REVIEW: Mt. Joy @ The Royale 10/6
By Christian Jaeger
Photos by Dija Munawar
Indie-rock band Mt. Joy delivered a crowd-pleaser-of-a-show to the sold-out Royale theatre on Sunday, October 6th. The band would cater to rock fans with their gritty, guitar solos as well as please folk lovers with their earthy, acoustic aesthetic.
The five-piece band — Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper, Michael Byrnes, Jackie Miclau, and Sotiris Eliopoulos — has roots across the nation, but officially came together in Los Angeles.
Lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Quinn and guitarist Sam Cooper met at high school in Pennsylvania, forming the origins of Mt. Joy. They named themselves “Mt. Joy” after a mountain in Valley Forge National Park — a tribute to their home.
In years to follow, they would add bassist Michael Byrnes, keyboardist Jackie Miclau, and drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos to the collection — with roots in Portland, OR, and other areas in heartland America.
Like their country roots and origin story, the band encapsulates energy of their hometowns, love for nature, and mountainous atmosphere in their music.
In 2016, Mt. Joy would release “Astrovan,” followed by “Sheep” and “Cardinal” the next year. The almost-immediate success of these three singles would encourage the band to continue channeling their creativity through songwriting.
Mt. Joy, the band’s self-titled debut album, would be released in 2018. Now, a year later, the band is still touring and experiencing the after-effects of their hit record.
Before the folk-rockers would take the Royale stage, an alt-rock opener would grease the audience up for their anticipated headliners. Morningbird — a Boston-based band — would successfully get crowd-goers moving and singing along to their catchy tunes. A collection of impressive musicians and artists, Morningbird is certainly worth keeping an eye out for in years to come.
Just after 9PM, Mt. Joy would emerge from the backstage sidelines, embracing their energetic, warm welcome from the packed crowd.
The band would play hit after hit, including “Sheep,” “I’m Your Wreck,” “Bigfoot,” “Astrovan,” “Dirty Love,” and many more.
A highlight from the performance was their rendition of “Julia,” cutting halfway through the track to an epic cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” The band wouldn’t end there: immediately following Withers’ classic R&B anthem, Mt. Joy would shift gears by covering Gorillaz’s “Clint Eastwood.” They would then revert to their original chord progression, finishing “Julia.”
After enormous applause, the band would then conclude their first act with “Silver Lining,” a crowd favorite in terms of collective, sing-a-long contribution from the audience.
Chants of “Encore, Encore” would bring them back to the stage, where they would perform more songs off of Mt. Joy — including “Cardinal” — as well as a new song.
Fans should expect new music in the near future — whether individual singles, an EP, or a full-length album.
Mt. Joy’s tour will continue through mid-March in venues across America as well as at select shows in Canada. Don’t miss this eclectic act in towns or cities near you.
