Mt. Joy brought their newest tour to Washington, D.C.’s U Street Music Hall on Thursday, September 27th.
With smiles, they took the stage in the 500 person-basement-style venue to thunderous applause. Folk-rock tunes filled the room as fans danced and sang happily. The evening had a feeling of simultaneous nostalgia and novelty.
“We’re Mt. Joy, in case you just walked in off the street. That doesn’t happen much anymore, but I still say it every show,” frontman Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) said, midway through the show.
The show soon moved to a more heavy-hearted topic: the Kavanaugh hearings earlier in the day.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to play in the same city as that woman today,” Quinn said about Christine Blasey Ford to a rousing cheer from the crowd. The band then played their hit ‘Sheep,’ which was written after President Trump was elected. With lyrics such as “When there is blood on the streets of Baltimore / Kids are getting ready for a long war,” the song touches on rioting in the region and the troubles of the local youth. Mt. Joy is a band that is unafraid to touch on the difficult topics of today.
Despite the moments of heaviness, the show had a feeling of home and happiness. There was an “Ain’t No Sunshine” (by Bill Withers) interlude and a crowd that knew every word to the hit “Silver Lining”. From young, upbeat opener Arlie to ending the encore, fans were engaged and content.
Check out the rest of Mt. Joy’s tour dates here:
