On the final stop of their month-long joint tour, Joywave and Sir Sly closed out to an embracing audience at The Observatory North Park last Sunday.
Joywave
Opening act Donna Missal wowed the audience with her powerful vocals. Her tone, if not eerily reminiscent of rock legend Janis Joplin, was enough to teleport us back to a different era. Sharing the stage with Missal was her younger brother, Steve. The two siblings’ intense, yet playful dynamic had the crowd clinging onto every move. Missal is with no doubt a true performer and is only just beginning to make a name for herself.
California-natives Sir Sly, known for both their relatability and open vulnerability followed. Lead singer Landon Jacobs spoke briefly about the wake of his divorce and his mother’s death, thanking bandmates Hayden Coplen and Jason Suwito for supporting him and providing an outlet to express his feelings through music. Jacobs made it clear that he shared this information “not to bum everyone out,” but to truly foster a transparent relationship with their fans. Sir Sly was able to gather the crowd’s undivided attention as they led into “Oh Mama,” Jacob’s tribute song to his late mother. And just as easily as they invited the audience an intimate glimpse into Jacobs’ personal life, the three-piece got The Observatory to dance with hit tracks, “High” and “&Run.” Jacobs’ light and punchy vocals, reminiscent of collaborator Mark Foster of Foster the People, paired perfectly with the trio’s electro-pop sound.
Joywave closed out the evening with a heavily interactive set involving two light boxes with various instructions for the crowd such as “applause,” “drink,” and “respect.” After a long-awaited set, Joywave’s high-energy performance felt indicative of the final co-headlining performance of this tour’s run. Frontman Daniel Armbruster is no stranger to performing, comfortably sliding from stage left to stage right at the speed of the flickering lights. I’m sure it will not be the last “Joywave and Sir Sly Present,” as the bands have hinted towards taking their joint tour international in the future.
