Review: Inspiration and Optimism with Joy Olandokun in Concert

Joy Olandokun’s concert at The Complex in Salt Lake City was a great experience, with undertones of millennial optimism, rock influence and gospel feeling. Her vibes and aesthetic allow for easy and passive listening, but when you start to analyze lyrics and further melodies you can really start to grasp the dense content she discusses and embeds in her music.

The opener for the evening was Houston Kendrick, an artist who brought a great high energy performance to the show. His lyrics focused on the young nightlife and complex feelings around, parties, substances, and love. Kendrick has bold tastes in fashion and showcases these artistic visions across social media and performances. He is someone who challenges the stereotypes of American men’s and women’s fashion, in his performance and his lyrics.

He was joined onstage with a guitarist, who played and operated a laptop with effects and prerecorded track systems. Kendrick sang along with it, allowing for unique harmonies and layering within the music.

Kendrick has been described as an Art & B artists, combining influences from multiple genres to create an alternative R&B. The most recent release from the artist was “Portrait of a Boy on Fire”.

Kendrick thanked the crowd and between sets more people arrived, totaling in roughly 150 people. Joy Olandokun and her band took the stage and started by playing “Easy Company” — a track from “Hope is a Heavy Thing” — a release Olandokun said was about the end of the world.

Olandokun played a total of 14 songs each speaking on a variety of topics that you can tell were close and personal to her. She played her acoustic guitar for the majority of the night but also played her electric guitar, which combined with a few effect pedals created a really unique sound. There was a keyboard, drums, and base, completing her band with four members.

The crowd replicated energy with every song, bouncing or jumping around when the tone of the song called for it, and slowing down for the sways when prompted.

One thing that stuck out to me personally was a song called “TOGIAIM” or “The Only God In America Is Money”, the lyrics spoke of contrasts and divides within a capitalist system and how people in higher financial standings are divided from the rest of society.

Olandokun spent some time near the end of her concert solo, allowing the band to rest and for her to have a more intimate connection to the audience. She played a few songs including “Changes” one she built live on stage with a looper pedal. She also had a small music pad which allowed her to control some tracks and add harmonies to what she was performing live.

Overall, the event left me inspired and optimistic, with a deep respect and appreciation for concerts and the culture around them. Every person there was kind and appeared to enjoy the concert to its fullest. I would recommend this artist for anyone who needs a little inspiration and optimism.

— Cal Talbot