Written by : Max Bennett and Photographed by: Jordan August
Mt. Joy Plays to Packed Hometown Crowd at The Mann
If you heard thousands of voices singing in unison Friday night in Philadelphia, you probably heard the fans of Philly’s own Mt. Joy.
The local five-piece played two consecutive nights at TD Pavilion at The Mann to end their 42-show Hope We Have Fun tour in support of their new album of the same name.
You could feel the positivity in the air. The throngs of fans skipped and ran to their seats or the lawn, often hand-in-hand with ear-to-ear smiles.
Mt. Joy came on stage right at 8:30 p.m. The crowd went wild, and the band jumped right into “Lemon Tree,” complete with a big jam session.
Frontman Matt Quinn addressed the crowd, relishing being back in Philadelphia and in front of a hometown audience.
The band pressed on into “Jenny Jenkins,” and the whole crowd helped deliver the song’s final lyrics.
In promoting the two Philly shows, Mt. Joy promised special guests. They then brought out Philly’s own soul-funk-hip-hop septet SNACKTIME for “Let Loose.” SNACKTIME’s horns helped deliver the groove from “Let Loose.”
With the stage packed, both bands drove the song home. Mt. Joy co-founder and lead guitarist Sam Cooper ripped on his axe and stomped around like he owned the stage.
Then the two bands went into a cover of the ’90s hit “Blister in the Sun” by Violent Femmes. SNACKTIME guitarist Larry Monroe Jr. let loose on this rendition before they all dived back into “Let Loose” for another huge finish.
Mt. Joy moved into material from Hope We Have Fun, including “God Loves Weirdos,” which featured another huge sendoff that was bouncy and dance-worthy.
Keyboardist-pianist Jackie Miclau delivered a captivating and blazing electric piano solo that was accompanied by a swirling technicolor light show.
They closed the first half of the show with “Cardinal,” a song about tailgating, after Quinn gave a shoutout to the Philadelphia Eagles and quoted Jason Kelce’s legendary Super Bowl parade speech: “No one likes us, we don’t care.” An Eagles chant broke out, with the crowd shouting, “E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!”
The second set kicked off at about 9:50 p.m.
“Let’s party,” Quinn said as he hit the stage.
They went into one of their biggest hits, “Sheep,” which got the entire crowd on their feet and singing along.
“Pink Lady” came next, and that saw Miclau and Cooper laying down fiery and energetic guitar and piano solos. While I love a guitar solo, I was enthralled by Miclau’s playing and wanted to hear more from her as the night went on.
“I’m Your Wreck” came up next, and Michael Byrnes was really working the low end on bass during this track.
As the show continued on, they peppered in another cover song snippet. This time it was a section of “Reptilia” by The Strokes, which then went into an extended jam, during which drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos took the spotlight with a pounding drum solo.
Mt. Joy then delivered two fan favorites, “Strangers” and “Bathroom Light,” both of which elicited singalong moments from the crowd.
By this point, I had spent a good amount of time people-watching. Live music is straight-up good for the human soul. It’s a universal truth, in my opinion. And seeing the sheer joy on so many people’s faces drove that point home. Mt. Joy is not a band that I seek out, full disclosure. But witnessing how elated their fans were at this hometown show gave me a deep appreciation for them, in addition to their stellar performance on stage.
The band brought SNACKTIME back out, but before they joined up for “Lucy,” Quinn talked about spreading love and avoiding division. Hate and greed divide us, he said, lamenting the stupor constant smartphone use can impose on people, who to Quinn are mostly good, despite some evil people in the world. Quinn also expressed support for Palestinians, as they undergo an incursion by the Israel army and are suffering from what the United Nations has dubbed a genocide.
“Love is the most powerful force,” Quinn told the crowd before “Lucy” kicked off.
“Julia” came after “Lucy,” with Quinn confirming again that the song is about being “too high in a restaurant.” “Julia” also featured an interspersed cover song—this time it was “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John. I noticed a couple dancing to the song, underscoring the aforementioned joy I saw from fans of the band.
Philly’s own Amos Lee came out to join the band on vocals for their first big hit, “Astrovan,” with Lee joking he was stuck in traffic on Interstate 76 on his way to the gig.
And as bands are wont to do, Mt. Joy left the stage as if the show was over. Fans began heading out. I wondered: Do these people believe the show is over, want to beat traffic (which was awful leaving the venue), or have some other idea in their heads I’ve not imagined?
Mt. Joy and SNACKTIME came back out and were joined by a very special guest: the Phillie Phanatic.
They went into a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” It was a party on stage and in the crowd. The audience was going crazy. It was a convergence of beloved Philadelphia icons: two local bands who have captured a national audience, The Boss, and the Phanatic.
The Phanatic stole the show (obviously) and was up to his classic antics after helping the Phillies beat the Marlins earlier in the night.
Mt. Joy ended their concert with “Silver Linings,” which again brought the crowd to their feet to join in chorus.
Saturday night’s show was probably also great, but it would be hard to top the excitement and energy from the band, their guests, and especially the dedicated Mt. Joy fans.
Contact:
Mt. Joy
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SNACKTIME
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Amos Lee
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