Ben Zucker
Fans packed the Ritz, Raleigh’s retro-style concert venue, on Sept. 23, as excited energy filled the air. I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (IDKHOW) and Joywave were in town on one of the last stops of their tour. After waiting outside the building for what seemed like an eternity, the crowd was ready — fortunately, the bands did not disappoint.
The Ritz was the perfect venue choice for this concert. The exterior of the Ritz looks like just another building in an industrial area, but inside, it’s completely the opposite. With its neon lights and checkered floors, the Ritz embraces being fun and unique. Meshed with the indie pop-rock feel of the concert, the venue helped set the stage for a terrific night.
Before IDKHOW and Joywave rocked the house, Savannah Conley opened the show. Warming up the crowd, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter kicked the show off loud and clear, setting the tone for the concert. As an opener, Conley did a good job of getting the audience’s attention and engaging with the crowd. Her style was a bit different from the headliners with a noticeable country influence. With songs like “Best I Can,” Conley introduced her work to many potential fans while drumming up excitement for the headliners.
The concert was headlined by IDKHOW and Joywave, and Nashville-based folk artist Savannah Conley opened. The show seemed to be structured to build anticipation and excitement till the very end. Everyone involved had to know it was a hit when the crowd chanted “one more song!” at the end of the night. Dallon Weekes, lead vocalist for IDKHOW, skillfully worked the crowd to give them what they wanted.
Joywave was the first headliner to rock the stage. They made great use of props by placing the back half of a Corvette on stage with a car wash in the background. The set alluded to Joywave’s fourth and latest album, Cleanse. According to WXXI News, the album is about fresh beginnings and moving on from the past. In a previous interview with Atwood Magazine, Daniel Armbruster, lead vocalist for Joywave, used the analogy of a car in a car wash to describe a fresh start for the band after the hardships faced over the past couple years.
“I imagined the band being this vehicle,” Armbruster said in the interview. “We went through that wash process and came out on the other side ready.”
Inspiration for the car wash theme can be traced back to the fact that one of Armbruster’s first jobs was at a car wash. The Rochester-based band truly went above and beyond with the set and props to sell the theme, while playing hits like “Every Window is a Mirror,” “Tongues” and “Destruction.”
IDKHOW had some big shoes to fill following Joywave’s performance, and they delivered. Though IDKHOW didn’t bring a car onto the stage, they provided a lively show that engaged the audience. Throughout the performance, the audience sang along to the likes of “Razzmatazz,” “Absinthe” and “Do it all the Time.” Seemingly the more recognizable group, IDKHOW brought out the energy within the crowd to cap off a great night.
Overall, this concert proved to be a unique and fun experience. With a mixture of pop, rock, and even some country, it was a lively night for everyone. All three acts introduced many in the audience to new songs, and left the crowd wanting more after the roughly three and a half hour show ended. Any of these three would be worth hearing the next time they hit Raleigh.