Concert Review: Mt. Joy Bring Me To The Mountaintop

Pinegrove, Broken Social Scene, Tame Impala, The Lumineers…. Mt.Joy. There are certain bands that going to their show feels like a ¨sing-along¨ for our inner hippies. Every track is a guaranteed crowd-pleasing jingle with an audience ready to belt out chorus on being a lonely, compassionate dreamer in a big city world. Yes, this is a very specific mood, but only a few bands are providing it and that makes it a luxury.

Entering Mt. Joy´s Orange Blood release party at Bowery, I was stunned by how packed it was on both floors. I have long followed Mt. Joy and one thing that makes them magical is that they feel like the biggest secret in plain sight. Going to their show is the equivalent to going to the first, secret Star Wars convention, you are seemingly surprised that anybody loves these cosmic tales and wants to dress up in their vibes/ robes. Suddenly, at Bowery, everyone was from 1970s Nashville, and wanted to see some classic, Woodstock rock.

The level of chill and promotion of human kindness in a Mt. Joy concert cannot be duplicated. It is so apparent from the minute you enter, and as they played off their new record or covered everything from Gnarly Barkley to Bill Wither, their show felt like Disney World for adults that miss their inner child. There was something to banal, easy, and lovely about their show because it was not just about singing to joy, but also living a harmless life: just doing good by others and yourself.