Harry Lonergan/Contributing Writer
Mt. Joy, a band that playfully experiments with the lines between indie/alternative rock and classic American folk, knows how to have a good time. The band, one of the country’s most exciting indie folk groups, brought infectious fun to the Tabernacle on Oct. 19. The result: a packed venue, filled with screaming, dancing and adoring fans.
Located at Centennial Olympic Park in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Tabernacle fits 2,600 people and crafts an intimate environment by splitting the crowd perfectly between general admission on the floor and balcony seating. A palpable buzz of anticipation washed over the former Baptist church as opening act flipturn took the stage.
The indie group describes their music as for “endless summers, sun-streaked days, and introspective nights.” Lead singer Dillon Basse is so young-looking that he would not be out of place in a sophomore dorm at Emory University, yet he is opening for a national tour. “August” (2018), flipturn’s most streamed song on Spotify, perfectly established the soulful, indie vibe that Mt. Joy would later amplify.
After flipturn left the stage, the crowd cheered for the barcode bouncing from end to end on the big screen like an early 2000s DVD player, oohing when it fit perfectly into the bottom left corner. Thirty long minutes of shuffling and anticipatory bathroom breaks later, Mt. Joy marched onto the stage. The first half of their set focused on the band’s most recent album, “Orange Blood” (2022). Mt. Joy wasted no time, hopping into fan favorites “Lemon Tree” and the titular “Orange Blood.”
Five members constitute the band: Matt Quinn, lead vocalist and guitarist; Sam Cooper, guitarist; Jackie Miclau, keyboardist; Sotiris Eliopoulos, drummer; and Michael Byrnes, bassist. Mt. Joy is named in honor of a mountain in Valley Forge National Historical Park, near founding member Cooper’s childhood home. Cooper formed the band with his high school friend, Quinn. This shared history gives Mt. Joy evident chemistry on stage, with its bandmates frequently riffing off each other in inventive and unexpected ways. They have been on tour since summer 2021, and it is clear that they have mastered the art of performing together.
In an unexpected moment during the first half of the concert, Mt. Joy blended the final verse of “Let Loose” (2020) seamlessly into “I Knew You Were Trouble” (2012) by Taylor Swift. Similarly, the band meshed “Bug Eyes” (2022), a song about resilience and heartbreak, with Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” (1988), inciting an uproar from the crowd.
The first half of the concert ended with Quinn, originally from the Philadelphia area, apologizing for the Philadelphia Phillies’ recent victory over the Atlanta Braves in the MLB playoffs. A booing crowd then began harmonizing in the famous tomahawk chop (a chant that Kansas City Chiefs fans do at home games), a reminder of the Chiefs’ victory over Quinn’s home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in Super Bowl LVII. Quinn chuckled, as he reflected on how music has brought him all over the world and allowed him to meet an array of people. He then launched into the recognizable whistle tone that kicked off “Cardinal” (2017). Quinn explained that the sensation of leaving home and feeling lost inspired the song.
Mt. Joy’s second set focused on the biggest hits from their entire discography but threw major surprises into the mix. For instance, the band covered “Fire on the Mountain” (2013), the classic Grateful Dead tune. This song gave each member of the band the space to shine in an over 10-minute instrumental interlude.
As the second set drew to a close, Mt. Joy revealed one last trick up their collective sleeve. After finishing an electrifying mashup of “Julia” (2018) and “Praise You” (1998) by Fatboy Slim, Quinn took the mic to announce an unexpected guest — Atlanta’s own Zac Brown.
Brown strutted onto the stage, taking the microphone and proudly declaring, “Go Braves!” The pair then strummed and sang in unison Mt. Joy’s most commercially popular and concert-friendly hit, “Silver Lining” (2018).
Harry Lonergan/Contributing Writer
The show’s highlight was the electrifying encore. Quinn welcomed Brown and Basse back onto the stage for a heartfelt rendition of “The Weight” (1968), a classic song by The Band. Quinn, Brown and Basse traded verses before coming together to sing the iconic line, “Take a load off Fanny.” Quinn then took a minute to thank what he called a “special crowd” before playing the last song of the night.
To finish with “Astrovan” seemed like the only fitting conclusion — this song put Mt. Joy on the map in 2016. Quinn let the crowd bellow out the final chorus and ended the show by taking a picture with the audience, who had been treated to an unforgettable night.
