When she leans in close to the mic to emphasize a particular phrase, her eyes go so wide you can see the whites all the way around; it’s as though a thousand people just said something she didn’t quite hear and she’s trying to address them all at once. And several measures later, there she still is, holding in the audience with her wide-eyed intensity, furiously mashing at her guitar. Her name is Ritzy Bryan.
As lead singer of The Joy Formidable, Bryan puts this command of attention to use keeping the audience with her during songs that can become protracted and dizzying walls of cymbal crashes and guitar hammering. The Welsh-bred three-piece only got about twenty minutes at the NPR showcase, so maybe they had everything turned up to 11 to squeeze in a maximum of substance in minimal time, but the result for me gave a surfeit of sound and fury but fell short on the significance.
DOWNLOAD: The Joy Formidable - A Heavy Abacus (MP3) or Follow us for more The Joy Formidable MP3s (Twitter)
Two songs go in, one comes out. Pick a side.
thanks so much nadine! probably the best compliment a photog can get!
and thanks for reminding me to embed the video in the post too!
by Steve Benoit on Sun May 20, 2012 at 09.33 am from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
I can’t get over how these photos captured my up close memory of the night.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 11.08 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Or should it be whoever? F my grammar.
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.30 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
Whomever took these photos certainly captured the night!
by nadine on Sat May 19, 2012 at 10.26 pm from the entry: Father John Misty + Har Mar Superstar - Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA; May 16, 2012)
“Mindkilla” is awesome. I’ve got this music video last week and really impressed through watching every performance particularly “Glass Jar”. Thanks dude. :)
dance contest
by Mark Waugh on Thu May 17, 2012 at 05.54 am from the entry: Gang Gang Dance's Illuminating "Mindkilla"
Also, I have yet to pay this venue a visit, is it good spot? good people, good vibe, good atmosphere?
... man, i hope i win some tickets…
by Jaz Bonnin-Aldatz on Thu May 17, 2012 at 12.27 am from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
Looking forward to the show. Would love to win some tix for my pals.
by MC Breath on Wed May 16, 2012 at 07.40 pm from the entry: It's all good, see Fishbone for free at Fête
