I remember interviewing Joywave last year and being so confused with their album title. “Is it conTENT or CONtent?” I asked sheepishly. “ConTENT, they responded.” This is the content age, but Joywave maintains the album was answering their previous work’s question: How Do You Feel Now? Content.
That kind of specific and double-meaning word could embody Joywave as a band. There’s more depth than just that one word. It’s also about CONtent. Yes, the internet age, our addiction to social media and our attachment to electronics. Even when looking at the stage for Joywave we’re captivated by old tube TV’s with fuzzy screens.
They started off with Content, their use of samples and electronics always blows my mind. It just really sets them apart. They went into “Now” and followed it with “It’s a Trip” one of my personal favorites. The mysterious song that you’ve heard way more than you think you have.
They played a selection of songs off of their recent project Content, including “Shutdown.” They want into “Live in a Bubble” from SWISH.
The band is rich in samples so I was curious how they’d perform live and they really owned the stage. Nothing seemed off and the crowd ate up every ounce of it. My favorite song “Destruction” was performed with perfect intensity, the distinctive whistles echoing over the room. Overall the show was like nothing else I’ve seen this year.
