Photos by: Jacklyn Lipscomb, Words by: Mari Washburn and Jacklyn Lipscomb
The Drake presents: Joe P May 4th, 2023, in Amherst, MA
If you haven’t yet heard of the name Joe P- now is the time to get yourself acquainted. The rising alternative indie star from New Jersey played to a packed crowd at The Drake in Amherst, Massachusetts on Thursday, May 4th- leaving many adoring fans without a voice and an adrenaline high that would last the remainder of the night. To say the show was a success would be an understatement, as this energetic audience in the valley of Western Massachusetts proved that people are willing to show up and show out in full force when it comes to their next new favorite artist.
Setting the stage were antique amplifiers, and of the four there, neither were the same size, shape or color from the last. Adorning those were skulls and horror masks, paying homage to his most recent film "If We Run". Large warm lights that were interspersed around the stage equipment flickered and pulsed before Joe graced the eager audience with his presence, and the intimate setting was almost as if fans were invited to his home studio just for the night.
While Joe P set a chilling scene, scared is anything but how his demeanor and music makes someone feel. Like a snapshot from a vintage New Jersey magazine, Joe P looks the part. It's when he sings his unique, heart wrenching lyrics and modern sounds through the inherent lens of his home state that audiences can't help but enjoy. His overall passion and social ease give him an approachability that fans love.
Celebrating the release of his most recent EP French Blonde and capturing concert goers’ attention from the very beginning with favorites like “Baby Teeth”, “Leaves”, and “Happy People”, it was almost instantaneously apparent how Joe had the power to control the audience with ease. From dramatic pauses between verses, lengthy guitar solos, cheeky dance moves, to humble chats and acknowledgements to the crowd between songs, everyone was captivated from start to finish. One of the most standout moments of the night occurred about mid set, when Joe took an ample break from performing to tell a multifaceted story, before covering Bruce Springsteen's classic "I'm On Fire". Prefacing that on his birth certificate, there is a line in the fine print that says the person must love Bruce Springsteen. He goes on about his failed college experiences and finally moving out of his parents house to live on his own in South Jersey. He finishes recounting how close he had now lived to one of Bruce Springsteen's homes in South Jersey and during a time of great need for inspiration and motivation, he stumbled across the icon’s home. This structure became a beacon of hope that if he just kept going he could maybe, just maybe, be able to make music successfully enough to have something like that house one day. This epiphany story led to the beautiful cover that every person sang back.
Fans were also awestruck at his version of "You Are My Sunshine" that he performed just before the end of the show. However, once it came time for his viral hit "Off My Mind" the crowd blew up. Head banging, dancing, screaming- he got it all, and his guitar shredding solo at the finish was the cherry on top.
Thanking everyone, he placed his guitar on stage still reverberating a single note through the room with the only other sound an echo of "Encore, encore, encore". While some expected a reprise of his final track, he pulled out another surprise that would shock the crowd with an unexpected old gem titled "Bang Bang Bang", delivering a slow impassioned version of the track while delighting in pure awe of how much the crowd continuously wanted more. Both fans and Joe P himself seemed to leave the show that night speechless, and it is moments like these that made everyone feel lucky enough to have experienced such a special concert, with no doubts that Joe P is slowly on track to become one of the next biggest names in modern day music.
Give French Blonde a full listen here:
Check out the full gallery below!
Support Joe P Here:
Comments