Joyce Manor kicked off their Fall 2016 tour on October 5th at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. After roughly a 3 month break since their last full US tour with Modern Baseball, the band returned riding on the hype surrounding the upcoming release of their fourth album, Cody (2016). The opening acts included Crying, Purchase, NY’s 3-piece group, and The Hotelier, Worcester, MA’s 4-piece.

Joyce Manor’s front-man, Barry Johnson, said immediately as he took the stage, “It feels like we haven’t done this in forever, and it sure is good to be back.” Personally, coming from a long time listener, despite this being my first time watching them live, it felt as if I had seen them a hundred times before. And this same feeling of familiarity was widely visible in the audience throughout the entirety of their 50-minute set.

The band’s setlist was perfectly balanced, catering to the hardcore fans, the new listeners, and just about everybody in between. The twenty-one song setlist (including a double-encore), featured five songs off Cody (two of which had been previously released as singles). The rest of the show included a crafted medley of songs off of Never Hungover Again (2014), Off All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012), Collection (2012), and Joyce Manor S/T (2011). 

There’s always been something blissfully nostalgic about Joyce Manor’s songs that make them relatable to people in both their adolescence and young adulthood. Perfectly utilizing relatively simplistic thematic ideas accompanied by catchy melodies, the Torrance 4-piece sure knows how to write a song that not only captures your attention for the full 2-3 minute duration, but just how to get it stuck in your head. Whether it’s a song about heartbreak, living in the suburbs, teenage debauchery, or just growing up in general, Joyce Manor’s songs always have a special way of resonating to the hearts and minds of young people.

Widely regarded as Joyce Manor’s best album yet, Cody comes out October 7th on Epitaph records.

HD pictures of this event can be found on my Flickr.

Joyce Manor –

Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th

The Hotelier –

Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Joyce Manor – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
The Hotelier – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th

Crying –

Crying – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Crying – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Crying – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Crying – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th
Crying – San Fransisco – Great American Music Hall – Oct 5th

Article and Photos by Sam Jameson.

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