joe p Brings the Pop Rock Revival to Boston
joe p performing in Boston (image courtesy of Jacqueline Galison)
Review and Images by Jacqueline Galison ‘23
My first time seeing joe p was a complete accident. My second, Tuesday, April 8, at the Paradise Rock Club, was a calculated effort between the 132 members of WZLY and myself. Perhaps that’s the effect Joe’s music has over people; after experiencing his opening performance for GAYLE at the Mercury Lounge in NYC, I immediately wanted to know what he was doing—and where he was going—next as an artist.
I arrived at the venue right as the doors opened with my camera and friend, Francheska Kovacevic ‘23, in tow. We managed to nudge our way to the front of the standing room only venue, and as we were pushed against the metal grate separating fans from artists, I breathed a sigh of relief—the last time I was at the Paradise Rock Club, I struggled to see over crowds of people, even in my highest heels. We made excited conversation as we waited for Joe to come on stage. A mother-daughter duo were there for Joywave, something the daughter had waited for since March 2020, when their Possession Tour was canceled. Another girl I spoke to was solely at the concert for joe p. Not only did she claim to know his entire discography, she proved it by screaming along to his set and then clamoring for a drumstick from the drummer. I had wanted to interview her for this blog post, but she disappeared before I had the chance to ask.
joe p unassumingly walked onto the stage as the guitarist and drummer warmed up. He was outlined in the mellow purple lighting, a mainstay during the set. The trio began with my favorite song, “Leaves,” which is surprisingly chipper for a song about losing the woman you love and struggling to cope. Joe could be best described as endearingly self-deprecating, both as a lyricist and a person; at one point of his set, he rhetorically asked the crowd “You’re here to see Joywave, aren’t you?” The cheekiness of this question and his lax stage presence invitingly clashed; the audience drew closer, its interest piqued.
The next song he played was “Adidases,” which is both yet-to-be-released and highly anticipated. It’s currently in my pre-save list, though I can imagine the dread an up-and-coming artist may feel when they perform a forthcoming song for the public. I won’t go into details on this song, as I encourage readers to keep an eye out for it; based on how loudly the crowd cheered once the song ended, however, I can promise that it’s not one you want to miss.
Each piece performed during the concert came from the “Emily Can’t Sing” album, save for one notable exception: “Color TV” by Deal Casino, Joe’s old band. The song was one of the highlights of the night, as it was the interactive portion of his set. He encouraged the audience to sing along to the lyrics “I’m upstairs in your room, you’re downstairs dancing / I’ll just wait here for you, I’ll keep on camping,” being sure to remind the crowd that the rhymes end with a “g,” not an “in’”; The crowd enthusiastically obliged, satisfyingly building up to the second half of the chorus. The drums and guitar went into overdrive while Joe traversed the stage.
The next song was “Crown Vic (Black Cloud),” a song that fittingly sounds disorienting on Spotify; the amount of noise in the piece is almost overwhelming, especially when Joe uses the higher part of his register. To hear the more “stripped” version of the song was a welcome adjustment. The experience of the original still shone through as the lighting switched from purple, to blue, to yellow-ish green throughout the set. Similarly, Joe’s restlessness on stage added a new layer to this song, which is about the paralyzing sensation of overthinking.
The final songs were “Fighting in the Car” and “Off My Mind.” Joe once again joked around with the audience, this time about Joywave’s apparent love of hotdogs (Joywave’s vocalist, Daniel Armbruster, made sure to clarify during their portion of the show that “joe p is a fucking liar” and Joywave does not stuff sausages by hand, they have a hotdog roller on their tour van). He also made sure to acknowledge the performers who accompanied him—Tony on the guitar and Santo on the drums—before the night’s end. What struck me about these conversations with the audience was Joe’s down-to-earth personality; they hinted at the connections he makes with others not only through music, but on a more personal level. The final songs of the night, naturally, also dealt with the personal, as their titles suggest. These songs were the perfect choice with which to end the show, and as the lyrics to “Off My Mind” declare, it’s hard to move on from experiences you so profoundly enjoy; I’ve been raving about this experience to anyone who will listen for the past week.
I could not speak about this concert without touching upon Joe’s fluid, nostalgic stage presence. When I first saw him in New York, my friend Erin remarked to me that he was the best opening act she had ever seen. I’m inclined to agree, in large part because of the way Joe carries himself through the performance: dynamically, energetically, head-bangingly. To attest to his physicality even further, I had to capture his performance using my camera’s “sports mode,” which I typically only use when I’m capturing my sister’s Division 2 field hockey games.
With his leather jacket, worn-out Converse shoes, and floppy chin-length hair, Joe certainly fits the mold of a classic rock icon. Despite this, his aesthetic feels on the pulse. His merchandise features the cover art of his “Off My Mind” release, which also happens to be the background he uses for his TikToks; his manager, Pergo, gave out free pins with this same design. Furthermore, Joe’s existing fan base comes to his concerts prepared to contribute to his “brand.” When a young woman wanted to sign Joe’s shoe, another fan immediately offered a Sharpie from his hoodie.
I got the chance to speak to Joe briefly after the concert, and he felt that this performance was his strongest yet, in no small part because the crowd emulated his restlessness. He mentioned how “It’s the worst when you’re doing a show and people just stand there with their arms crossed and they’re hardly moving around.” Audiences in big cities are typically the least engaged and the hardest to impress; fortunately, this metropolitan nonchalance was absent in Boston.
This concert not only exceeded my expectations, but shattered them, and I’m excited to count myself among joe p’s newest fans. If you like Joywave, Del Water Gap, Wallice, or COIN, consider checking out Joe for yourself. If you’d like to see Joe live, his next Boston concert will be at Brighton Music Hall on October 14th, 2022. In the meantime, be sure to check out Emily Can’t Sing, his newest album.
