Joywave & I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME at The Wiltern

As I made my way to The Wiltern in Los Angeles on September 11, I was hit with nostalgia. I had seen Joywave live once before when they were the opening act for Bastille’s Doom Days Tour in 2019, and now I was about to see them headline a show. Joywave is a band near and dear to my heart – one whose music has made an appearance on all of my alternative and indie playlists since I began listening to them as a junior in high school. This concert would be extra special, because not only was I now about to witness Joywave as a headliner, but the band would be joining forces with I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME for a co-headlining concert.

The members of Joywave took the stage clad in matching jumpsuits and opened the show alongside a neon car wash-themed setup to match the theme of the group’s latest record Cleanse. Lead singer Daniel Armbruster led the group with incredibly energetic performances of timeless Joywave classics like “Tongues” and “It’s a Trip!” as well as a selection of tracks from the new album. Toward the end of the set, Joywave was joined onstage by Jason Suwito of Sir Sly for a surprise performance of “Ugly Ending.” The track was released under the name Best Frenz, a side project launched by Armbruster and Suwito during the early stages of the pandemic. With driving synths that rattled the room and infectious beats that had everyone up on their feet, this live collaboration was easily one of the most notable highlights of the night. Armbruster explained that the band almost didn’t perform their biggest hit, Big Data collaboration track “Dangerous,” but had a change of heart after learning that the song was being played on a SpaceX flight – if it’s being played up in space, it should also be played down here on Earth, right? Joywave closed out their hour-long set with an explosive performance of “Destruction”, a standout track from 2015 album How Do You Feel Now?.

After a thirty-minute intermission, iDKHOW took the stage and immediately brought the type of energy the crowd was eagerly awaiting from the indie pop duo. Composed of former Panic! At The Disco bassist Dallon Weekes and former Falling in Reverse drummer Ryan Seaman, the band put on a karaoke-style performance with lyrics displayed onscreen. iDKHOW opened up with “Choke”, the band’s biggest hit to date, and immediately had the entire room captivated. The band even treated fans to a throwback track by The Brobecks, a former project by both iDKHOW members. Weeke’s impressive vocal range was on full display from the set’s start to finish – and while it’s clear that the Panic! At The Disco influence is still there, iDKHOW manages to stand out from its associated acts with a uniquely nostalgic synth-pop sound and a retro-futurism aesthetic to match. Armbruster once again joined iDKHOW onstage for the penultimate song of the night, “Nobody Likes The Opening Band'.” Weekes made sure to clarify that these lyrics did not apply to opener Savannah Conley – the Nashville singer-songwriter who entranced the audience with her unique sound shortly before the co-headliners hit the stage.

Both bands brought consecutive high-energy performances to The Wiltern and the crowd brought high energy to match. Joywave and iDKHOW have previously graced much larger stages – like BottleRock Napa and Reading Festival, respectively — but it’s evident that they feel most at home playing intimate venues with their biggest fans in attendance. The Welcome to Hellvetica Tour was truly a match made in indie pop heaven.