The Joy Formidable played a fantastic show this past Friday, March 25, at the Black Cat, one of several stops on their North American tour after playing at SXSW in Austin. Rave reviews were given after their numerous SXSW 2011 shows, and their DC performance should certainly earn them some more. However, this particular stop on their cross-country tour signaled a special return for singer Ritzy Bryan, seeing as how she once lived in nearby Glen Echo. Bryan, along with bassist Rhydian Dafydd and drummer Matt Thomas, quite a charismatic and energized trio, brought to the Black Cat a fantastical clash of sound waves.
Using their epic pedal boards, the North Wales three-piece created a cataclysmic wall of sound, a construct the Philadelphia City Paper called a “chunk of supermoon rock,” a designation which very much amused the band. At the very least, the music induced in listeners a dream-like state. Bryan’s vocals flawlessly transition between sultry whispers and rousing yells, yet remain careful to never get lost in the wall of sound that made their latest album, The Big Roar, so aptly named.
The concert featured standouts from The Big Roar, including “Buoy” and “I Don’t Want to See You Like This,” as well as songs from their earlier EP, A Balloon Called Moaning, such as “Austere” and crowd favorite “Cradle.” By the end of the show, the band rallied the entirety of the Black Cat to sing along to their hit song “Whirring.” Talking with the band before the show, they noted that most of the inspiration for The Big Roar came from spending the past two years on revolving bouts of touring, calling the newer songs “snapshots from the road.” The combination of new additions and old favorites has made The Big Roar and their performances huge hits not just here at WVAU, but all around the world.
Check out The Joy Formidable at their website or twitter:
http://www.thejoyformidable.com/
http://twitter.com/joyformidable