Mt. Joy bring their "Orange Blood" tour to Birmingham's Avondale Brewing Company for an incredible night of folk-laden indie rock.
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
This marks Mt. Joy's third performance at the venue since last May. That show was a socially distanced-podded show, followed later that fall with a co-headline performance with Trampled By Turtles. This was their biggest one to date. With over 2,200 people in the brewery's courtyard, it was packed.
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
The band is currently touring in support of their third studio album, Orange Blood. The album dropped just four days prior to their show in The Magic City. With singles "Lemon Tree" and "Evergreen," Mt. Joy continue to flesh out their blend of psychedelic-folk rock.
Madison Cunningham 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Madison Cunningham opened up the night to some new fans. Her gentle voice layered over folk-rock instrumentation complimented the headlining set flawlessly. Cunningham's set was incredible, even the time of day, sunset, just blended perfectly into the show. This was the first time I had seen an act with Mt. Joy I didn't already know and let me tell you, I was blown away.
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Mt. Joy's live shows stand out in a way not many do. The feeling of seeing this band live is almost hard to describe, even to fans of the band. The warmth imitating from not only the instrumentation but also the immense joy of the crowd is unlike any other show I've been to. There is a reason I try my hardest to go to everyone of their shows I can.
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Look, you don't make it as far in this industry as Mt. Joy being bad musicians, but this band has some of the finest musicians in the world. Keyboardist Jackie Miclau is quite possibly the most insanely talented keys player I've ever seen. Sotiris Eliopoulos' ability to provide both delicate and pounding percussion at the drop of a hat is incredible. Michael Byrnes' deceptively groovy bass playing ties everything together with a perfect little ribbon. This doesn't even touch on the talents of the founding duo Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar).
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
This was Mt. Joy's best produced tour to date. Massive lit globes flanked by curved lighting rigs backed the band. This new light array added so much to the band's music, adding color to perfectly reflect each song's feel. Their audio was mixed perfectly. The band's stage presence has also elevated, the band was downright rowdy. Easily the best I've seen from them.
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Mt. Joy is not necessarily a name you think of when you think "jam band." However, if you've ever seen them live you understand why this isn't true. A 16 song setlist doesn't sound long, but Mt. Joy make it long. From their incredible cover of The Grateful Dead's "Fire on the Mountain" to the three song melody of "Julia," Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine," and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Mt. Joy gave fans a wild night of music.
1. Lemon Tree
2. Strangers
3. I'm Your Wreck
4. Johnson Song
5. Let Loose
6. Astrovan
7. Fire on the Mountain (Grateful Dead cover)
8. Rearrange Us
9. Evergreen
10. Mt. Joy -> Do You Realize?? (Flaming Lips cover)
11. Phenomenon
12. Sheep
13. Julia -> Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers cover) -> Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
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14. Dirty Love
15. Bathroom Light
16. Silver Lining
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Mt. Joy's tour is just kicking off. With over 40 shows left on tour, Mt. Joy is in for the long haul. Auburn University alumni The Brook & The Bluff will be supporting the quintet starting in October and will be back near Auburn on October 18th when the two bands take on Atlanta's Coca-Cola Roxy.
6/22 Memphis, TN — Soundstage at Graceland*
6/23 St. Louis, MO — The Pageant*
6/25 Hamilton, ON — Tim Hortons Field>
6/26 Columbus, OH — KEMBA Live!*
6/28 Pittsburg, PA — Stage AE*
6/29 Cincinnati, OH — Andrew J. Brady ICON Music Center*
7/01 Des Moines, IA — Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park*
7/02 Milwaukee, WI — Summerfest 2022
7/30 Sandpoint, ID — The Festival at Sandpoint 2022
8/02 Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren^
8/04 San Diego, CA — Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater^#
8/05 Los Angelos, CA — Hollywood Palladium^
8/07 San Francisco, CA — Outside Lands 2022
8/08 Jacksonville, OR — Britt Festival Pavilion^
8/09 Vancouver, BC — PNE Amphitheatre~
8/11 Seattle, WA — Woodland Park Zoo^
8/12 Portland, OR — Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall^
8/13 Bend, OR — Hayden Homes Amphitheatre^
8/15 Boise, ID — Idaho Botanical Garden: Outlaw Field^
8/16 Sandy, UT — Sandy Amphitheater^
8/17 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre^
8/18 Denver, CO — The Mission Ballroom^
8/20 Chicago, IL — The Salt Shed^ (SOLD OUT)
8/21 Chicago, IL — The Salt Shed^
8/25-27 Tisbury, MA — Beach Road Weekend 2022
9/07 Portland, ME — State Theatre+
9/08 New York, NY — The Rooftop at Pier 17*
9/10 Philadelphia, PA — Skyline Stage at Mann Center for the Performing Arts*
10/15 New Orleans, LA — The Orpheum=
10/18 Atlanta, GA — Coca-Cola Roxy=
10/20 Columbia, SC — Township Auditorium=
10/21 Richmond, VA — Brown's Island=
10/22 Washington D.C. — The Anthem=
10/24 New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall=
10/25 Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway=
10/27 Knoxville, TN — The Mill & Mine=
10/28 Nashville, TN — The Ryman Auditorium=
10/29 Nashville, TN — The Ryman Auditorium=
10/31 Fayetteville, AR — JJ's Live=
11/01 Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom
11/03 Austin, TX — Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater=<
11/04 Austin, TX — Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater=
11/05 Austin, TX — Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater=
* with Madison Cunningham
> supporting The Arkells
^ with Wilderado
# with Sun Room
~ supporting Nathaniel Rateliff & the Nights Sweats
+ with Yoke Lore
= with The Brook & The Bluff
< with Sneaky Peaches
Mt. Joy 6/21/2022 at Avondale Brewing Company | Dylan Basden Photography
Mt. Joy continues to excite. Despite their near constant shows in Birmingham, and the southeast as a whole, Mt. Joy continues to draw huge crowds. It should come as no surprise that this band is going to continue like this for years to come.
