There are plenty of jokes about emo band bills with extensive, stacked lineups, but often incohesive. However, Real Friends’ Forever And Ever and Ever And Ever And Ever And Ever And Ever Tour strung together a night that melded together in a way that felt immersive, fulfilling.
To kick off the electric energy of the show, Slow Joy, the solo project of the Dallas-based Esteban Flores, brought a whiny pop punk sound that balanced the set perfectly. While the core of the night was centered around a midwest emo sound, Slow Joy embraced that feeling, despite the Southern technicalities.
Pinpointing the Slow Joy sound to one genre is a messy task and one we often found ourselves grappling with. There was a clear influence of hardcore, but it melted into a near 90s grunge sound that was seemingly nearly incidental in occurrence.
They’ve been compared to a modge podge of artists like Smashing Pumpkins and Modest Mouse, underscored by their callback to the last generation of rock music. However, they’ve worked alongside producer Mike Sapone who is known for his efforts with The Front Bottoms.
Essentially, thinking too long and too hard about Slow Joy’s genre will ruin the show for you. It’s better to just sit back and take in the budding star. The dynamic on stage was one he was clearly feeling comfortable with. After all, while Esteban was performing a solo project, he was backed by “these two gingers I’ve collected” who he called his best friends.
The familiarity of those with him seemed to give Esteban the type of confidence he needed. While it was clear that his stage presence is still growing, it showed true promise.
The idea of growth is what makes Slow Joy so enticing. The live performance was filled with a buzz of electricity, but one that was just on the cusp of shocking.
The show at Irving Plaza was filled with eager fans and winning over a New York City crowd is never easy. Nonetheless, Slow Joy stuck it out, eventually eliciting some love as the crowd was keen to listen. His talent was remarkable, like a gem that just needs shined and buffed a bit.
A strong performance, a steady mind, Slow Joy can go far if only they keep doing so on their own terms.
