JOYCE MANOR CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF THEIR SELF-TITLED DEBUT LP

Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor at the Hollywood Palladium by Jacob Alvarez and edited by Paige Strickland

WITH SUPPORT FROM TURNOVER AND TIGERS JAW

The idea of going to a concert is still up in limbo as some shows go off without a hitch, while others require masks or venues don’t enforce certain protocols for safety purposes. Since live music for this year is uncertain, it was quite thrilling to experience a decent sized crowd full of energetic music fans. Not to mention one of my good friends, Jaycob Luque, programmed and ran the lighting board for both sold out shows happening at the Hollywood Palladium.

The show felt like a night of friends getting together to celebrate music connection on multiple levels. To start off, I was going with Paige thanks to Jaycob hooking it up like he always tries to do. Shout out to him. Then I found out some old pals I met while attending SFSU were going to be there too, so it was like a small homecoming. Lastly, Joyce Manor enlisted pop-punk/emo/indie bands Turnover and Tigers Jaw to help sell out the larger venue, allowing for some overlap with the fans that showed up.

We caught up with my friends Sol and Emily who were at the sound booth with Jaycob. We all exchanged hello’s and listened to the last few songs of Tigers Jaw who had the crowd eating out of their hands. Their backdrop showcased the band’s name while they thrashed through tracks, followed by screaming fans. I didn’t make it in time to take photos of them but I quickly headed up to the coat check where I was escorted to capture the first three songs of the next band, Turnover.

Most of the crowd was there due to the nostalgia for all the bands and albums they grew up listening to. Paige and I shared some thoughts about it: I was more of a Turnover fan and she, a Joyce Manor fan. I’ve seen Turnover once before, and had the opportunity of making action figures for their latest album, which they loved and also hooked me up with some merch. This is why it meant a lot to come back and capture more of their music. As soon as they began, the audience screamed and moshed while I tried to snap photos of “Cutting My Fingers Off.” It amazes me how much music they can capture with just a few instruments and Austin Getz’ voice. After my first three songs, I went back to the sound booth to enjoy the rest of the set with my friends up until the main act.

Once their set ended, I headed back up to photo pit where I took a minute to stare at the crowd. Although very enthusiastic towards all the sets, almost every kid on the barrier was wearing a Joyce Manor shirt. The lights darkened as the band took the stage to screaming die-hard fans. They wasted no time, burning through their self-titled debut album set. I got to witness “Beach Community” right in front of Barry Johnson as the crowd surfed and circled in the many pits throughout the venue. The backdrop featured old stock footage of people and animals with orange and white lights, and once the album was played in full, the iconic cover art was displayed with confetti floating around the room. The band then switched to a more colorful lighting system, all courtesy of Jaycob and his design. They played fan favorites like “Heart Tattoo” and “Catalina Fight Song” before coming out for an encore. Johnson made sure to show his gratitude for all the bands that came out to play and for the fans especially, coming and singing along and swapping sweat to each track. At this moment, it felt like the pandemic never existed. Finishing strong with “Five Beer Plan,” Joyce Manor completed night one of two at the Palladium. It’s hard to believe that their debut came out in 2011, but it’s fair to say, the fans definitely haven’t forgotten about it. There’s a soft spot in their hearts for that record, and here’s to two nights of its celebration. Check out their set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!