REVIEW: A Fever Dream in Blue Pajamas With Joywave and Little Image
4/17 @ Empire Live, Albany
**This review originally appeared in our May print issue**
Photos by Elissa Ebersold
“Their music has always walked a tightrope between apathy and emotional urgency. Between refusing to take the world too seriously and desperately needing it to matter. Their live show only drives that paradox home.”
A rotating sleeping cat. A neon sign flashing Permanent Pleasure, matching navy blue pajamas. In the world of Joywave, these aren’t gimmicks. They’re mood, metaphor, and mission statement all at once.
On April 17, the Rochester-bred alt-rock band returned to Albany’s Empire Live with a set that was as visually surreal as it was sonically tight. The show was a celebration of their latest album, Permanent Pleasure, which felt like a lucid dream shared by several hundred strangers in the heart of the city.
Opening the night was Little Image, a Dallas-based trio with a sound that sits perfectly between stadium-sized ambition and bedroom-pop introspection. They performed a ten-song set that took us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Tracks like “Novacaine” and “The Pressure” scratched the itch in my brain – funky instrumentals, smooth vocals, and something for me to two-step to.
The entire band’s energy was boisterous enough to fill a stadium, so in an intimate venue like Empire Live, it was off the charts and infectious.
Joywave took the stage shortly thereafter wearing navy blue pajamas; their silhouettes backlit by the soft glow of a sign bearing the phrase Permanent Pleasure. Behind them, a giant cat – curled into itself and slowly rotating while watching over the set like some dreamworld guardian. It should’ve been absurd. Instead, it felt weirdly comforting. As if we’d all wandered into a very stylish fever dream together.
But dreaminess didn’t mean detachment. From the moment they opened with “Scared,” Joywave made it clear that this would be no sleepy affair. The band tore through a 17-song set with laser focus and high energy, walking the tightrope between humorous and heartfelt with their signature confidence and fun delivery.
“Buy American” hit especially hard; maybe I’m biased because Cleanse is my favorite Joywave album, but hey, sue me. Midway through the set, tracks like “Somebody New” and “Funny Thing About Opinions” turned the room into an echo chamber, fans shouting every word as shimmering lights cut through the haze.
However, a major standout was “Swimming in the Glow.”; that song really encapsulated what the night was all about. There was a weightlessness to it where everything seemed to coexist and synergize. Everything slowed down and it was like confirmation that all was alright. It felt so personal and so real; another one of those concert moments that gives you chills to reflect on.
Frontman Daniel Armbruster remains one of indie rock’s most compelling figures, equal parts deadpan philosopher and chaos agent. His dry humor kept the crowd laughing, especially when he brought up Albany’s apparent curse on their tour vehicles.
“When we first came here in 2023, a city bus hit our tour bus,” he said, smirking. “And now tonight, a city bus hit Little Image’s trailer.” Groans and laughter echoed across the room. Really making a name for ourselves here, aren’t we, Albany?
That’s the thing about Joywave: beneath the surrealism, irony, and jokes, there’s something deeply human at the core. Their music has always walked a tightrope between apathy and emotional urgency, balancing a refusal to take the world too seriously and desperately needing it to matter. Their live show only drives that paradox home.
The night closed with “Destruction” with the crowd screaming every word, lights strobing, and the cat still spinning in gentle oblivion behind them. Maybe that’s the lasting image: something soft and strange turning in the background while the world around it pulses, shakes, and sings.
For one night, Joywave invited Albany into their dreamscape. And whether it was the pajamas, the music, or the mythic chaos of a second tour vehicle mishap, it somehow all made sense.
And yes, the cat is still spinning.
