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Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy (Formidable)!

By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 7, 2011 4:20PM

Tuesday night the Welsh alterna-pop trio The Joy Formidable took the stage to a full house of frenzied and devoted fans like ourselves. The question: As much as they have been touted here and across the pond, could the band deliver a show that was just as ablaze with enthusiasm and excitement as their debut record The Big Roar? The answer is a hard yes. Probably the most aptly named band working today, The Joy Formidable packed a hard-driven poppy punch in to a relatively short 45-minute set.

The band's pint-sized leader, Ritzy Bryan, is the epitome of what a rock heroine should be; a true storm in a teacup. Bryan wielded her guitar with a clever precision that reminded us a lot of fellow female guitar hero, PJ Harvey. Her playing was that of a seasoned professional. The spritely front woman poured her heart not only into her instrument and the amazing wash of fuzzed-out, whirling wall of sound it produced, but voiced each song as if it were her last dying breath. The entire group was never short on energy bouncing about the stage as if their feet were made of rubber. Some of the highlights from the set included our personal favorite song Austere, a song destined to become an indie pop classic, and the more down tempo, slow building, almost dirge like Cradle. We came out of the show like most members in the audience; craving more from their short set. We hope to hear more joyful noises from this threesome in the not so distant future.