Concert Review: Welcome To Hellvetica Tour at The Masquerade

Touring in support of their debut album, RAZZMATAZZ, I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (iDKHOW) has gained a lot of attention online from their catchy hooks, emo-tinged verses, and lead singer Dallon Weekes' connection to Panic! At The Disco. The duo have looked to capitalize on this success with unrelenting touring since the end oof the pandemic.

Joywave come into Hellvetica fresh off of their "Cleanse" tour. The trio are touring in support of their fourth studio album, Cleanse. Slowly but surely gathering a cult following, Joywave should not be underestimated. They have found their niche and locked them in.

Savannah Conley is a name rising in the indie rock world. After touring in support of other rising stars like Briston Maroney, Savannah has gathered a large following of her own. She is a powerful vocalist and an equally as talented writer, with her music simultaneously being fun and thought provoking. Her opening set was an excellent appetizer for the show to come.

Chaotic in the best possible way, Joywave are easily one of the most entertaining bands on the road right now. Fronted by Daniel Armbruster and flanked by Joseph Morinelli (guitar) and Paul Brenner (drums), the three piece has put together an incredible show. Quirky and humorous, Dan's onstage presence feels like a Nathan Fielder skit, just with added swagger. The band is also adept at stringing their movements together, feeling completely together throughout the whole night.

Musically, Joywave were incredible. They brought along two touring musicians to help cover the sonically dense pallet of sounds their music brings with it. Tight, snappy drums, slick and swelling guitars, and a bass groove that just won't stop all rang through the speakers. The band also featured heavy synths and samples that add a mystical element to the show. 

Production was also top notch, with large video panels, side fill lighting, and the back of a Ferrari all returning from the "Cleanse" tour. There were also zero gaffs, with the band sounding perfect the whole night. Fans of the band really couldn't ask for more. Their takes on societal issues and complex emotional problems paired with the pop-rock leaning instrumentation takes listeners on a trip.  

Given the tour's co-headline nature, both bands played a slightly shorter than average setlist. Right at an hour, Joywave blasted through fifteen songs throughout the catalog, including songs from all four of their studio albums. Additionally, the band performed "Ugly Ending" by Best Frenz, a side project of Armbruster and Sir Sly's Jason Suwito, and "Dangerous" by Big Data, which they are featured on. 

         1. Coming Apart

         2. Buy American

         3. Tongues

         4. Every Window Is a Mirror

         5. After Coffee

         6. Somebody New

         7. Pray for the Reboot

         8. Traveling at the Speed of Light

         9. F.E.A.R.

         10. Obsession

         11. Ugly Ending (Best Frenz cover)

         12. Dangerous (Big Data cover)

         13. It's a Trip!

         14. We Are All We Need

         15. Destruction

iDKHOW came out of the gate roaring. Two of the band's biggest hits, "Choke" and "Leave Me Alone," were among the first three songs played. Very quickly, iDKHOW had the crowd hooked. With the crowd divided fairly evenly amongst the two headliners, Dallon and company were eager to prove their chops to the other half of the room.

I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME are a lot more in your face. Powerful arena-rock caliber instrumentation, heavy synths of new wave origin, and an overly passionate vocal deliver made the band jump off the page. The band was not afraid to make you dance.

iDKHOW is just plain fun. Between Dallon Weekes (vocals, guitar) and Ryan Seaman (drums), the band brought an absolutely electric performance. The entire show, front to back, was filled with joy and dance. 

With only one album under their belt, iDKHOW had some wiggle room in their setlist. "A Letter", a song from one of Dallon Weekes' old bands, and "Heaven Is A Place on Earth", a Belinda Carlisle cover, helped fill out the night. Joywave's Dan Armbruster also joined the band on stage for "Nobody Likes the Opening Band" (or as Dan put it, 'nobody likes the co-headlining band').

         1. Choke

         2. Clusterbug

         3. Leave Me Alone

         4.  Social Climb

         5. A Letter (The Brobecks cover)

         6. Mad IQs

         7. Lights Go Down

         8. Sugar Pills

         9. New Invention

         10. Heaven Is a Place on Earth (Belinda Carlisle cover)

         11. Razzmatazz

         12. Nobody Likes the Opening Band (ft. Dan of Joywave)

         13. Do It All the Time

         14. Kiss Goodnight

iDKHOW and Joywave still have four more shows together on the "Welcome To Hellvetica Tour," with a run down to Florida and up the east coast left. Joywave then takes a month off before hopping over the pond for a United Kingdom and Europe tour. Both bands remaining dates are below:

         9/21 Tampa, FL — The Ritz Ybor*

         9/23 Raleigh, NC — The Ritz*

         9/24 Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore*

         9/25 Richmond, VA — The National*

         11/01 Dublin, IR — Whelan's^

         11/02 Glasgow, UK — G2^

         11/03 Manchester, UK — Deaf Institute^

         11/05 London, UK — Omeara^

         11/07 Brighton, UK — Patterns^

         11/09 Cologne, DE — Yuca^

         11/10 Paris, FR — 1999^

         11/12 Amsterdam, NE — Melkweg^

         11/13 Hamburg, DE — Hakken^

         11/14 Berlin, DE — Badehaus^

         * with Savannah Conley

         ^ with George O'Hanlon (Joywave only)  

"Welcome To Hellvetica" might be one of my favorite overall tours in recent memory. Between two killer headlining sets and Savannah Conley kicking things off early, it is a great bang for your buck. If you like alt-rock of all flavors, this is the show to catch.