Joyce Manor’s I Used To Go To This Bar Tour really brought the Phoenix fan community together for a packed show this week. Their tour kickoff made for a special night at The Van Buren, alongside Militarie Gun, Teenage Mortgage and Combat.
Combat and Teenage Mortgage bathed the room in deep red light for opening sets that got the mosh pits moving early in the night. Both bands’ sounds gelled well with Joyce Manor’s and even if the crowd didn’t quite know all the words, they threw their bodies and voices into the mix for both performances.
Southern California alt-rock band Militarie Gun amped up the volume and the energy on their direct support slot, with vocalist Ian Shelton jumping across The Van Buren’s stage and raising a defiant fist to accompany the band’s deep well of lyrics about addiction, loss and protest. Their drumkit proclaimed God Save the Gun (also the title of their latest album) as they gave their audience songs that put the first crowd surfers of the night in the air.
Joyce Manor has been away for longer than usual but they’re back now with a new record and a show that reminded everyone that they’re still at the top of their game. They are one of the most consistent live bands in their scene, delivering a tightly planned and spontaneously executed performance that turns calm crowds into swirling masses of moshing bodies. Security had their work cut out for them from the first notes of “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives” and the chaos continued throughout their impressively long set.
“Heart Tattoo” and “Grey Guitar” had the audience shouting the lyrics nearly louder than vocalist Barry Johnson and the sheer appreciation for the fans in front of them was reflected on the faces of everyone in the band. The set leaned heavily on their latest album, all while mixing in favorites like “Christmas Card” and “Schley”. After 20 songs- and an epic dance pit to “Catalina Fight Song”- the main set drew to a close. Naturally the band couldn’t send everyone home before an encore, rounding out this first night of tour with “Orange Julius” and “Five Beer Plan”. Absence certainly made the fans’ hearts grow fonder and their support and seemingly neverending supply of intensity propelled Joyce Manor on to the rest of their cross country journey- and the hope that they’ll find their way back to Phoenix very soon.
