If you have not seen Joyce Manor on their latest tour with Cheap Girls and Tracks, I’m stripping you of your pop punk cred. Every ounce of gut-wrenching energy one could muster was bursting in The Orpheum for a Sunday night crowd.
Rocketing pop punk forces burst from the moment Joyce Manor stepped on stage. There was a collective pattern reflected on the faces of high school kiddie punks, grizzled PBR-clutchers, and enamored crowd-surfers when we declared we all were itching for a “Heart Tattoo.”
Over the course of three LPs and a few splits, Joyce Manor has refined into an earth-shattering performance with moments reminiscent of so many favorites in the punk scene: Lifetime, Jawkbreaker, Against Me!, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and countless others. It’s incredible to see an act so original, and yet, seemingly pays homage to the forefathers and foremothers of punk.
If ever there were a band to place my faith for future generations of fans, Joyce Manor is among the notable, worthy acts. Biting moments of hardcore with the coming-of-age lyricism allows Joyce Manor to expand beyond a constraining genre like pop punk; instead, their sound transcends it. It was “Catalina Fight Song” that exposed the weight of reality, of relationships shared in the roar of united fans.
Gut-wrenching, tightening “Christmas Card” punched to the point of forced reflection. Vocalist Barry Johnson tears with inflection and every lyric exudes nothing short of richness. Dominating the performance were tracks from Never Hungover Again, a riveting burst of emotion unleashed upon a sea of bobbing pop punks.
With every song in the set, I was “Falling in Love” a bit more with the band. Even if Johnson had mixed feelings about his 8-month stint living on Ana Maria Island. You may not love Florida so much, Barry, but we were loving you anyway.
All of the recorded listens of Cheap Girls did not prepare me for the brilliance of their live performance. Nostalgic 90s rock meets pop punk in a twist that exudes nothing short of high energy. Mournfully melodic, the splashes of energy throughout Cheap Girl’s “Knock Me Over” was a casually catchy headbanger.
The brother duo of Ian and Ben Graham with lead guitarist Adam Aymor play a stripped down form of rock with emphasized indie and pop punk. The Michigan act brings unique vocals and flavor to Midwest pop punk, dousing it instead with alt-power-pop. It’s the sound you want to hear while tending to a beer in your favorite dive bar.
Riveting “Ruby” demonstrated the speed and playful elements locked in Cheap Girls’ performance. With the right sway and head bang, “Gone All Summer” had me hoping the act would come back around soon.
I didn’t catch Tracks except outside of the Orpheum doors, but the “Moonlight” made its way into the streets of Ybor, and I couldn’t help but soak up the sound. The up-and-coming act shows promise, even from the outside.
Looking at the awed fans in the stage-lit darkness of the Orpheum, I was ready to stay until our sheer elation caused by Joyce Manor faded away. As the band lyrically puts it, “Y’know, I think about it still.”
Joyce Manor Live Review and Concert Photos by Amanda Starling, edited by Matthew Weller.
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