Live: Joywave Express Wash Tour Wraps Up in NYC
Coming out of Rochester, NY Joywave has been leaving its mark on the alt-rock world for over a decade. First breaking through as a feature on Big Data’s 2014 hit, “Dangerous,” the band released their full-length debut How Do You Feel Now? the following year.
Many albums and years later, present-day had Joywave bringing its Express Wash tour to Racket in NYC on Tuesday night. The result was a high-energy, visually engaging set that showcased the band’s versatility and love of sonic exploration.
Elliot Lee was the first to take the stage and kicked off the night with their solo set. The Brooklyn-based artist had a distinct sound, charming stage presence, and entertaining crowd engagement. Their set list included hit songs “Drama Queen” and “Pink (Freak),” as well as some unreleased songs. Lee is an artist on the rise that you’ll want to keep an eye out for. Their next stop is opening for Waterparks on their Intellectual Property tour.
Canadian 4-piece band, Dizzy followed. Consisting of brothers Alex, Charles, and Mackenzie Spencer, and lead vocalist Katie Munshaw. Their set included “Joshua,” “Stars and Moons,” and fan-favorite “Sunflower, Are You There?” Dizzy layers soft and emotional vocals with an overall nostalgic, comforting sound. Floating around the stage, the soft-spoken Munshaw captured the crowd’s hearts as she delivered every lyric with emotion felt all the way from the back of the venue. Dizzy closed their set with their latest single “Birthmark”, leaving the crowd excited to hear more from them in the future.
The crowd was heavy with anticipation as we waited for Joywave to take the stage. In the back corner of the stage, a black cover was removed to reveal half of a white Corvette with a custom JOYWAVE license plate. As the sounds of an engine revving ripped and through the venue, the backlights on the Corvette flickered on, and the band walked onto the stage. Dressed in black mechanic jumpsuits with yellow piping and a Joywave “Cleanse” design on the back, the car theme was complete. A few members in the crowd matched the band, having their own custom jumpsuits made with their names on them.
Opening with “Every Window Is A Mirror", the crowd went crazy, singing along to the feel-good song. The 20-song set list included tunes from Joywave’s earlier years as well as their 2022 album Cleanse. With electric energy, frontman Daniel Armbruster hopped across the stage and connected with the crowd, never faltering across the hour-plus set.
