Joywave is way better than jazz, but let me explain that a bit more. The Rochester 3-piece of Daniel Armbruster (vocals), Joseph Morinelli (guitar), and Paul Brenner (drums), now rounded out with Kevin Mahoney (bass), and Taylor Dubray (guitar, keyboard), delivered a tour de force of a performance at the Charleston Music Farm. A tap on the shoulder shook me out of my overthinking head. I turned to the right and noticed an older couple. “Are these guys good?” “What kind of music is this?” he asked me. I responded, “Oh, yeah, they’re good!” probably way too enthusiastically. I then attempted to describe Joywave (terribly). I could tell I didn't exactly sell him. He said he and his wife were from out of town and were walking by, and “It was between this or jazz.” I firmly replied, “This will be so much better than jazz.” The spot light clicked on, and a giant cat slept peacefully on a rug at the center of the stage, and a neon sign with the word “Permanent Pleasure” began to glow. A scene taken directly off the cover of Joywave’s latest album, Permanent Pleasure.
The band walked out onto the stage, donning blue silk-striped pajamas, and Daniel took the mic in his hand and sang out, “I want to touch you but I'm scared!” the opening lyrics of “Scared” from Permanent Pleasure. This song showcased Joywaves' unique blend of awkward or humorous lyrical narratives and hard-hitting riffs and infectious melodies. Their next two songs, “Buy American,” from 2022’s Cleanse, and “Obsession,” from 2020's Possession, kept the energy up and got the crowd moving. I glanced over, and the wife of our friendly tourist was on the front rail swinging her hair and shaking her hips. Three songs in, and the vibe was locked in. It was also at this point that I had become mesmerized by Paul Brenner on the drums. The man became a human drum machine, through songs like the 80’s dance styled “Tongues” from 2015's How Do You Feel Now, to the pop indie track “Hate To Be A Bother”, and the dark and aggressive “787 Dreamliner”. He never slowed down and dominated his kit.
When the sound of a dial-up modem rang out, the crowd went nuts. The synth and bass vibrated the stage. “Somebody New” had the crowd in a frenzy. Daniel’s emotionally charged vocals struck like lightning, and Joseph's guitar riff dragged you in, just for Taylor’s keyboard lick to smack you across the face! Armbruster’s banter with the crowd was so much fun. His sarcasm and humor had the crowd laughing out loud and gave everyone a bit of a breather. The crowd, now dripping with sweat, looked to be having an absolute blast. The party wasn't over yet. The giant cat began to spin on the stage, Taylor laid his fingers on the keys, and the opening notes of “Coming Apart” shook the crowd. The floor erupted into gyrating bodies. The night seemed to go by in an instant. Joywaves' set list was stacked and included a few deep cuts like “Dangerous” from the 2015 Big Data album 2.0, and “It’s a Trip” from 2017’s Content.
Of course, the most memorable moment for me was the performance of the last song, and they are known for saving the best for last. Daniel came on the mic and said “there is only really one way to end the night, and thats with the greatest song in the world!” and a narrators voice spoke out loud “Will the soundtrack kindly produce a sound?” and the crowd was hit with synth notes that went out like a shock wave! It was the appropriately named song “Destruction”. Joywave is known for going insane during this performance, and I have now been a first-hand witness to the insanity! Silk pjs flowed, and the band was fully locked in. The crowd had an energy usually reserved for massive festivals, and Joywave had taken the energy up to 11. Armbruster was magnetic, we were all locked in, the atmosphere was charged, and then it was over. I felt another tap on my shoulder, it was the tourist. He said, “You were right, that was way better than jazz!”
