[photo by nyctaper]
The real test of the quality of a band is whether their music translates in different settings with varying audiences. When we saw The Joy Formidable in a packed Pianos in January, the energy in the room was palpable and their set was quite powerful. Our conclusion was that the band was absolutely destined for greater success. In the intervening couple of months, our prescience has proved correct — The Joy Formidable returned to NYC on Saturday to play before a sold-out and over capacity Mercury Lounge. But the set that again proved the abundant worth of this Welsh trio was their performance headlining the main stage on Friday night at the Truck America Festival. In the spacious outdoors and cool night Catskills air, TJF powered the entire main stage tent with their abundant energy. From the opening notes of “Greatest Light”, Ritzy and Rhydian attacked their instruments and pranced around the stage while Matt mashed the drums relentlessly. At one point, Ritzy got a bit carried away and nearly smashed into the entire drum kit. Order restored, the band whipped through their standard setlist (we had hoped for “Popinjay”, which they saved for Mercury), and closed the set and the main stage day with eight minutes of relentless “Whirring”, as the kneeling Ritzy ravaged her pedals and amp.
This set was recorded with the R-44 four track, with two Neumann microphones on a stand at the soundboard mixed with a stereo board feed. The sound quality is quite good, and subject to only the limitations of recording music in a tent. Enjoy!
The Joy Formidable have added a special show at the end of the current tour in which they return to Mercury Lounge on May 10.
Today (May 4), The Joy Formidable release their new EP A Balloon Called Moaning on Black Bell Records.
Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)
Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].
The Joy Formidable
2010-04-30
Truck America Festival
Big Indian, NY USA
Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix
Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac
Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-05-03
Setlist:
[Total Time 41:02]
01 The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade
02 Cradle
03 The Last Drop
04 Austere
05 Ostrich
06 Magnifying Glass
07 Anemone
08 Whirring
If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Joy Formidable, visit their website, and purchase their debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning from the Black Bell Records website [here] or from the store at the TJF website [here].
Ta very much for sharing our love (and recordings) of this very special band, take them to your hearts……..
Agree with Whisky’s words – top job again recording the best new band many of us have seen for a long while.
Buy their releases & enjoy this great performance. Many thanks.
TJF are one of my favorite new bands…thanks!
wow. thank you.
Saw them in Toronto a few nights ago. That band is sooo tight! Ritzy is such a natural up there, laid back but in control. We were lucky to see them in a below capacity crowd…can’t imagine what NYC would have been like. Bought the CD, GREATNESS! My new fav band!
Another great recording.
I like what I hear and will have to catch this band when they come to Amsterdam, whenever that may be.