Joywave Live at the Teragram Ballroom

I had been to the Teragram Ballroom a few times before. Every time, was for a fairly-underground rock band with a minimal setup but a raging sound. Each experience was on the grungy, DIY side of everything. And then came Joywave. These guys turned this dingy rock club into a pop stadium. They had colorful lights, lasers, and a rear-end of a corvette with tail lights programmed to flash and change colors along with the rest of the stage lights. Next to the corvette, they had spinning blue brushes that look just like the ones you see in a conveyer carwash. The guys in the band themselves were even wearing matching mechanic’s jumpsuits. It was the perfect stage set up to immerse the audience in the band’s newest era for their fourth studio album “Cleanse.”

Joywave’s sound, aesthetic, and energy are all perfectly encapsulated in their name. The danceable beats, neon synth chords, and the electric new-wave influence that persisted from track to track. And the fun that radiated from their instruments spread directly into the audience. I was surrounded by smiles. The entirety of the sold-out Teragram Ballroom was filled with smiling people - lovers, friends, and strangers alike. I couldn’t help but smile along with them.

The mannerisms of singer Daniel Armbruster were quite unlike anything I’d ever seen. He’d look out into the crowd but seem to see something else entirely. His eyes would dart around, seemingly tracking some invisible presence. All the while, he would be swatting his right hand through the air, flicking his finger to each note of the countermelody or background synth groove. It was like he was seeing each note and rhythm flying through the air. His odd hand gestures weren’t some sort of strange dance or audience engagement tactic, but him playing the atmosphere like a spirit instrument.

Something else that struck me was the age of the members. I’m used to going to indie shows with kids below the age of 26 jamming out on stage. Here, we had the group of men in their late thirties performing at the highest level of musicianship. Growing up around the industry, there’s a lot of stigma around age. Sometimes it almost feels like theirs an expiration date within the indie community - as if we’ll all inevitably age out. These guys were full-blown adults bringing it with the youthful energy as the typical indie band but with the maturity and skill of a seasoned pro.

Joywave truly surprised me that night. They transformed a rock show into an immersive experience, attracting audience of all ages and backgrounds to enter their car-wash themed world of “Cleanse.”