“Oh my god, the HOLE,” Daniel Armbruster remembered, wide-eyed. The Joywave vocalist was musing on previous appearances in Phoenix and teasing the front row fans who claimed they’d seen every local show, including the unforgettable performance at Mesa’s Nile Theater when multiple band members almost fell through the hole in the stage. And the exchange captures how a Joywave show is these days: they’re comfortable on stage, and it’s just as much about the storytelling and other commentary than it is about the music.
The music, to be clear, sounded solid from both Hunny and Joywave. Vocalist Jason Yarger is holding down the fort for Hunny on this run as his bandmates are currently on other pursuits, but the touring band still rips. The center crowd was jumping around, dancing to “Lula, I’m Not Mad” and “Natalie” and the modern classic “Vowels (and the Importance of Being Me)”. Even after years of releasing music and touring, Hunny still delivers high-energy performances — even after a six-hour drive from LA without air conditioning — that feel refreshingly unpolished.
“They’re the last true punk band out there” was the consensus from Joywave. The two bands clearly have immense respect for each other, which is another feel-good element of this tour.
With the chatting and the 20 songs, Joywave fit a ton into their hour-and-a-half headlining set. And even though they’re technically on the road promoting new album Permanent Pleasure — one of this year’s best releases so far — the setlist itself felt like a sort of victory lap celebrating the band’s strong catalog. New tracks like “Hate to Be a Bother” and “He’s Back!” had their time to shine, but the fans who itch for the old stuff also got their due with early hits “Somebody New” and “Speaking Tongues,” among others.
In short, Joywave is riding the steady momentum of releasing consistently good music to a loyal fanbase. They’re a reliable. And they’re so worth catching on the back half of this tour.
