A large crowd filled both the floor and balcony of the 9:30 club on Oct. 25, with a massive line stretching down the block. The indie-folk lovers were there to see none other than Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy, on tour promoting his debut album “Dream Your Life Away.”
The opener, Jaymes Young, took the stage with the music of The Clash playing in the background. The young musician opened up with some blues-influenced electric riffs. The opener’s first few songs caught the audience’s attention with emotional howling in the singer-songwriter’s upper register and a cover of John Mayer’s “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You).” Getting into the set, Young performed his popular songs “Moondust” and “I’ll Be Good,” taking the stage alone during the latter in an intimate moment with the audience.
It took just one brief set change to bring out Vance Joy. His signature curly locks bobbed as he stepped up to the mic and started the hour-long set off with “Emmylou.” Unlike the statuesque opener, Joy swayed and bobbed to the folk sounds, getting into the music with each strum of the guitar.
Joy performed with a full live band. But rather than staying in front of the mic, he engaged with the rest of his band. The band members also interacted with the singer and got into their supporting roles, bobbing along to simple indie beats on the drums or bouncing to easy bass lines. In between songs, Joy made some easy banter with the crowd, even telling jokes about the band’s matching denim shirts.
As the night rolled on, Joy got into some of his more low-key songs. During “Georgia,” the young Aussie gave an emotional performance. Additionally, he received a loud, positive response from the audience upon playing “Wasted Time” and “Snaggletooth” from his EP “God Loves You When You’re Dancing.” On “Snaggletooth” in particular, Joy’s voice recalled that of singer-songwriter Keaton Henson, with a shaky upper register full of raw emotion.
With the set coming to a close, Vance Joy’s second-to-last song was platinum track “Riptide,” which left the entire crowd with arms in the air and swaying to the sound of the ukulele. Towards the end of the tune, Joy stepped back from the mic and allowed the crowd to sing along. The performance closed with “Mess Is Mine,” drawing upon Mumford & Sons influences for a folk song that left the crowd dancing one last time.
With a new debut album dropped and a full house, it is clear that Vance Joy is here to make an impression on the indie-folk scene. The crowd at the 9:30 Club proves that he already has a substantial following, and the quality of his performance shows that he’s ready to take on the industry.
