REVIEW: Joywave + Jetty

The annual WBRU Dunkin Donuts Summer Concert Series opened last Friday night with performances by Jetty and Joywave in front of a perfect Providence skyline. The two bands had previously played together for a BRU Presents show at the Met last November, but this show was even bigger and more enrapturing. It seemed like half of Rhode Island was arrayed on the hillside at Waterplace Park in downtown Providence before the show even started: families sat on picnic blankets towards the back, teens waited excitedly at the front, and people of all ages had turned out for the free show in front of the iconic Waterfire basin. Jetty starts a few minutes early, eager to play to the waiting crowd. The 2014 Rock Hunt finalists (check out their most recent HomeBRU’d session here) steps up their game for the outdoor concert: in the open air, their brand of breezy, funky, jammy alt-R&B seems to expand. The band owns the stage—as they should: “We’re from right here,” the lead singer, Yeugene Barokha, tells the Providence crowd. “We love you guys.” Their set has a markedly different feel from their previous BRU performances in the station or at indoor venues. It has a tinge of rapture, a sense that this is exactly where they’re meant to be: outside, as the sky grows dark. The guitar reaches new heights; on “Miracle,” woozy synths flow across the audience; on “Used to Try,” the bass gets funky; on “Block Party,” Yeugene’s voice slides masterfully between registers. By the first couple of songs, the audience is dancing.   The dancing only stops for the brief break between the two acts. Almost as soon as Joywave takes the stage, they’re cheering and ready to get back to it. Joywave begins with big chords, big fills, and big lights. The purple and blue lights up the whole amphitheater in the slight darkness. Their performance is dynamic. “Providence! We are Joywave!” announces vocalist Daniel Armbruster (you might recognize him from their debut album cover, How Do You Feel Now?).  “This is our first time playing down and looking up at everyone. Kinda like the coliseum,” muses Armbruster. Maybe…if coliseums were dedicated to showcasing stellar concerts.   The band is clearly psyched to be here. Their songs range from staccato aggression (they open with their song “Destruction” that sets a lively tone with its full-on energy) to a more melodic alt-pop sound (towards the middle, they play “Now,” which bears Joywave drummer Paul Brenner’s consistently animated, precise drumming and traces of U2-style anthemic guitars).  “In Clover” is a little glitchier, a little more electronica. The band shifts between tones, tempos, and styles masterfully. Their range of influences—from pop, to classic rock, to electronica and back—helps make sense of Brenner’s earlier admission: during the band’s on-air interview before the show, the drummer revealed that his first two concerts were Britney Spears and Nine Inch Nails. In Joywave, it works.   The audience, though, has clear favorites among the songs: the band concludes with “Somebody New,” their second single off the album.  But before they begin, they announce, “We’re gonna play a song, and then you’re going to ask us for one more.” Hint, hint. The audience gets it, and the cheers after the towering performance of “Somebody New” do not disappoint. Armbruster jokes, “You really forced our hand,” but follows up, “You really forced our hand. You’ve been an outstanding crowd this evening,” and they take off into the iconic “Tongues,” the catchy hit we’d been waiting to here. The audience grooves during the staccato riff and sings along with the chorus. Everyone’s dancing and clapping—not least the band. In response to the audience’s singing, Armbruster shouts, “That was pretty good, Providence, can we have one more?” and they repeat. Bassist Sean Donnelly has his mouth wide open as he looks up at the darkened sky. Armbruster jumps up and down. At one point, the five-piece band looks into the middle, taking a moment to concentrate on their synergy; but soon they’ve turned right back to the audience, giving their all as they conclude the first, incredible installment of the 2015 WBRU Dunkin Donuts Summer Concert Series shows.   Want more? You know you do. Show up for the next show featuring S. Walcott and 2015 WBRU Rock Hunt winners Public Alley! July 24^th, 7:00pm, Waterplace Park, FREE as always.