Vance Joy Takes Los Angeles Down to the Riptide

Vance Joy performing at the YouTube Theater, LA by Jonathan Nack

Australian Born Singer Songwriter James Keogh Tours his 3rd Album

I arrived at the venue promptly and acquired my credentials to get into the show at the YouTube Theater. Jack Botts, the opener, is a fellow Australian-born artist, which is quite in line with the type of music that Vance Joy makes. Botts was accompanied by his guitarist Ben Camden as they played through a string of catchy folk songs. He ended his set by bringing out a saxophone player which got the crowd very excited with the intricate solos. It is always super inspiring to see people care and support opening acts so I was pleased to see Botts get a very warm welcome. He mentioned that this was one of his first times playing in the states, making the moment all the more sweeter. 

Vance Joy performing at the YouTube Theater, LA by Jonathan Nack

The stage crew began to prepare the stage for Vance Joy as I made my way down to the photo pit. I usually head to the pit about 15 minutes before each set to be prepared and talk to other photographers about the things they have going on. This time around, I got to meet a photographer who came from Australia to shoot for Getty Images which was insane. The minutes flew by as in no time, the lights began to go down and the band started to fill the stage. Opening with the chords of one of his newer songs,“Missing Piece,” the lights came up on this almost mountain-like stage set reminiscent of Bon Iver. I was taken aback by how many longtime fans were at the concert. I saw a handful of posters that people had, talking about how they traveled far and wide to come to see Vance Joy. He was accompanied by a full band that also included a horns section for certain songs.

Vance Joy performing at the YouTube Theater, LA by Jonathan Nack

After the first three songs, I made my way back to my seat to enjoy the rest of the show. Vance Joy struck a great balance between his older and newer songs as he navigated the crowd through many hits. Although I love the energy of smaller shows, there is something about being in a large venue with thousands of people singing along to the same song. He had the whole crowd in the palm of his hands once he started playing songs like “Saturday Sun” and “The Fire and The Flood.” As Vance Joy and the band made their way toward the end of their set, they closed out with my favorite cut of the show. He exchanged his guitar for the iconic ukulele one last time to play mega-hit “Riptide.” As soon as he played the first note in the song, it was nearly impossible to hear since the crowd roared the lyrics to the international anthem. Keeping the energy alive, the band covered Abba with the horns played out the famous synth line that has been a part of so many movies and tv shows. The band concluded with 2018 cut, "Lay It on Me.”

To my surprise, the night featured no encore but that didn’t stop Vance Joy from leaping into the crowd to shake hands and sign posters. Check out the setlist here!

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

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