By Chris Malinowski | Oct. 20, 2024
On October 17th, Joywave took to the stage for the second to last US show of their Permanent Pleasure tour. The alternative band hailing all the way from Rochester, New York took to the Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia and I had the unique opportunity to cover their show with a photo and press pass through WVUD. As someone who’s been a strong supporter of Joywave and their music since 2021 (make sure to read Cleansing with Joywave as a reference!), this felt like a dream come true and I couldn’t have been more thrilled and ecstatic to take part in such a fun opportunity!
When I originally found out about covering this concert for the radio station, I’ll admit that I was an anxious mess. Personally, I’d never actually driven to Philly by myself up until this moment and on top of that, I’d never actually shot professional concert photos before either! As the event went on, I was able to meet a bunch of Joywave fans, take a ton of photos, and truly enjoy myself right up till the end of the show. Suffice to say, this was truly an event that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Opening with Hunny
To be completely honest, I had never actually heard any of Hunny’s music up until the point of this concert but with what I heard at the show, I was truly blown away. The live band consisted of Jason Yarger (lead vocals and guitarist), Jaden Wiggins (bassist), and Joey Anderson (drummer) and let me just say, the energy between the entire band was insane during the whole set. After what I experienced, I would describe Hunny as an eclectic rock band that boasts an incredible stage presence and also provides some incredible songs to dance to as well.
Joywave and the Inflatable Cat (That Also Spins!)
After a brief 15 minute break between sets, the lights finally dimmed again and I realized that I had to rush back into the photo pit for an experience that would change my life. I’ve said it before and I know I’ll continue to say it but Joywave is one of those bands that you need to see live in concert at least once in your life. The immaculate stage presence, overall set design, and the constant jokes and crowd interaction from lead singer, Daniel Armbruster, adds to their legendary concert performances.
Joywave also made sure to play some certified classics within their set as well. My personal favorite had to be the song “Rumors” off of their second album Content. When I originally found out that it was going to be on the setlist for the show, I couldn’t contain my excitement as it’s one of my favorite songs off of their second album. They also made sure to play songs such as “Obsession”, “Traveling at the Speed of Light”, and “After Coffee” which I thoroughly enjoyed as I was watching the show.
Also, did I mention that there was an inflatable cat on stage? If the header of the article and the title of this section didn’t already clue you in, then you might need to get your eyes checked. To me, I felt as though the stage design was absolutely incredible for the show. For their last album, Cleanse, the band focused more on an interactive car wash as the set piece but this time around, they had an inflatable cat based off of the one seen on the Permanent Pleasure album cover that would spin around. I really enjoyed the more intimate vibes that were presented with this show and it was also hilarious to see the band wearing matching pajamas for the concert too.
As with all concerts, they unfortunately always have to end at some point but Joywave made sure that they saved the best for last and ended on a high note. “Destruction” is a song off of their debut studio album called How Do You Feel Now? and it can only be described as “the greatest song ever written” as per Armbruster. With that in mind, there is a tradition that Joywave loves to do with their shows where if the patrons at the venue are loud enough, they’ll play the song again and label it as “Double Destruction”. Luckily for me (and everyone else in attendance), we were blessed to hear the sounds of Destruction twice in one night as everyone was cheering and hoping that they would come back for a second bout to really make the Brooklyn Bowl shake (even more so than the bowling pins being knocked down in the VIP bowling lanes right next to the show). We were even blessed with a wonderful harmonica performance by Mr. Dubray before the second iteration of “Destruction” which added even more to the impact at the end of the concert.
As the damage from “Destruction” subsided and the band members departed off the stage, a spotlight suddenly glowed on the inflatable cat and heavy metal music erupted from the speakers. After a few minutes, everything went back to normal, the crowd dispersed, and I went off on a quest to spend a ton of money on Joywave and Hunny merch.
Closing Remark
Even as I write this blog post, I’m still shocked at the fact that I had such an incredible opportunity to cover Joywave with a photo and press pass. Being able to take photos of your favorite band in a professional setting while also meeting a diverse community of other Joywave fans who are supporting you from the barricade is both thrilling and scary at the same time. As my anxiety subsided from the worries and nerves of the night, I’m just truly grateful that I was able to meet so many people, have everyone be so supportive of my first ever time taking professional concert photos, and also have the very friendly and amazing Brooklyn Bowl staff walk me through what I needed to do too.
I also truly think this night will stay with me for a long time and I’m eternally grateful to WVUD for such an amazing opportunity! With all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that I hope Joywave comes back to Philly soon for another show and I also hope that whoever reads this blog post chooses to see them live as it’s an experience that you will never forget.
Meeting Daniel Armbruster after the show