to experiment and really let his voice guide him though the performance proved to be more exciting than one might expect. All-in-all, Mt. Joy put on an impressively fluid experience that challenged the mainstream perspective of their music.