When you think of Joe Keery, what comes to mind? Instinctually, you might home in on his signature acting roles – and you would be forgiven for doing so. However, there’s far more to Keery than what appears onscreen. Over the past six years, Keery has been carving out his own psychedelic musical entity in the form of Djo, delivering hypnotic synth-rock and perplexing cerebral pop that allows a peek behind the acting mask.
After years of anticipation and three acclaimed albums to boot, tonight will see Djo making his live debut on English soil. Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse will host the grand occasion – and, considering the venue is full to the brim, the fans are more than eager to give Keery a hero’s welcome.
Before diving into Djo’s elusive evening of psychedelia, Keery reminds fans of his roots with the help of opening act Post Animal. While Keery still works with the band in the studio, he’s since stepped back from touring duties to pursue his solo project, but the essence of what Djo would become is scattered throughout the lashing of progressive riffs and thick psych-rock. It’s a sound the crowd can instantly hook onto, soaking up the tunes.
As Post Animals gradually reach the end of their set, even Keery can’t resist their immersive sonic world. The musician joins onstage to lay down some guitar tones, decked out in all black to melt into the background and allow his buddies to shine. And they absolutely do – the final clamour of applause is a sign that plenty of punters will leave with a new favourite band.
@allthelovemegan Djo Manchester I will be thinking of you of you forever 😭 #djo #djotime #concert #backonyoutour #joekeery #thecrux #djomanchester #manchester #potion #decide @Djo ♬ original sound – megan
By the time Djo finally indulges the crowd, opening track ‘Runner’ instantly shifts the atmosphere in the room. The air seems to thicken, lights leaving Keery faceless, his silhouetted form effortlessly plunging the masses into a trip of fluttering synths. The quirky, off-beat funk rock of ‘Gloom’ only cements the spell, Djo’s versatile palette delivered with unwavering confidence.
Onstage, Keery is truly at home. Despite keeping chat to a minimum, Djo’s sweltering world of ecclectic 60s psychedelia, sweltering rock tones and glimmering indie is never shy. Whether tackling the rockstar edge of ‘Link’, the triumphantly bright ‘Lonesome Is A State of Mind’, or the 8-bit synthetics and robotic croons ‘Basic Being Basic’, every flavour works – and Keery takes it in his stride, humble as ever as he works his magic.
While the set spans the entirety of Djo’s trio of records, fans fall into the ebb-and-flow with gusto, basking in the acoustic introspection of The Crux’s ‘Egg’ before bouncing along to Keery’s piano playing, relishing in the Beatles-esque flow of ‘Charlie’s Garden’. It’s a varied selection that feels perfectly balanced, Djo fluidly working the crowd up with bouncy numbers before sinking into the delicious, soporific mystique of debut record cuts like ‘Chateau (Feel Alright)’.
While ‘End of Beginning’ is certainly a standout moment of the show, fans howling along at a deafening volume as luscious golden lighting fills the room, the climax comes for the grand finale. The rampant, riffy slew of ‘Flash Mountain’ sees Keery dragging his Post Animal bandmates onstage for one final hurrah – and the chaos onstage is mesmerising. It’s like watching a group of musicians having a true jam session, succumbing to the music, every riff scrambling into the next and full of energy. It’s a raw, unrefined goodbye, yet it’s a full-blown burst of cathartic noise. And, as the final riffs ring out, there’s no mistaking the integral role music plays in Keery’s life; while some might lose themselves in the barrage of noise, it’s where Djo is clearly most at home.
Main photo by Pooneh Ghana
