Photos By Graham Zinger
Few bands can leave a 45 minute headlining set without disappointment, but this past Sunday, Joyce Manor executed it in a way that bolstered thick enthusiasm. The energy coming off of that speedy set inspired an angst that has carried over for days, knocking two solid minutes off travel time while walking and thinking about the show. The last time that the band passed through Boston, they supported the newest album, Never Hungover Again, with a 30 minute set at The Sinclair and it resulted in the same hearty spirit. I can’t help to think there’s a real art to the short set and, based on Sunday’s show at Royale, there are a few vitals to maintaining a strong, but short lived set:
1. Make Those Songs Short
Let’s just get this out of the way: the average Joyce Manor song is about two minutes long. The secret to keep it catchy enough, so that after two minutes of screaming and heavy head bopping, fans feel like they’ve completed a StairMaster workout. This is also a good look for the end of the show. Walking out of a show with a pack of smelly, sweaty people gives off the real pop punk feel.
2. “Fuck Panera”
You only have 45 minutes here, so riling up the fans early is mandatory and you know what really gets the people going – a popular food chain that everyone regularly visits despite a universally deep loathing (well, besides the bread bowls) “Did you know that an actual side at Panera is a piece of untoasted bread? You’re paying for a piece of untoasted bread!”, Barry Johnson (vocalist/guitarist) proclaimed. I haven’t seen a pop punk crowd that angry since the Adam Lazarra/Jesse Lacey debacle.
3. Play A Pinkerton B-Side
It’s impressive enough to hear a medley of the band’s finest sing-a-longs with a couple deep cuts within 45 minutes, but just in case anyone doubts the amount of material you offer in a short set, you have to throw in a cover. When Johnson hinted at a cover, I hardly expected a B-side, but to totally overwhelm, they broke out in Weezer’s “You Gave Your Love To Me Softly”.
We live in a world where people expect encores. I applaud people who refuse to accept societal expectations, but to be real this didn’t feel like a full set until the band hustled on stage, gave each other a quick look, and jammed out a two song encore. “Five Beer Plan” comes as a given within a Joyce Manor show and a slight tension was felt until the moment that the heavy bass line broke. If you keep the people waiting for a song, they will treat it like the first time they’ve heard it live and the set length will mean nothing.
*Be sure to see our photos of Joyce Manor along with Cheap Girls and Tracks from this September Royale show.
