Concert Review | Vance Brings Joy to the Masses in Cary
Vance Joy and Lovelytheband at Koka Booth Amphitheatre — Cary, NC — 5/12/2018
It’s been a while since we caught Vance Joy opening for Taylor Swift back in 2015, but times have changed and he’s no longer just an opener. Joy released his second studio album, Nation of Two late last year, and “Mess Is Mine” from his 2014 release Dream Your Life Away was featured on the soundtrack of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and in the trailer for the movie The Big Sick. It would be a major understatement to say that 2017 was a big, big year for this buoyant Australian singer-songwriter. Joy announced a mammoth world tour in February, and we caught him in Cary, NC with lovelytheband on a warm, summer’s eve.
Indie pop rockers, lovelytheband [★★★★], took the stage well before dark at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre and put on a fun, breezy pop set for a very thick crowd. Their sound is a good compliment what concert goers expected from the headliner, so plenty of people came out to support lovelytheband who were well received during their short set. They played through “Make You Feel Pretty,” a cheeky cover of Ginuine’s “Pony,” “Coachella” and “These are My Friends” which is their new single. They finished their set, and their last night on tour with Vance Joy, with “Broken.” They were also smitten with the pond and baby ducks that they woke up to find when they departed their tour bus at Koka Booth.
If you want a dramatic entry, Vance Joy [★★★★★] is your man. Smoke, dramatic back lighting, and a silhouette were all we saw until Joy leapt into his set. He played through numerous tracks from Nation of Two including “Like Gold,” “Take Your Time,” and “Call If You Need Me.” One of the best parts of the way Joy presents himself and is music is that he stops to converse with the crowd and give them the backstory about his songs. He spoke about “Alone With Me” being about a couple that broke into a spontaneous dance in their kitchen. He performed “I’m With You” alone on an acoustic guitar and told us about where he was when he wrote the song then proceeded to display is incredible vocal range.
But have no fear, Joy didn’t neglect the material that got him to headliner status. Early on he jumped into “Mess Is Mine” which got the crowd singing along. Later in the set he played “Riptide” on ukulele which was the first song he ever released as a Facebook video, and the crowd knew every word. The only unfortunate thing is that the tail end of his set felt rushed, but fans were entertained by his stories, so it really doesn’t hurt that he moved things along for the last four or five songs to make sure he finished his set for eager fans.
Vance Joy made some incredible moves in 2017 and proved that a singer-songwriter is still a powerful asset in the entertainment industry. “Mess Is Mine” was a sleeper hit that enabled a young musician who came up in the age of social media to go from being overlooked as an accessory on tour with Taylor Swift to headlining his own world tour in less than three years. Joy’s witty, writes catchy songs, and his live show proves that he has real chops and isn’t a studio concoction with no shadow of a doubt.
