Vance Joy, the 29 year old singer-song writer, performed at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington D.C. last night. Vance is currently on his almost entirely sold out “Lay it on Me” tour to promote his soon-to- be released album. After watching an impassioned performance during which he played some of his new music, I’m very excited to see what this album has to offer.
The first thing you’ll notice about Vance’s performance is his energetic voice. Though he may have a brass section, the power of Vance’s music comes from his microphone. Though, his backing band was very impressive it is clear that Vance’s stardom comes from his ability to entertain with just him and a guitar. This talent is made obvious on one of his new song’s "Call if you Need Me," a simple but evocative number about relationships. "Call if you Need Me" was one of four new songs he debuted last night.
"Take you Time" and "Like Gold" were prototypical Vance Joy, upbeat folk pleasantly accompanied by Vance’s raw and passionate voice. The best of the newly released songs, and Vance’s newly released single, was “Lay It on Me” which has the makings of a classic. The entire audience new the words and danced along the catchy melody and intense backbeat. Vance left before playing his iconic “Riptide,” but I don’t think anyone in the audience believed it. The energy in the venue was palpable as he walked off the stage, but his brief departure seemed as though he forgot his ukulele and was just going to grab it. His return to stage was met with elation and he gave back to the fans with a rousing performance of “Riptide” and the most vocally sound delivery of the night in "Mess is Mine."
If I had to sum up Vance’s performance in one word it would be dynamic. His music has momentum. It’s intended for long runs and road trips. With such powerful vocals and persistent percussion his songs do not want to stay in the same place. Perhaps that’s why Vance marches as he sings. Even he needs to progress as he performs. I can’t wait for the release of his new album and I would highly recommend attending a show on his “Lay it on Me” tour if you can secure those highly coveted tickets.
The first thing you’ll notice about Vance’s performance is his energetic voice. Though he may have a brass section, the power of Vance’s music comes from his microphone. Though, his backing band was very impressive it is clear that Vance’s stardom comes from his ability to entertain with just him and a guitar. This talent is made obvious on one of his new song’s "Call if you Need Me," a simple but evocative number about relationships. "Call if you Need Me" was one of four new songs he debuted last night.
"Take you Time" and "Like Gold" were prototypical Vance Joy, upbeat folk pleasantly accompanied by Vance’s raw and passionate voice. The best of the newly released songs, and Vance’s newly released single, was “Lay It on Me” which has the makings of a classic. The entire audience new the words and danced along the catchy melody and intense backbeat. Vance left before playing his iconic “Riptide,” but I don’t think anyone in the audience believed it. The energy in the venue was palpable as he walked off the stage, but his brief departure seemed as though he forgot his ukulele and was just going to grab it. His return to stage was met with elation and he gave back to the fans with a rousing performance of “Riptide” and the most vocally sound delivery of the night in "Mess is Mine."
If I had to sum up Vance’s performance in one word it would be dynamic. His music has momentum. It’s intended for long runs and road trips. With such powerful vocals and persistent percussion his songs do not want to stay in the same place. Perhaps that’s why Vance marches as he sings. Even he needs to progress as he performs. I can’t wait for the release of his new album and I would highly recommend attending a show on his “Lay it on Me” tour if you can secure those highly coveted tickets.
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